Tag: tennis betting

PGA Tour: 15-year-old Miles Russell set for more fun in debut pga,tour,year,old,miles,russell,set,for,more,fun,in,debut,sbnation,com,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: By: admin


Two months ago, 15-year-old Miles Russell set an incredible record, becoming the youngest player to make a cut in a Korn Ferry Tour event. He eventually finished in a tie for 20th at the LECOM Suncoast Classic, which earned him a spot in next week’s tournament.

He missed the cut despite posting a 4-under par score through 36 holes. But Russell made a lasting impression—so much so that the Rocket Mortgage Classic offered him a sponsor’s exemption to compete in this week’s event at the Detroit Golf Club.

“I was pretty much speechless at the time,” Russell said when he received the call that he would make his PGA Tour debut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

“It’s always been a dream to play at the highest level and compete with the best players in the world, and I get to do that this week. I am really looking forward to it.”

Russell has quite a resume. He broke par for the first time at the age of six and then finished second in the Drive, Chip, and Putt finals at Augusta National in 2018 at nine years old.

Since then, Russell has racked up numerous junior titles. He won the Junior PGA Championship last August by seven strokes and then added a Junior Players Championship title at TPC Sawgrass, where he won by three. As such, Russell won the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Player of the Year Award, becoming the youngest player ever to do so—besting Tiger Woods in the process. Speaking of Woods, Russell will join Charlie Woods at next month’s U.S. Junior Amateur, which will also take place in Michigan at Oakland Hills Country Club.

“I don’t know how to describe it other than just a rollercoaster, and it’s just been a rollercoaster of just fun,” Russell said.

“It all happened a little faster than I thought it might, but it’s just what happens when you have good play.”

Russell will undoubtedly continue to have fun this week at Detroit Golf Club, the host of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, regardless of the result. He said he will have to rely on his short game—his strong suit—to get around this tight golf course, but he also noted that staying disciplined will be critical.

“My goal is just to come out here and have fun,” Russell said.

“That’s my main goal: have fun, maybe learn something, and take something to my next event.”

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.

JJ Redick denies using racial slur as old and new allegations surface about Lakers coach jj,redick,denies,using,racial,slur,as,old,and,new,allegations,surface,about,lakers,coach,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,dot-com-grid-coverage

On: By: admin


A day after he was introduced as new Lakers head coach, representatives for JJ Redick issued a denial of allegations that he called a fellow Duke alum the N-word while in college.

Reps for Redick were responding to a tweet from author, speaker and self-described social impact pro Halleemah Nash that was sent Tuesday, in which Nash accused Redick of calling her the N-word when she was working with the Duke basketball team Redick played for in college:

Within a few hours, TMZ had gotten a denial of the story from Redick’s team:

We reached out to Redick’s camp for a response to the claim … and they completely shut it down.

“No, it never happened,” a spokesperson tells TMZ Sports.

The Lakers have not commented on the situation publicly as of publishing time.

However, while Redick’s reps denied Nash’s story, other disturbing moments from Redick’s past came to light in the wake of her social media post on Tuesday. They included 2014 allegations that Redick called an ex-girlfriend racial slurs in leaked emails related to an alleged abortion contract with the same woman; Redick denied the woman was ever pregnant in since-deleted tweets from 2013 calling the reports “outrageous, false and malicious.”

Additionally resurfacing on social media was an apology Redick issued in 2018 for appearing to accidentally use a racial slur in a Chinese New Year video from the NBA, as well as a bizarre story in which he claimed on his podcast to have potentially witnessed human trafficking before temporarily deleting his Twitter account.

We will update this story when and if more details/responses come to light.

Mercedes’ bounceback among key F1 Austrian Grand Prix storylines mercedes,bounceback,among,key,f,austrian,grand,prix,storylines,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one,2024-formula-one

Mercedes bounceback among key F1 Austrian Grand Prix storylines mercedesbouncebackamongkeyfaustriangrandprixstorylinessbnationcomfront pageformula one2024 formula one
On: By: admin


As has been argued here and elsewhere, Lando Norris’ frustration following his second-place finish in last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix told us not just the story of one singular race, but rather the entire 2024 Formula 1 season.

A year ago in Barcelona, Max Verstappen cruised to a 24-second victory ahead of Lewis Hamilton, and the strength of the RB19 was evident in the closing stages of that race. After being given repeated warnings for exceeding track limits, Verstappen had such an advantage on the track that he felt confident enough to post the fastest lap of the race in the closing stages, prompting another legendary request from his race engineer, Gianpietro Lambiase. “Ok,” quipped the engineer known as GP, “now can you bring it home within the white lines?”

Last Sunday in Barcelona was a much different story. Verstappen needed to overtake George Russell — after the Mercedes driver’s stunning double overtake on the opening lap — to get into the lead. And while the Red Bull champion enjoyed an eight-second advantage over Norris in the final act of the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, the McLaren driver not only got that down to two seconds in the closing laps, but he felt that he had the fastest car, and should have won.

F1 this season is a whole new ballgame.

Teams like McLaren, Ferrari, and perhaps even Mercedes have closed the gap to Red Bull, putting the defending Constructors’ Champions — and Verstappen himself — under pressure. Of course, putting Red Bull and Verstappen under pressure is one thing, but getting that well-oiled machine to crack under stress is another. On a Sunday in Barcelona, Red Bull answered that call, fending off the field for another victory.

But will that be the case this weekend in Austria?

Speaking on Sunday night following the Miami Grand Prix Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur told the assembled media, including SB Nation, that teams were now able to put some pressure on Red Bull at the front, which could be a “game changer” for the season.

“What is true is that compared to one year ago when we are able to do a good job and to put everything together, we are there, it means that we are putting [Red Bull] a little bit under pressure. They have to take to be a bit more aggressive with the strategy,” started Vasseur in Miami.

“They are not anymore in the comfort zone of last year when last year that doesn’t matter what’s happened after lap two, they were in front and it’s, I think it’s a game changer in the management of the race,” added Vasseur.

“And this, it’s an opportunity for us because that if we are doing another small step, I think that we will be really in a position to fight with them every single weekend.”

That fight continues this weekend, and is one of many storylines to watch.

Have race organizers truly solved the track limits issue?

F1 fans will recall the three most common words used during the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix.

“Track limits exceed.”

Consider these numbers from last year:

During qualifying alone, 47 laps were deleted due to “exceeding track limits,” resulting in a shaken-up field and lots of angry drivers, teams, and fans. Then in the Grand Prix itself a number of drivers were hit with penalties for exceeding track limits, and it even led to a post-race protest from Aston Martin, inquiring whether all the appropriate penalties were levied.

That protest was upheld, and even more drivers were hit with penalties hours after the race concluded. An additional 12 penalties were handed out to 8 drivers, and race officials noted that they still were unable to review all 1,200 potential incidents of exceeding track limits.

Those numbers prompted not just drivers, but prominent figures within the sport to wonder if changes needed to be made at the Red Bull Ring. “The problem is it’s very difficult for the drivers because they can’t see the white line from the car so you’re just purely doing it on feel and the circuit invites you to go there,” said Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, speaking before the post-race penalties were announced last season. “So I think that it’s something that needs to be looked at for next year to perhaps add more of a deterrent for the drivers to be drawn onto that part of the circuit.”

