Rory McIlroy left Pinehurst No. 2 as soon as Bryson DeChambeau putted out for a one stroke victory.
Multiple reporters on the ground saw McIlroy bolt right for his courtesy car and leave the golf course as fast as he could. Alan Bastable of Golf.com caught it on video.
McIlroy did not conduct any media interviews, nor did he speak to anyone from NBC Sports.
McIlroy could not stomach his latest major championship heartbreak, with this one hurting more than all the other ones combined.
He looked completely dejected in the scoring room afterward, and understandably so.
The Northern Irishman stood on the tee at the par-3 15th hole at 8-under par, with DeChambeau trailing him by one. But he airmailed the green with a 7-iron, which led to a bogey four. His demise would get worse from there.
On the next hole, McIlroy had a 2-foot-6-inch putt for par and inexplicably missed. His second straight bogey dropped him back to 6-under for the championship and into a tie with DeChambeau with two holes to play.
After making an up-and-down to save par on 17, McIlroy pulled his drive left into the native area on 18, drawing a poor lie with wiregrass right in front of his ball. He then hit his second shot just short of the green, barely escpaing the sand trap that guards the front of the putting surface. McIlroy played his third shot to 3-feet-9-inches behind the hole, and like he did on 16, he missed that putt too.
Just like that, McIlroy dropped three shots over his final four holes as his collapse at the 124th U.S. Open will live on forever.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
One of the emerging niches in professional golf is fashion. What these PGA Tour and LIV Golf players wear continues to spark intense discussions on social media.
That said, fashion is a subjective topic with no right answer.
The 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 saw mostly traditional vibes from the players, but some took risks. Sergio Garcia did so with his fashion, but none looked great. Meanwhile, Hideki Matsuyama wore stripped polos all four days, and those did not delight the eyes, either.
Not all those risks paid off, but some do.
Nevertheless, after the first two rounds, we gave you a list of five players, but how many of those players made the final cut?
To make this final list, plenty of variables are considered, including fit, coloring, details, and risk level. But the player must compete in all four rounds, too. Those who missed the cut are not eligible.
So, without further ado, check out the five best-dressed golfers from Pinehurst No. 2.
5. Ludvig Åberg
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Ludvig Åberg dropped from second to fifth on this list because he wore navy again on Sunday.
Granted, it was a sharp outfit, but seeing him in a different color would have been great. Give the people some pink or lavender moments, Åberg; your skin tone is perfect for it.
When he brought out the green on Saturday, it was a huge win. That color looks fantastic on his skin tone and is unique. Navy is a great color most of the time, but seeing it repeatedly gets boring.
Ranking: 8/10
4. Min Woo Lee
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Coming out of nowhere to land in the fourth spot is Min Woo Lee. The Lululemon scripting was on fire this week. He gave four strong looks, but this blue from Thursday and his Sunday outfit were the favorites.
Yes, they are pretty neutral, but the sunglasses and the flow—he has a high level of confidence about him. Lee knows what colors look good on him, and each week, Lululemon makes him look incredible. The only note is for him to branch out with the pants, but other than that, Lee cooked on the golf fashion front.
Ranking: 9/10
3. Collin Morikawa
Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Surprise! Another Adidas athlete on the best-dressed list is Collin Morikawa. From Thursday’s peach vibes to this fantastic green and blue moment, the two-time major winner put together four solid days of outfits.
This blue goes so well with that shade of green, so it was great to see him put on the brighter pants with it. All four days were strong for Morikawa, but Thursday and Sunday were the best moments.
Ranking: 9.5/10
2. Rory McIlroy
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy finished the U.S. Open in heartbreaking fashion, and this loss will likely sting for a while. However, the Northern Irishman looked clean all four days. That light blue on Sunday was a great choice for his skin tone.
The pants were pretty dull, but it is hard not to have him on this list when all four days were tailored correctly, and he did not repeat too much. If he had given us a bright pant on Sunday, that would have elevated him into the No. 1 spot.
Regardless, he gave four great looks that most golfers would enjoy wearing.
Rating: 9.8/10
1. Bryson DeChambeau
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Bryson DeChambeau is the 124th U.S. Open winner. His incredible up-and-down on 18 will go down in the history books as one of the best shots ever. But his outfits were fantastic as well. The look on Saturday was the best because the pants were a different shade of blue.
DeCahmbeau’s peach floral polo was a good color for those pants, making him look even more tan. The look was clean but just bold enough to be remembered.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Then on Sunday, his small stripped polo looked a touch busy on the screen, but seeing the belt and shade of pants, it is hard to give the best-dressed title to anyone else. DeChambeau won the crowds over and showed how fun golf can be, which also came through in his fashion.