Now, it seems that that deterrent has been added.

As was reported by Race Fans last year the FIA requested race organizers to install gravel traps at the circuit, focusing on Turns 9 and 10. “In order to address the issue for future events we will renew our recommendation to the circuit to add a gravel trap at the exit of turns nine and 10,” said a spokesperson from FIA to RaceFans last season. “We note that while this is not a straightforward solution in relation to other series that race here, it has proved to be very effective at other corners and circuits with similar issues.”

On Tuesday images surfaced of new gravel traps at the circuit, indeed in the vicinity of Turn 10:

Will these gravel traps solve the issue? That might be difficult to accomplish, given the size of Red Bull Ring. Measuring in at just over 4.3 kilometers and with only ten corners, the circuit is one of the smallest on the calendar. While every millisecond counts in F1, that is especially true in Austria, particularly in qualifying. Consider what Logan Sargeant told me about track limits earlier this season:

“Yeah, the ones that drive me crazy are the, ‘[j]ust keep it on [the track]’ like when we’re talking about track limits,” said Sargeant. “And then you look at Bahrain and first through 20th in Q1 is covered by eight tenths.

“Especially when you’re on the back end of that [lap], trying to make it through Q1 and you’re always on the cusp. Imagine, you know, leaving a bit of time on the table can shuffle you down two or three positions if you’re too safe and then when you add the tires overheating through the lap, the wind gusting and changing throughout the lap. Even just having a slight slipstream from the car had completely changes the corner,” added Sargeant. “You know, I think so much more goes into completing a lot than people realize and also being able to keep it within the white lines and still getting the most out of it. It’s a lot more complex than just, you know, ‘keep it within the white lines.’

“There’s, there’s so many variables and, I think people forget that a lot.”

The presence of the traps might help, but expect to hear those three words often this weekend.

Are we witnessing a Mercedes bounceback?

Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images

A year ago McLaren delivered a stunning turnaround, rocketing up the standings following a dismal start to the season. In many ways, that turnaround began in Austria a year ago, when a fourth-place finish from Norris banked 12 points for the team.

They entered the Austrian Grand Prix last year with 17 points to their name, tallied throughout eight race weekends.

Are we seeing something similar from Mercedes?

The Silver Arrows got out to a slow start of their own this season, but have certainly shown progress in recent weeks. A series of upgrades the team began to roll out back in Miami have delivered improved performance on the track, and the team is coming off their two best race weekends of the year. In Montreal, they captured their first pole position of the season, thanks to a strong performance from George Russell, and Russell’s P3 gave the team their first Grand Prix podium of the year, to go with a P4 from Lewis Hamilton. (Hamilton notched a podium with his P2 in the F1 Sprint Race at the Chinese Grand Prix back in April).

Last week in Barcelona, the team enjoyed another strong weekend, locking out the second row in both qualifying and the Grand Prix, with Hamilton finishing third and Russell fourth.

Progress has certainly come to Brackley, as well as perhaps the next great F1 meme above. But can they keep this momentum rolling in the Austrian hills?

Frustration at Ferrari

On the other end of the spectrum, we find the Scuderia.

Back at the end of May Ferrari was on a roll. Charles Leclerc finally broke through with a win in his home race, capturing the Monaco Grand Prix. Add in a P3 from teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. — and only eight points for Red Bull on the weekend thanks to a DNF from Sergio Pérez and a P6 from Verstappen — and Ferrari moved 32 points closer to Red Bull atop the Constructors’ Championship standings.

As the grid shifted to Montreal the Scuderia trailed Red Bull by just 24 points, and the talk of a true title fight was on.

Thoughts of a title fight remain, but Ferrari has not helped themselves in recent weeks. A disastrous Canadian Grand Prix for the team saw the team leave Montreal without any points to show for their efforts, and with Leclerc finishing fifth in Barcelona, and Sainz sixth, they have seen Red Bull pull away from them a bit in the standings. Currently, Ferrari sits 60 points behind Red Bull, the gap having more than doubled in recent weeks.

And while Ferrari would love to look ahead, McLaren is now just 33 points behind them, having cut their 68-point deficit to Ferrari following the Monaco Grand Prix by over half.

Here’s what that movement looks like in graphic form, thanks to our friends at Formula1Points:

Screenshot 2024 06 25 at 11.21.06 AM

If you are listing teams in the field that need a bounce-back performance in Austria, Ferrari might just top the list.

What about the back of the pack?

Returning to our friends at Formula1Points, if you look at the standings at the back of the F1 field you might see something interesting:

Screenshot 2024 06 25 at 11.22.36 AM

Alpine? We owe you an apology, we were not really familiar with your game.

Okay, so perhaps apologies are not in order, but it is certainly noteworthy that the team backmarker team having the most success over the past two race weekends is the French-based outfit. While Visa Cash App RB F1 Team managed to leave Montreal with four points thanks to an eighth-place finish from Daniel Ricciardo, back-to-back double-points results from Alpine has seen them add six points to their account, as opposed to the four from VCARB.

Which has seen Alpine climb to seventh in the Constructors’ Championship standings.

Can Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly keep Alpine’s momentum going in Austria? Can VCARB deliver a bounce-back performance of their own? Will Sauber finally break through with points? What about Haas and Williams, can they shock the field in the Austrian hills?

Driver news?

Here is one last storyline as the grid heads to Red Bull Ring.

Is this the week we finally — mercifully? — hear news about Carlos Sainz’s future?

Rumors flew through the paddock as well as the entire F1 world that an announcement on where Sainz would land for 2025 was imminent. Even drivers such as Kevin Magnussen, who is facing his own uncertain F1 future, pointed to Sainz as the “cork in the bottle” regarding the 2025 driver market. But a wrench was thrown into those plans in the form of Flavio Briatore, who recently joined Alpine as an advisor and reportedly made a last-ditch effort to woo Sainz to the French team for next season.

Those talks likely bore little fruit, given yesterday’s news that both Mick Schumacher and Jack Doohan were set to test for Alpine in the coming days, meaning that we may finally hear from Sainz on where his F1 story will be written next.

Watch this space.

NBA Mock Draft 2023: SB Nation writers project the first round nba,mock,draft,sb,nation,writers,project,the,first,round,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft,nba-mock-draft,dot-com-grid-coverage

On: By: admin


The 2024 NBA Draft isn’t seen as the strongest class in the league’s history, but between Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, Reed Sheppard, Nikola Topic, Ron Holland and the many other players who will be selected in the first round on Wednesday night, there will surely be a few more difference-makers than expected.

And in a continuation of an annual tradition, experts from around our NBA team communities and national writers tried to pick them out from the crowd by making a selection for their club in the first round of our annual SB Nation NBA mock draft.

Trades were not allowed.

For more draft coverage, check out the latest mock drafts from our own Ricky O’Donnell, who projected the entire first round and ranked the top 60 prospects here, and you can find complete draft coverage from our team communities at our NBA draft hub.

The Atlanta Hawks were on the clock first with the No. 1 pick, and made things interesting right off the bat.

1. Atlanta Hawks – Alex Sarr, C/F, Perth Wildcats

Wes Morton, Peachtree Hoops — With the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, I select for the Atlanta Hawks: Victor Wembanyama! …I’m not allowed to do that? Dang.

Well, this pick isn’t nearly as much of a surefire selection. Both Zaccharie Risacher and Donovan Clingan were heavily considered here, but Sarr’s defensive versatility, mobility skills, and (all too brief) offensive flashes just barely win out. With the way the NBA game is trending, banking on a bouncy, rangy, 7’1 marvel who can guard on the perimeter gives you a solid defensive floor.

There are some clear downsides to his game, more than most would like to admit: he’s slender, has inconsistent hands for catching passes, and can’t reliably set screens for a team that wants to pick-and-roll you to death with Trae Young. On top of that, his jumper and handle are much more theoretical than practical at this stage.

But the Hawks don’t have control of their next three first-round picks, so it may be wise to grab as much young talent as possible and hope for a spring forward in production by the third or fourth year. If he can commit to playing the 5 a good portion of time — given the presence of last year’s breakout star Jalen Johnson — it’s hard to pass up on Sarr here.

2. Washington Wizards – Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg

Gabe Ibrahim, Bullets Forever — Zaccharie Risacher’s high floor and positional value wins the day for the Wizards. His performance over 64 games for JL Bourg provides a good view of what he could do in the NBA. He put up 11 points and 4 rebounds while shooting 39% from three in 23 minutes a game. That’ll get the job done offensively for a 3-and-D player in the NBA, and he should be able to scale his production up as he grows.

Risacher also shines defensively with his length and feel for the game. He could turn into Mikal Bridges if everything goes perfectly, but, more importantly, he should be a good wing if everything goes just okay. Of course, there are risks. Richaser struggled to consistently hit threes as a junior and rode an early shooting hot streak to his stats this season. If his shooting isn’t real, he will struggle to do anything offensively due to his lack of shot creation. The Wizards take Risacher because he’s a solid bet to be solid and he can fit into whatever they build going forward.

The other players I considered for this pick — Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, and Reed Sheppard — simply didn’t have enough upside or versatility to pass on Risacher.

3. Houston Rockets – Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky

Darren Yuvan, The Dream Shake — If I’m the Rockets, I trade this pick. Houston has a plethora of young talent all fighting for court time, and injecting another kid (he’s 19) might not be ideal. I’d prefer the Rockets move this pick either for a vet or, better yet, assets in a future draft.

But since we can’t trade for our purposes, Sheppard it is. He’s the best shooter in this draft, and Houston is short on them. Despite his size (6’3), he’s also an active defender and an adequate distributor, and could find playing time at backup point guard, with Amen Thompson sliding to forward. I’d also consider Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, and Matas Buzelis here, but Sheppard is the pick.

4. San Antonio Spurs – Stephon Castle, G, UConn

Jesus Gomez, Pounding the Rock — Castle’s rumored desire to be a point guard in the NBA could scare off a lot of teams, but probably not the one that trotted out Jeremy Sochan as initiator last season. The questionable shooting is a serious concern, but Castle’s defensive versatility and secondary playmaking should be useful no matter what position he ends up playing.

5. Detroit Pistons – Donovan Clingan, C, UConn

Sean Corp, Detroit Bad Boys — The Pistons need a lot of help, and they can’t really do better than having Clingan fall to them at 5. Not only does it allow them to draft a defensive anchor on a team desperately looking for consistency on that end of the floor, it opens up a world of trade down possibilities with teams looking to add the big man themselves.

Clingan also gives the team flexibility to consolidate some youth already on the roster like Jalen Duren into a multi-player package for a more established player to slot alongside Cade Cunningham. You keep him, it’s a win. You trade him to the highest bidder, it’s a win. Winning has been in short supply, so the Pistons would be thrilled to see the draft board shake out like this.

6. Charlotte Hornets – Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite

James Dator, SB Nation Writer and Hornets Fan — In a perfect world Charlotte would have access to someone like Donovan Clingan to strengthen their interior defense, or Stephon Castle to offer depth at the guard spot — but with both gone they pick the next-best option. The Hornets have myriad youth at multiple positions, but an athletic wing is something the team needs a future plan for.

It’s unclear whether Miles Bridges will remain with the Hornets long-term, so there’s a lot to like about imagining rotations with Buzelis alongside Brandon Miller. There’s work to be done for sure, as Buzelis’ 27% from three wont suffice in the NBA — but in a weak draft he’s the best long-term upside pick at this position.

7. Portland Trail Blazers – Cody Williams, F, Colorado

Steve Dewald, Blazer’s Edge — The Blazers’ Colorado brain trust lands one of their own by selecting Cody Williams. As a player, Williams is unproven with a small sample size of effective production, but he has frame made for the NBA. If Williams develops like his brother at the next level, he could be the steal of the draft. The stakes are low and this prospect pool leaves a lot to be desired. At least Williams is a high-ceiling player at a premium position. Williams will also take time to develop, which keeps the Blazers on track for the 2025 NBA Draft.

8. San Antonio Spurs – Tidjane Salaun, F, Cholet Basket

Jesus Gomez, Pounding the Rock — At this stage, Salaun seems too raw to contribute much as a rookie but his youth, size, motor and budding skillset make him a worthwhile project. If he reaches his ceiling, Salaun could be a do-it-all forward who offers shooting, passing and defense while also being able to play center for stretches on small lineups. The Spurs would need to be patient with him, but they could mold him into a uniquely valuable player.

9. Memphis Grizzlies – Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite

Clint Nielson, SLC Dunk Draft Expert — Ron Holland was once considered the top prospect for the 2024 draft, before the G-League Ignite’s abysmal season. His elite athleticism, measurements, defense both on the perimeter and in the paint, ability to get to the rim, and motor make him a great choice for the Grizzles. In a draft lacking star potential, Holland certainly has the potential to make multiple all-star games, though he needs to improve his 3-point percentage.

While some say the Grizzles need a starting center, Jaren Jackson Jr. could be a full-time starting center and Ron Holland could start at the power forward spot in today’s small-ball era. Morant and Holland on the fastbreak could be one of the most terrifying sights for opposing teams all season.

10. Utah Jazz – Nikola Topic, G, Red Stars

James Hansen, SLC Dunk: Danny Ainge in his postseason presser said that he’s not sure that Keyonte George is a point guard, and drafting Topic could potentially fill that need. Topic had some underwhelming recent measurements recently including a negative wingspan. He’s also recovering from a partial ACL tear. Those things combined are why it’s possible he’s there for the Jazz at 10.

But despite all that, he’s arguably the best point guard prospect in this draft, with good size and numbers while playing in a good league. Even if it takes time for Topic to come back from his injury, the Jazz aren’t under huge presssure to rush to any wins. With a fantastic 2025 draft coming, the Jazz can stand to give Topic plenty of time to recover and develop this season.

11. Chicago Bulls – Isaiah Collier, G, USC

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation Draft Expert — I made this pick before the Bulls traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey, and admittedly it doesn’t make much sense now. Giddey has to play on the ball because of his lack of shooting, and that makes it unlikely the Bulls draft another on-ball player with a shaky jumper in Collier. Chicago’s loss will be someone else’s gain: the USC freshman is one of the best creation bets in this class as a speedy guard who can consistently pressure the rim, and brings plus passing vision. Providence’s Devin Carter makes a lot more sense now if he’s still on the board at No. 11.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation Draft Expert — Dillingham is the best player available on the board, and the Thunder would have good reason to end his slide. Oklahoma City lost a little bit of shot creation in the Josh Giddey trade, and Dillingham would immediately fill that hole by adding shooting at the cost of size.