His outfits backed up the impressive golf. His color scheme went together each day, and the cohesion was perfect. Even though DeChambeau gave us something different, it all went together.
Rating: 10/10
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
After Bryson DeChambeau triumphed over Rory McIlroy in epic fashion at Pinehurst No. 2, Wagner, now a Golf Channel legend, decided to re-enact the best shot of the day: DeChambeau’s third from the sand on 18.
During the tournament, DeChambeau faced a 55-yard shot from the bunker, a daunting shot often regarded as the most difficult in professional golf. DeChambeau proceeded to execute it perfectly with a 55-degree wedge, stuffing his approach to four feet. He then made the putt for par, thus clinching his second U.S. Open title.
About two hours later, after DeChambeau paraded around Pinehurst No. 2, embracing all the fans, Wagner picked that shot for his famous demonstration.
Mind you, Wagner has become a golf celebrity in recent months simply because of these short segments. Since The Players Championship in March, Wagner, on live television, has: hummed balls into the side of a hill, roped a punch shot off a tree, climbed into the woods to asses a Xander Schauffele ruling, twice got the yips on air, and then, this week, he walked through why Tony Finau and Ludvig Åberg collapsed on the 13th hole.
But nothing could top what he did on Sunday.
After rocketing an attempt over the green, DeChambeau pulled up to the spot where he played his now-famous shot and embraced Wagner. Then, DeChambeau told Wagner to hit another one, with the champion as a witness. He also provided some insight on how to play the shot.
With a 50-degree wedge in hand, Wagner hit a perfect chunk and run. His ball landed on the green and rolled towards the cup, just as DeChambeau’s did in regulation.
But Wagner’s ball stopped even closer than DeChambeau’s, which elicited a massive celebration from the now-reigning U.S. Open champion and Golf Channel’s newest, and now, biggest star.
Considering Wagner’s trials and tribulations on live television this year, he celebrated this shot with authority. DeChambeau even handed him the trophy, which Wagner jokingly accepted with a big smile on his face.
Live From the U.S. Open has always been the go-to show for golf fans before, during, and after major championships, but Wagner’s presence has made that even more so.
So congratulations on winning the 124th U.S. Open, Johnson Wagner. You deserve it.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
Bryson DeChambeau is now a two-time U.S. Open champion as he conquered Pinehurst No. 2 in epic fashion on Sunday.
DeChambeau hit an incredible 55-yard bunker shot that rolled to three feet on the 18th hole. He then made his par putt just like Payne Stewart famously did 25 years ago. That final putt put the finishing touches on a 1-over 71, which had him finishing at 6-under-par, one stroke ahead of Rory McIlroy.
When DeChambeau needed his best, he provided it in the biggest moment. That bunker shot may go down as one of the greatest in golf history, given the difficulty and the circumstances. If he had not executed that shot the way he did, there could have been a playoff, at least.
Nevertheless, the LIV Golf captain won the crowd over this week at Pinehurst.
Chants of USA-USA-USA and De-Cham-beau, De-Cham-beau, De-Cham-beau whistled across the course. The fans loved him, and DeChambeau’s image change seems complete.
After he won, social media messages flourished. Fans praised the two-time U.S. Open winner for his performance on the course and for his remarkable display of talent.
All DeChambeau wants to do is grow golf.
These reactions to his winning the U.S. Open showed he is already achieving that goal:
Ludicrous scenes. Bryson DeChambeau is running at a hundred miles an hour around Pinehurst, giving every fan present a chance to touch the US Open trophy.
This is why major championship golf is one of the few things I love as much now as when I was a boy. Pure folklore. pic.twitter.com/YQEcZuccHi
This video of him running around with the U.S. Open trophy so the crowd could touch it is priceless. He told fans to try and touch it, so DeChambeau attempted to make it happen. Not everyone gets to feel the U.S. Open trophy, but DeChambeau may not have won without this crowd.
Golf influencer Paige Spiranac said it perfectly, “Such amazing golf, drama and entertainment! This is what golf needs.”
This sport needs a personality like DeChambeau.
Wow what an incredible US Open! Congratulations to Bryson Dechambeau! Such amazing golf, drama and entertainment! This is what golf needs
I can’t believe I’m a Bryson DeChambeau fan now. Love the energy, crowd engagement, and the 180 turn in attitude. The right guy won today.… however, I will not be getting single length clubs.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington also made a good point about DeChambeau—he is a needle mover. People flock to him and get excited when the LIV Golf star does well.
Meanwhile, if he wasn’t already, Bryson DeChambeau sure seems to be have become this weekend what golf is continually seeking: A needle mover.
Even Brooks Koepka congratulated his fellow LIV Golf member.