The Kentucky freshman is one of the best shooters in this class — whether he’s on or off the ball — with a quick trigger, deep range, and excellent relocation chops. He’s also one of the best ball handlers and passers in this class. Dillingham is just very small, but OKC has enough size and length to insulate him on the defensive end.

This would feel like something of a luxury pick for the Thunder, but they have cap space and so many potential draft picks to trade to fill bigger needs later this summer — starting with adding some more size and rebounding on the interior.

13. Sacramento Kings – Devin Carter, G, Providence

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation Draft Expert — There’s so much to like about Carter’s game: he’s a monster athlete, a lockdown defender, a fantastic rebounder, and an improved shooter who proved he can get up three-pointers with volume this past year at Providence. Though he only measured just over 6’2 barefoot at the combine, Carter plays so much bigger than his size with long arms, a strong chest, and explosive leaping ability. He can play next to either De’Aaron Fox or Malik Monk in the Kings’ backcourt, and add a tenacious defender and another shooter.

14. Portland Trail Blazers – Dalton Knecht, F, Tennessee

Steve Dewald, Blazer’s Edge — Ideally, the Blazers avoid making two lottery selections this year. If Portland is unable to trade out of this slot, Dalton Knecht is a serviceable option. Knecht is a proven scorer and would boost the Blazers’ floor spacing immediately.

Knecht was a subpar defender in college and that weakness could serve as an advantage for Portland next year. In order to increase their lottery odds for the loaded 2025 class, the Blazers could feature Knecht early and often.

15. Miami Heat – Jared McCain, G, Duke

JP Acosta, SB Nation Writer and Heat fan — The Heat need some more spacing and shooting from their guards, and with Terry Rozier missing the last stretch of the season due to injury and Tyler Herro being a bit of a problem defensively, I could see the Heat going with a sweet-shooting guard like McCain here. He would open the floor up a bit more for Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, while also having the upside of a second or third-option scorer.

16. Philadelphia 76ers – Ja’Kobe Walter, F, Baylor

Paul Hudrick, Liberty Ballers — If this scenario presents itself on draft night, expect Daryl Morey to trade back — maybe even out of the first round entirely to maximize cap space and collect more draft capital — but Walter is the pick here for me.

His floor is a high-level 3-and-D wing, something that is always coveted in the NBA. While the consensus seems to be that his ceiling isn’t that high, he’s only 19 years old. Some will suggest a plug-and-play prospect here, but Morey’s track record suggests he’ll take the best player available, regardless of age or position.

17. Los Angeles Lakers – Tristan da Silva, F, Colorado

Jacob Rude, Silver Screen and Roll — The Lakers have a handful of ways they could go in the draft, whether it be drafting a big or a wing. As has been their approach for quite some time, they’ll take the best player available, and that turned out to be da Silva in this draft.

He’s a wing that can step in and contribute from day one, whether through his 3-point shooting or his defense. And there is no such thing as too many 3-and-D wings, especially alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

18. Orlando Magic – Bub Carrington, G, Pitt

Sven Karabogovic, SLC Dunk draft expert — During their post-season run, the Orlando Magic displayed their most glaring needs: shot creation and playmaking. While the guard core of Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz, and Cole Anthony offered a valiant conglomerate effort at addressing these issues, their sub-par shooting led to their offense lacking enough torque to cut through the Cleveland Cavaliers’ defense.

Bub Carrington, while inefficiant at times, showed the ability to generate offense for the Pittsburgh Panthers through creative shot creation and solid court vision. With this pick, the Magic can hope that Carrington develops into a serviceable lead ball handler who decreases the pressure on Wagner and Banchero when the offense stalls.

19. Toronto Raptors – Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana

JD Quirante, Raptors HQ — The Toronto Raptors have been searching for the ideal center to pair with Siakam (failed), and now, not just with the soon-to-be-extended Scottie Barnes, but would also fit coach Darko Rajakovic’s offense.

Kel’el Ware’s a “modern big starter pack” with plenty of upside. He’s a lottery talent hidden outside of the lottery, as it would take the right team to bring out his upside into actuality. The Raptors have a solid developmental record, and given how they dropped the ball for the past two or three years, and how the NBA’s new salary cap rules are affecting roster construction, we have to believe that getting back into producing diamonds in the rough is something that was a mandate for President Masai Ujiri when he made a coaching change last year.

20. Cleveland Cavaliers – Johnny Furphy, F, Kansas

Jackson Flickinger, Fear the Sword — The Cavs lack of wing options was exposed in their series with the Celtics. They need wings that can stretch the floor and fit in alongside other high-usage players. Cleveland also needs team defenders who can guard opposing wings without being physically outmatched. Furphy isn’t the perfect solution, but he’s likely the best that can be found in the bottom third of the first round.

21. New Orleans Pelicans – Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette

Lake Hale, SLC Dunk Draft Expert — If Brandon Ingram leads your team in assists with just 5.7 a game, things could be better for you from a playmaking perspective. Tyler could be a true, pass-first point guard who can set up lobs with Zion Williamson, hit CJ McCollumn and Trey Murphy III coming off screens, and can shoot the ball well himself.

He might have some diet TJ McConnell in him, but his ability to push the pace and pass ahead feels more like Lonzo Ball to me.

22. Phoenix Suns – Yves Missi, C, Baylor

John Voita, Bright Side of the Sun — What do the Suns need (outside of an attitude adjustment)? Athleticism. Defense. Size. Yves Missi from Baylor gives Phoenix all three at the 22nd pick. While we had our eyes and hearts set on Tyler Kolek (we need a plug-and-play point guard, damn you Pelicans), drafting Missi gives Phoenix an upside play as Missi oozes with potential.

His affinity for offensive rebound — coupled with his rim-running ability — would be a welcome sight in the Valley of the Sun. He could replace Drew Eubanks by the end of training camp. Yay!

23. Milwaukee Bucks – Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia

Kyle Carr, Brew Hoop — The Bucks’ struggles for the entire season were on the defensive side, and their playoff series loss to the Indiana Pacers exposed how their lack of athleticism played a large role in that.

Ryan Dunn’s defensive ability has been highly praised by scouts, and he is someone who can come in and help Milwaukee immediately — especially if paired with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. There are concerns about his offensive abilities, but the potential defensive impact is too good to pass up.

24. New York Knicks – Zach Edey, C, Purdue

Russell Richardson, Posting and Toasting — Zach Edey, the reigning two-time Naismith College Player of the Year, fits Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau’s preference for traditional big men. Offensively, Edey excels in the post, although he needs improvement in passing and ball security. Defensively, he’s a strong rim protector but lumbers a bit and may struggle with the NBA’s pace and spacing.

But despite his limitations, Edey’s work ethic, durability, and offensive rebounding could make him a valuable asset for the Knicks, especially with the looming possibility of losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.

25. New York Knicks – Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite

Russell Richardson, Posting and Toasting — With Precious Achiuwa possibly departing this offseason, the Knicks may need another power forward in their stable.

Meet 19-year-old Tyler Smith of G League Ignite. Ranked No. 12 among 2024 prospects by our own Ricky O’Donnell, Smith is a 6’10 forward who averaged 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, shooting 36% on 3-pointers. Plus: A seven-foot-one wingspan! Gimmie those offensive boards!

Smith aims to emulate players like Jabari Smith, Kyle Kuzma, and Michael Porter Jr. — which might be a stretch (pun sort of intended) — but he does have promise. At best, he starts out giving Julius Randle 10-15 minutes of rest per night; at worst, he chops it up with the Westchester Knicks for a season.

26. Washington Wizards – KJ Simpson, G, Colorado

Renzo Salao, Bullets Forever — Picking Colorado point guard KJ Simpson this early may be a reach. But given the state of the Wizards’ backcourt, Simpson is worth the additional stretch. The 21-year-old junior was the top scorer on a team with projected top-20 picks Cody Williams and Tristan Da Silva.

Simpson averaged 19.7 points on stellar efficiency: 47.5% from the field, 43.4% from three, and 87.6% from the line. Standing under 6’1 without shoes, Simpson will be limited defensively at the next level. But he does possess NBA range, can shoot off the bounce, and is adept off the ball. He was also a top-15 rebounder in the Pac-12 averaging 5.8 per game – the only player on the list under 6’6”. Adding Simpson to arguably the worst guard rotation in the NBA is an easy call.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves – Baylor Scheierman, G, Creighton

Thilo Widder, Canis Hoopus — I don’t think it is physically possible for this draft to have gone worse for the Wolves’ needs.

Mike Conley is older than the internet and Nickeil Alexander Walker is entering 2025 on an expiring contract. Unfortunately for everyone involved (me), it seems that the rest of the league is looking at point guards as well. While it was certainly ambitious to hope for a Rob Dillingham to fall, seeing as KJ Simpson was the last draftable point guard on my board, I was forced to pivot.

That brings us to Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman. Before any amount of basketball analysis, before a discussion of skillset and fit, we need to talk about the numbers. Not the statistics, but about Scheierman’s preference for number 55. That’s right folks, I drafted a player to have him play against Luka Garza for a jersey number.

But Baylor is an excellent shooter and off-ball mover and would add a movement shooter to buoy the offense that the Wolves have lacked ever since the departure of Malik Beasley. While Conley’s successor may have been the clear need, Scheierman provides a different approach to solving the offensive problems that a young point guard would have been asked to fix.

28. Denver Nuggets – DaRon Holmes II, F/C, Dayton

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation Draft Expert — Holmes was one of the most productive players in the country as a junior for Dayton, packing the box score with blocks, rebounds, assists, free throw attempts, and consistent scoring all season long. At 6’8.75 barefoot with a 7’1 wingspan, Holmes knew he couldn’t bully opponents forever and needed to add more skill to his game.

He came back as a much improved 3-point shooter, ball handler, and passer. Holmes could play some minutes at the five backing up Nikola Jokic, and it’s possible he could also play with him at times if his shot continues to develop. Holmes has proven himself to be a very good basketball player, and those guys usually find a way to make it work.

29. Utah Jazz – Kyshawn George, F, Miami

James Hansen, SLC Dunk — The Utah Jazz need size and shooting and that’s what Kyshawn George brings. There’s some questions about his production, or at least the lack thereof, but he shot 40% from three and looks like he can likley get his shot off being 6’8, but he’s not explosive, and so there are some concerns about getting his own looks reliably.

That said, there are flashes of playmaking to his game as well as some high-IQ plays on the defensive end. If he’s crafty in the league, he could potentially be a secondary shooter/playmaker in the mold of former Jazzman Joe Ingles.

30. Boston Celtics – Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke

Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog — What do you get the team that has everything? Well, given how expensive this team is going to get, the answer is probably cap relief. So don’t be too surprised if the Celtics trade out of this spot in order to avoid locking into a guaranteed salary for someone that might not contribute next season.

However, if they keep the pick, they should look to add long-term, cost-controlled depth. There’s no Al Horford replacement in the draft (or in the whole world for that matter), but the Celtics could always use some more depth at the big man spot. Filipowski has the tools to be a stretch option with good offensive skills.

And he can swap Duke stories with Tatum on the bus, which might be as close to game action as he’ll get.

How close did we get to how this thing will actually shake out? Find out when the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft starts at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 26 on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.

A quick look into Scottie Scheffler’s really massive FedEx Cup lead a,quick,look,into,scottie,scheffler,s,really,massive,fedex,cup,lead,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

A quick look into Scottie Schefflers really massive FedEx Cup
On: By: admin


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.

Yesterday’s discussion on Scottie Scheffler and how much money he has won this year was mind-blowing, but let’s look into how massive his FedEx Cup lead is.

How much does the former Texas Longhorn lead his fellow PGA Tour players by? Scheffler already has $27,696,858, but if he were to win the FedEx Cup, jaws would drop at the amount of money he would take home.

The man already has six wins, two runner-up finishes, 13 top-10s, and 14 top-25s in 15 starts. One time in his 15 starts, he finished outside the Top 20, which came at Pinehurst No. 2 and the U.S. Open.

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Scheffler has fallen short the last two years in Atlanta to take home the FedEx Cup crown as Viktor Hovland won it in 2023, and Rory McIlroy took it home in 2022.

The 28-year-old contented in Atlanta but has not been able to finish the drill and hoist that TOUR Championship trophy.

Could 2024 be that year for him? With a major championship and at least three FedEx Cup playoff events, how big will that lead be?

Last year, the PGA Tour shortened the playoff field in the first event. No longer is it the top 125, but the Top 70. They will take on TPC Southwind for the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis.

The Top 50 will play for the BMW Championship and then the Top 30 play in Atlanta.

Since 2019, the PGA Tour has implemented a stroke-based system for the Tour Championship. The FedEx Cup points leader begins the tournament at 10-under and the strokes decrease from there.

Scheffler will likely head into Atlanta with a 10-under start, as he has the previous two years.

This year, the FedEx Cup winner will take home $25 million, which is a massive increase from last year’s $18 million.

2024 FedEx Cup standings (top 30)

*as of June 24, 2024

1: Scottie Scheffler: 5,768
2: Xander Schauffele: 3,257
3: Rory McIlroy: 2,445
4: Collin Morikawa: 2,241
5: Wyndham Clark: 2,088
6: Ludvig Åberg: 1,992
7: Hideki Matsuyama: 1,893
8: Sahith Theegala: 1,845
9: Patrick Cantlay: 1,717
10: Byeong Hun An: 1,620
11: Shane Lowry: 1,592
12: Tony Finau: 1,579
13: Matthieu Pavon: 1,558
14: Sungjae Im: 1,500
15: Akshay Bhatia: 1,422
16: Justin Thomas: 1,412
17: Sepp Straka: 1,410
18: Tom Hoge: 1,406
19: Russell Henley: 1,371
20: Christiaan Bezuidenhout: 1,370
21: Brian Harman: 1,362
22: Chris Kirk: 1,280
23: Stephan Jaeger: 1,207
24: Tommy Fleetwood: 1,203
25: Sam Burns: 1,181
26: Max Homa: 1,175
27: Thomas Detry: 1,173
28: Jason Day: 1,173
29: J.T. Poston: 1,165
30: Taylor Pendrith:

ICYMI: Top Stories from professional golf

Tiger Woods should play in U.S. Senior Open when ready in 2 years; could make history

Tyrrell Hatton’s LIV Golf win could propel him to Open Championship glory at Royal Troon

Olympics 2024: Nelly Korda looks to seize 2nd gold medal, set to lead amazing USA golf team

Can Tom Kim keep it rolling? Rocket Mortgage Classic betting odds, predictions, insight, more

Travelers Championship: Fans provide sensational trolling after protest invasion on the 18th

Wyndham Clark’s unexpected hot take on the Olympics will make Ryder Cup fans shake their heads

Proud Dad Moment: Brooks Koepka’s son gives Bryson DeChambeau an incredible slight

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.