DeChambeau now has two U.S. Open’s—only the 23rd player in history to achieve this, and he did so dramatically. Better yet, he joins Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods in winning a U.S. Amateur title and multiple U.S. Opens. That’s pretty good company.
The third major of the year did not disappoint, and much like the PGA Championship, DeChambeau continues to show how incredible golf can be.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
INDIANAPOLIS — It may still be very early in their respective journeys, but Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark will be tied to one another no matter what happens over the rest of their careers.
Even before simultaneously entering the WNBA as part of one of the most heralded rookie classes ever, Clark and Reese — and especially the competitive college clashes between their Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers, respectively — played a huge role in bringing the women’s game to a national audience.
Sunday offered the latest chapter in their rapidly growing rivalry. For the second time in as many meetings against the Chicago Sky, Clark was hit with a hard foul. This time, it was Reese who caught Clark in the head on a block attempt, a play that was eventually deemed a Flagrant-1 foul.
While it likely won’t create the national firestorm the last flagrant foul against Clark in a game against the Sky did, it was a watershed moment between the two in another game that came down to the wire, a recurring theme in matchups between the pair.
Clark had arguably her best game in the WNBA, flirting with a triple-double while finishing with 23 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds, as well as a couple of late clutch plays — including an assist to NaLyssa Smith and a pair of free throws in the final 30 seconds — that helped seal a fifth win of the season for the Fever (5-10) and fourth in the last six games.
Reese left her mark as well, scoring 11 points to go with 13 rebounds (5 of them were offensive), and 5 assists.
After the game, though, there was only one topic to discuss. After cursory first questions to open their pressers, the second question for both Clark and Reese postgame was about the flagrant foul.
“What’s going through my mind is I need to make these two free throws,” Clark said when asked about Reese’s flagrant foul. “That’s all I’m thinking about. It’s just part of basketball. It is what it is. She’s trying to make a play on the ball and get the block but, yeah, it happens.”
Reese, meanwhile, was far shorter with her response, calling the foul a “basketball play” and stating that she was going for the ball. Neither wanted to make a big deal about it, but that won’t stop the take train from going down the tracks — and potentially derailing women’s basketball discourse for a few days once again.
Clark and Reese are no strangers to being in this spotlight, nor is it new for them to do it together. Sunday was the eighth time the pair have faced off, including in college. Reese won the first four meetings, culminating in the national title game in 2023 in which the first viral moment between the two came when Reese taunted Clark in the waning seconds of the game.
Clark, though, has won the three most recent meetings. That includes the Elite Eight contest earlier this year and the two WNBA meetings between the pair so far.
While their duels in the Big Ten when Reese was at Maryland in her freshman and sophomore seasons before transferring to LSU didn’t capture the national audience, their tournament showdowns certainly did. The pair helped set the record for the most-watched women’s college basketball game of all time in 2023 at 9.9 million viewers.
This spring in a rematch with a Final Four berth on the line, they obliterated that record, with 12 million fans tuning into the game. In their first WNBA meeting this season, 1.5 million fans tuned in, the fourth-largest audience to watch a WNBA game in the last two decades at the time.
After years of commanding enormous audiences on the collegiate level, Clark and Reese are now bringing a whole new set of eyes to the professional ranks.
“They love to watch us,” Reese said of her and Clark before Sunday’s meeting. “I think we’ve done a great job bringing a lot of fans to the league from college. I think we both have done that from our respective schools and [having] our championship runs and going to the Final Four. I think we did a great job bringing fans from college to the league and…we’ll continue to help [the league] grow.”
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Given the events and controversy that took place in the first meeting between the Fever and Sky in their first meeting, the TV audience for Sunday’s game will almost certainly be another large one. Gainbridge Fieldhouse was sold out for the fourth time this season, and the fans were as loud as they’ve been all year.
It’s inarguable that Reese and Clark are compelling television: two of the best young players in the world squaring off with one another time and time again as they help grow the game along the way.
But what Clark thinks draws audiences most, though, is the “emotion and passion” the two play those showdowns with.
“I think people love to see that,” Clark said. “I think that’s maybe not something that was always appreciated in women’s sports and it should be. That’s what makes it fun. We’re competitors. That’s the way the game should be. It’s going to get a little feisty, it’s going to get a little physical but at the end of the day, both teams are just trying to win.
“I think what she’s done with her platform is incredible. She has an entire fanbase that has supported her [with] what she did at Maryland and then LSU. Obviously, I’ve played her for a very long time and she’s been a tremendous player. It’s been fun to get to compete against. I think it’s been really good for the game. People just love seeing great matchups. But also, at the same time, people tune in for these matchups but then they get to see how amazing these teams are and then they find new players to support and continue to come back for them, too. So, I think that’s another benefit of it, honestly.”