Olympics 2024: Nelly Korda headlines stacked Team USA olympics,nelly,korda,headlines,stacked,team,usa,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,lpga-golf,olympics,golf-news,womens-sports,all-womens-sports

Olympics 2024 Nelly Korda headlines stacked Team USA olympicsnellykordaheadlinesstackedteamusasbnationcomfront pagegolflpga golfolympicsgolf newswomens sportsall womens sports
On: By: admin


The Olympic Women’s Golf Competition officially has a field of 60 participants with the latest update of the Rolex Rankings.

They will play at Le Golf National in Paris, the site of the 2018 Ryder Cup, from Aug. 7 to 10.

Two players from each country can qualify unless they rank inside the top 15 in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). A maximum of four players from each country are eligible.

Each tournament has a strength of field rating for the Olympic Golf Rankings based on the quality of players within the field, like the OWGR.

That determines the points awarded at an event, which are then allocated to the players based on where they finish. Better performances in stronger events lead to more points.

Team USA has three of the top 10 players: No. 1 Nelly Korda, No. 2 Lilia Vu, and No. 9 Rose Zhang. Korda has six wins on the season, including five straight. However, Korda missed the cut in her last three starts.

She won the gold medal by one stroke in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo over silver medalist Mone Inami and bronze medalist Lydia Ko. Can she win her second gold in Paris or get on the podium?

South Korea will also have three Olympians after Amy Yang won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday. She will join Jin Young Ko and Hyo Joo Kim in Paris.

Yang’s addition to South Korea’s Olympic team dropped Morocco’s Ines Laklalech, at No. 321, out of the competition.

Charley Hull and Georgia Hall will represent Great Britain, while Ko looks to get back on the podium for New Zealand. Australian golfer Hannah Green is also back in the Olympics after tying for fifth in Tokyo.

Nelly Korda’s most recent missed cut came at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America via Getty Images

The individual teams and the participants on each follow below, with their current world ranking in parentheses.

United States

Nelly Korda (1)
Lilia Vu (2)
Rose Zhang (9)

South Korea

Jin Young Ko (3)
Amy Yang (5)
Hyo-Joo Kim (13)

China

Ruoning Yin (4)
Xiyu Lin (15)

France

Celine Boutier (6)
Perrine Delacour (75)

Australia

Hannah Green (7)
Minjee Lee (11)

Great Britain

Charley Hull (8)
Georgia Hall (36)

Japan

Yuka Saso (10)
Miyu Yamashita (19)

Thailand

Atthaya Thitikul (12)
Patty Tavatanakit (25)

Canada

Brooke M. Henderson (14)
Alena Sharp (292)

New Zealand

Lydia Ko (17)
Momoka Kobori (293)

Sweden

Maja Stark (21)
Linn Grant (26)

Spain

Carlota Ciganda (30)
Azahara Munoz (109)

Leona Maguire (32)
Stephanie Meadow (134)

South Africa

Ashleigh Buhai (41)
Paula Reto (196)

India

Aditi Ashok (60)
Diksha Dagar (167)

Mexico

Gaby Lopez (62)
Maria Fassi (186)

Germany

Esther Henseleit (64)
Alexandra Forsterling (69)

Switzerland

Albane Valenzuela (70)
Morgane Metraux (127)

Scotland

Gemma Dryburgh (79)

Denmark

Emily Kristine Pedersen (87)
Nanna Koerstz Madsen (106)

Taiwan

Peiyun Chien (88)
Wei-Ling Hsu (161)

Netherlands

Anne van Dam (108)
Dewi Weber (302)

Philippines

Bianca Pagdanganan (113)
Dottie Ardina (298)

Belgium

Manon de Roey (154)

Austria

Emma Spitz (178)

Singapore

Shannon Tan (181)

Norway

Celine Borge (187)
Madelene Stavnar (307)

Czech Republic

Klara Davidson Spilkova (192)
Sara Kouskova (290)

Colombia

Mariajo Uribe (198)

Italy

Alessandra Fanali (211)

Malaysia

Ashley Lau (279)

Finland

Ursula Wikstrom (286)
Noora Komulainen (301)

Slovakia

Ana Belac (288)

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.

Rocket Mortgage Classic: betting odds, predictions, insight, more rocket,mortgage,classic,betting,odds,predictions,insight,more,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

Rocket Mortgage Classic betting odds predictions insight more rocketmortgageclassicbettingoddspredictionsinsightmoresbnationcomfront pagegolfgolf pga tourgolf news
On: By: admin


After three straight weeks of non-stop action at the Memorial, the U.S. Open, and the Travelers Championship, the PGA Tour heads to the Midwest for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Rickie Fowler prevailed in a playoff over Adam Hadwin and Collin Morikawa a year ago, as all three players finished at 24-under-par at the end of the final round. Expect a birdie barrage again this year at Detroit Golf Club, a Donald Ross design that PGA Tour pros seem to attack year in and year out.

Since the tournament’s inception in 2019, the average winner has been 23.2 strokes under par, with only one player finishing higher than 20 under: Cameron Davis, who, in 2021, won in a playoff at 18 under.

Like TPC River Highlands in Connecticut, this golf course plays into ball-strikers’ hands. That said, unlike what we saw at the Travelers Championship, this course does not have many lateral hazards and penalty areas. Bombers can bomb and gouge it around the property without hesitation, using their length to set up better opportunities. That helps explain why Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau, and Davis have all won here.

But at the end of the day, this event will come down to putting. You need to putt well to post a low score, and whoever can consistently do that over four days will win in Detroit.

Rickie Fowler and his caddie celebrate their win at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Photo by Brian Spurlock/Getty Images

Rocket Mortgage Classic Odds

Here are the current odds for players to win in Michigan this week, provided by DraftKings.

  • Tom Kim +1200
  • Cameron Young +1400
  • Min Woo Lee +2000
  • Akshay Bhatia +2000
  • Will Zalatoris +3000
  • Stephan Jaeger +3000
  • Maverick McNealy +3000
  • Keith Mitchell +3000
  • Alex Noren +3000
  • Taylor Pendrith +4000
  • Robert MacIntyre +4000
  • Davis Thompson +4000
  • Aaron Rai +4000
  • Rickie Fowler +4500
  • Michael Thorbjornsen +4500
  • Erik van Rooyen +4500
  • Taylor Moore +5000
  • Ryan Fox +5000
  • Chris Kirk +5000
  • Nicolai Højgaard +5000

PGA Tour, Rocket Mortgage Classic

The clubhouse at Detroit Golf Club during the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

Rocket Mortgage Classic Insight, Predictions

Tom Kim continues to shine

Fresh off a solid performance at the Travelers Championship, where he fell just short to World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a playoff, Tom Kim arrives in Michigan for his ninth straight start on the PGA Tour.

He also arrives as the favorite, an exciting development for the young man who recently turned 22. But he deserves to have odds this low at +1200 to win. This golf course is not long by tour standards, and Kim does not have the length many of his peers possess. Instead, he relies heavily on his short-to-mid irons, an attribute that was on full display in Connecticut. He ranked third in strokes gained on approach in Cromwell.

Of course, ball-striking is meaningless if you cannot convert those birdie opportunities. He will have to hole some putts to give himself a chance again, but Kim’s putter worked well for him last week, ranking 20th in strokes gained with the putter. Sure, he could have made a few more, but overall, his game is in solid form. He has not missed a cut since the Valero Texas Open and has two top-five finishes in the past month.

We like him to post his third top-five this week in Detroit at +320.

Cameron Young continues to rise from slump, and contend

Before Friday’s second round at the Travelers Championship, where he shot a 4-under 66, Cameron Young had 10 straight rounds in the 70s dating back to his missed cut at the RBC Canadian Open. Of those 10, Young posted only one score of even par or better, a second-round 72 at the Memorial.

But something clicked for him in Connecticut. After his Friday 66, Young fired a historic 59, vaulting himself into contention going into the final day. He then began Sunday’s round with four straight birdies, leading many to ask if he could shoot another sub-60 score on back-to-back days. Alas, that mantra was short-lived, as he wound up with another 66 on Sunday.

Cameron Young, PGA Tour, Travelers Championship

Cameron Young at the 2024 Travelers Championship.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Still, Young recorded a tie for ninth, his best finish since the Masters.

Now, he heads to Michigan with some confidence, as he will compete in the Rocket Mortgage Classic for the first time since 2022, when he tied for second. He has the length to bomb it all over Detroit Golf Club, and we like his short-iron play and wedge game to show up again. Give us Young to finish in the top five at +360.

Young Gun Lurks

Michael Thorbjornsen got a taste of the big stage last week in New England in his professional debut. The former Stanford Cardinal, who earned his PGA Tour card via the PGA Tour University rankings, played well, all things considered. The Wellesley, Massachusetts native tied for 39th as he fired a 6-under 64 during round two and a 4-under 66 on day three to post a respectable finish.

But we like him to play even better this week. Thorbjornsen oozes confidence, much like Ludvig Åberg this time a year ago. If you recall, Åberg played alongside Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald at last year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. The young Swede impressed the European captain, as Donald compared him to a young Rory McIlroy. Of course, only a few months later, Donald selected Åberg to join the team, a testament to his meteoric rise into the top 10 of the world.

Granted, this is not to say that Thorbjornsen will have a similar experience, but he does boast a ton of talent. He can hit the ball a mile and has a nifty short game. So we believe that he will post his first top-10 finish as a pro, doing so at a +500 price.

2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic Champion is…

In my U.S. Open Dark Horses piece, I selected Alex Noren as one of my picks. At the time, his game was trending in the right direction, fresh off a tie for 12th at the PGA Championship. He had missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open, his first of the year, but rebounded with a tie for 22nd at the Memorial. Hence, I figured Noren’s ball-striking acumen would serve him well at Pinehurst No. 2.

I was wrong. Noren missed the cut, as he could not garner any momentum at the U.S. Open. But he has not played anywhere since then.

Now, Noren, who ranks ninth on the PGA Tour in overall strokes gained, will show up in Michigan well-rested and ready to go. He also plays well at Detroit Golf Club, recording a T-4 in 2021 and a T-9 in 2023, with six of those eight rounds being in the 60s.

Noren may not make many birdies, which could hinder his chances this week, but the 41-year-old Swede rarely makes mistakes—a much more critical factor. He ranks third on the PGA Tour in bogey avoidance and third in overall scrambling, two facets that help at any golf tournament.

So, give me Noren to win this week at +3000, as Sweden will have its first winner on the PGA Tour in 2024.

For all other sports betting content, check out SB Nation’s DraftKings site.

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.

Travis Kelce joined Taylor Swift in London for ‘I Can Do It With a Broken Heart’ travis,kelce,joined,taylor,swift,in,london,for,i,can,do,it,with,a,broken,heart,sbnation,com,front-page,nfl,dot-com-grid-coverage

On: By: admin


Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour hit London over the weekend, and it’s no surprise that her boyfriend of nearly one year, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, was there. But what was unexpected was Kelce joining Swift on stage.

The European tour kicked off in May and saw the Eras setlist rearranged a bit. Taylor’s three-hour set opens with songs from her album Lover, then goes to Fearless, Red, Speak Now, Reputation, and she’s condensed and combined the set from Evermore and Folklore, which is a switch from the previous leg of the tour. The iconic 1989 is up next, and then comes Taylor’s new section from her latest, The Tortured Poets Department. That’s where Kelce comes in.

The song Kelce joined Taylor on stage for is one of my favorites from TTPD. It’s called ‘I Can Do It with a Broken Heart’ and it’s about how Taylor’s had to keep performing no matter what personal and professional heartbreak she’s experiencing. It’s a bop with incredibly honest lyrics:

I’m so depressed, I act like it’s my birthday
Every day
I’m so obsessed with him, but he avoids me
Like the plague
I cry a lot, but I am so productive
It’s an art
You know you’re good when you can even do it
With a broken heart

The intro to this one about broke the internet — even without Kelce involved — when Swift performed it during the Paris show that kicked off the European tour.

The coolest thing about this is just how much fun Kelce appears to be having being a part of it.

And Kelce seems to be having the time of his life cheering on Taylor whether he’s on stage or not.

Especially when she changed the lyrics to her song ‘Karma’ to, “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me.”

The Tortured Poets Department is the first Taylor Swift album that features songs written about Travis Kelce. My personal favorite is called ‘So High School,’ a sweet song about how fun and easy their relationship feels. There’s also speculation that the last verse of ‘But Daddy I Love Him,’ a song that’s otherwise assumed to be about Taylor’s ex, The 1975 front man Matty Healy (aka ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,’ another song off of TTPD) is about Travis. Those lyrics:

And I’m dancin’ in my dress in the sun and
Even my daddy just loves him
I’m his lady, and oh my God you should see your faces
Doesn’t it give some perspective
And no, you can’t come to the wedding
I know he’s crazy, but he’s the one I want

As a matter of fact, Taylor goes straight from the end of that song into a snippet of ‘So High School’ in the current version of her Eras show, which is helping fuel that speculation. And she and her backup dancers even swag surf during it — which has got to be a nod to Chiefs fans.

Taylor Swift has performed with former flame John Mayer, but it was way back in 2009. She brought Taylor Lautner of Twilight fame — who she dated in 2009 — onstage at Arrowhead Stadium last July and introduced him, but he didn’t perform with her and it was more than a decade after they’d dated. As far as I can tell (from Google and polling every Swiftie I know), this marks the first time Taylor Swift has had a love interest come onto stage and perform with her in any way.

Swift has been criticized endlessly for her relationships in ways men aren’t — something she addresses on her song ‘The Man’ off of Lover:

They’d say I played the field before I found someone to commit to
And that would be OK
For me to do
Every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you

But this relationship with Kelce seems very healthy, happy and mutually supportive. Here’s hoping they keep having this much fun together.

Spanish Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton applauds ‘great weekend’ for Mercedes spanish,grand,prix,lewis,hamilton,applauds,great,weekend,for,mercedes,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one,2024-formula-one

On: By: admin


Here is a fun trivia question for you.

Over the past two Formula 1 race weekends, what team has secured the most points?

If you guessed Mercedes then congratulations, you have been paying attention.

The Silver Arrows enjoyed a bit of a breakthrough in Montreal, as George Russell’s third-place finish marked the first podium in a Grand Prix for Mercedes this season. They followed that result with arguably an even better one this past weekend in Barcelona, as Lewis Hamilton qualified third for the Spanish Grand Prix and followed that with his first Grand Prix podium of the year, a third-place finish on Sunday. With Russell finishing just behind him in fourth, Mercedes banked 27 points in Barcelona, a week after notching 28 points in Montreal.

Are the Silver Arrows back?

Maybe not yet, but they are certainly closing the gap to the teams at the front of the grid.

“It’s been a really great weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the podium so I’m very happy! We’re not quite there yet but we’ve taken a huge step in recent races,” hailed Hamilton in the team’s post-race report. “We didn’t quite have the pace to fight with the two guys ahead of us but, if we can deliver more consistently like this, then we will be in a strong position. We are on our way to catching those guys and that is fantastic.”

Russell may have pulled off the move of the race with this stunning double overtake of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen heading into the first turn of the Grand Prix:

He reflected on that move after the race, with a bit of a history lesson.

I was dreaming of making a move like I did into turn one last night,” described Russell. “I didn’t think it would quite come to fruition in the way that it did! I remember Fernando [Alonso] making a similar start in 2013. We had a headwind so I knew I could brake quite late. It was a very satisfying move and felt good to lead a race again. Unfortunately, Max (Verstappen) was too fast for us today, as was Lando. But two podiums in two races is very encouraging as we head to Austria.”

Russell’s overtake might have been the move of the race, but Hamilton’s battle — and pass — of Carlos Sainz Jr. is also worth highlighting:

Like Russell, Hamilton took a moment to recall that battle and overtake.

“I was pleased with my move on Sainz too. I gave him enough room and we both made it through the corner,” recalled Hamilton. “It was an important move for my race, so I was glad to get it done. It’s now on to Austria and we’re looking forward to it.”

Their boss also took a moment to praise those moves, as well as the progress the team has made these past few weeks.

“We can take a lot of positives away from today. We have taken several steps forward in the previous few races and it is good to see these confirmed here in Spain,” began Toto Wolff. “We are not quite there yet, and we have to more to do to catch those ahead. Nevertheless, we are on a positive development trajectory, and it feels good to be back in the game.

“It was also fantastic to pull off two of the best overtakes I’ve seen in a long time. George made a mega start and braked late to take the lead. Lewis’s overtake on Sainz meanwhile was great racing and an important moment for his race,” continued the Silver Arrows boss. “It’s been a while since we’ve been able to enjoy a Grand Prix podium with Lewis, so it was fantastic to see him up there. We’re now looking forward to the next two races in the triple-header and building on the momentum we are establishing.”

Mercedes will now try and continue that momentum on short order, as the grid heads to Red Bull Ring for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. It will get started quickly, as this is one of the F1 Sprint Race weekends on the calendar.

Lando Norris needed ‘balls out’ final lap to beat Max Verstappen lando,norris,needed,balls,out,final,lap,to,beat,max,verstappen,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one,2024-formula-one

Lando Norris needed ‘balls out final lap to beat
On: By: admin


Immediately after qualifying on Saturday at the Spanish Grand Prix Lando Norris stated that it took a “perfect lap” to beat Max Verstappen. Norris pipped the Red Bull driver by two-hundredths of a second to capture the second pole position of his career, putting him in position to score his second victory of the season.

Moments later at the FIA Press Conference, the McLaren driver went even further, outlining how his final lap needed to be “balls out” to beat Verstappen.

“I mean, we’re always close. I don’t think any practice was split by more than a tenth between the top five,” described Norris. “So I was expecting the same as that, and I think it was. Probably Max was always two and a half tenths ahead of everyone, both Q1 and Q2 in the runs we did. And we did three laps, you know, we did three runs, four runs in the end altogether. So you do four laps throughout the whole of qualifying. But every time was like missing a little bit to Max and a lot of it was high speed.

“So I knew for the final lap, I’ve got to go balls out and do it, you know. And I managed to get that little bit, like that, you know, 200ths, 300ths, 400ths that I was needing to get out of Max I managed to get. So I’m happy the risks paid off and for all of it to come together when I needed it most was great.”

Norris elaborated on how good it felt to put together that kind of lap, in that moment and on that stage.

“I mean, I’m probably going to get back and Jarv [Andrew Jarvis], my engineer, is going to tell me that I’ve messed something up, but I think it’s so tricky nowadays, with the car and the [tires], and we’re pushing so much, just to put everything together,” outlined Norris. “You might be able to do half of it once and half of it another or mix it up, but to kind of put all of it right at that limit is very tricky and I’m sure every driver would say the same. So very rewarding when you do and when you do it and end up on pole because of it, it’s even sweeter.”

“It feels great, yeah. I mean, poles always feel good, and it’s the second one in my career. I mean, I’ve had two Sprint race poles, but I don’t regard that at all as a pole position. So, yeah, this is the second one of my career. It’s been a while since Sochi, all the way back then, so… Yeah, it feels great,” continued Norris. “I mean, it was an amazing lap.

“Honestly, it was my best lap by a long way. I pretty much put the whole lap together, so I got a nice slipstream. I think probably my best corner around the lap, every single part of it put together. Max was a bit ahead in Q1, Q2. I knew I had to kind of do something perfect in Q3 to do it. And that’s exactly what I did. So I’m pretty happy that I managed to pull off probably my best lap that I’ve done probably ever.”

As we outlined earlier today after diving into the data, Norris secured pole position with a strong performance in Sector 1 and into Sector 2. While Verstappen was stronger on the straights, particularly the long straight coming out of Turn 14 and back to the start/finish line, Norris built a lead during that earlier portion of the track, and Verstappen could not make up the difference.

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Capturing pole position is one thing, but can Norris win on Sunday?

The McLaren driver certainly believes he can.

“I don’t have any concerns,” added Norris. “I mean I’m excited. It’s a long run down to Turn 1. It’s probably one of the places you don’t want to start on pole, but it’s an opportunity for us to go out and try and win a race you know.

“We’ve not done loads of long running. We’ve done a bit and I think we were close, as it always has been. I think tomorrow is not like this car is way quicker. I think between Mercedes, ourselves, Red Bull, Ferrari, there’s eight cars that could have probably been on pole today and that have a chance of probably winning the race tomorrow,” continued Norris. “So it’s about making the least mistakes, similar to today, and just trying to execute another good race that we normally do.”

He might need to go “balls out” yet again to pull off a win on Sunday.