Sunday was another noteworthy moment in the rivalry. Even if both downplayed it, the headlines from the game won’t be about Clark’s near-triple-double or Reese’s double-double. It will bring attention to the league, but not in the way either desire.
The pair, though, is bringing lots of the wanted attention to the league as well. And Reese and Clark will have plenty of opportunities to provide more memorable moments against one another.
The WNBA is not chock full of rivalries that resonate on a national scale the way Clark’s and Reese’s do. The Liberty and Aces are a clear one as the league’s two superteams, but outside of that, there aren’t many other nationally-known rivalries.
Pregame, Fever head coach Christie Sides was asked if their matchups against the Sky feel like rivalry games. Sides, who served as an assistant in Chicago from 2011 through 2016, said it was a “huge” rivalry and has been for many years. But even if that’s how it felt to those on the inside already, the addition of Reese and Clark was always going to bring it up a couple of notches now.
They’re two of the bright young stars in this game and have already defined an era of the college game. They look to be on the path to doing the same in the WNBA as well.
And if they do, it could help elevate the league to its highest levels yet.
Somehow, someway, Lilia Vu is an LPGA winner again.
Vu, the second-best player in the world behind Nelly Korda, has battled a back injury for most of the season. She even missed the U.S. Women’s Open two weeks ago, and had to withdraw from the Chevron Championship in April because of her back. But Vu overcame that ailment—and an eight-shot deficit on Sunday—to win the Meijer LPGA Classic in thrilling fashion.
Vu carded a 7-under 65 to climb up the leaderboard on Sunday, as she finished at 16-under-par, putting her in a tie with Lexi Thompson and Grace Kim after 72 holes. The trio needed three holes to determine the winner, but in the end, Vu made a birdie putt on the third playoff hole to seal the deal.
“I wasn’t thinking about winning,” Vu said.
“This was the one day I was playing really well. Felt really good with my swing. Coming back from an injury, I was a little up in the air, not knowing my swing, and I felt like I didn’t know where my arms were if I wasn’t tight. I was just trying to make contact today. That’s it.”
Like Vu, Thompson came from behind to get into the playoff. She fired a 4-under 68 on Sunday, while Kim, the 54-hole leader, carded a 1-over 73 on Sunday to fall back to the field.
After all three ladies made birdies on the first two extra holes, they walked over to the par-5 4th. After each player found the green in regulation, Thompson and Kim missed their putts to extend the playoff while Vu sank her birdie putt for the win.
“I think my mindset when it comes to putting is pretty simple: It goes in, or it doesn’t,” Vu said.
“I don’t put a lot of pressure on it. That relieves the pressure for me, and I go for it.”
Vu won her first LPGA win in Thailand in February 2023 from six shots back, so she has experience coming from behind.
“I felt like my first win I had blinders on,” Vu said.
“In the final round, I was focused on making birdies. I felt like that today. I felt like I left some out there, too. So once I got the opportunity for the playoff, I got to the box, and my caddie said, ‘There is nothing to lose now.’ We just went out there and played.”
Vu called this one of her most meaningful wins because she did not know if she could ever play golf pain-free again.
But clearly, she can.
Now, Vu has her fifth career LPGA victory as she eyes another major championship at next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Hopefully, her back holds up for her at Sahalee.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
Words can barely describe the scenes that played out down the stretch at Pinehurst No. 2 on Sunday.
But in the end, Bryson DeChambeau emerged victorious, winning his second U.S. Open title in four years. He shot a 1-over 71 on Sunday, needing every single stroke to outlast Rory McIlroy by one.
It all came down to the 18th hole, where McIlroy, in the group ahead of DeChambeau, missed a 3-foot-9-inch par putt to drop down to 5-under for the championship. Had that putt dropped, McIlroy likely would have forced a playoff with DeChambeau, who stood in the fairway at 6-under.
DeChambeau made a brilliant par save to seize the title. His drive went way left off the tee and settled on a root under a tree. He then scuttled his second shot up and into the bunker 50 yards short of the green, greatly diminishing his chances of saving par.
Yet, he got the job done. DeChambeau hit a wonderful third shot from the sand, as it stopped four feet away from the cup. He called it the greatest shot of his life during the ceremony afterward.
DeChambeau then went on to roll it in for par, much unlike McIlroy minutes before.
Meanwhile, this loss will hurt McIlroy for years to come. He had a terrific chance to seize his first major in a decade and held a two-shot lead at one point on the back nine. But his putter went completely cold over the final three holes. He missed a 2-foot-6-inch putt on the 16th hole, which not only horrified everyone watching but also put him in a tie with DeChambeau at 6-under. McIlroy also made a bogey on the par-3 15th after air-mailing the green.
Then his misstep at 18 happened, giving DeChambeau the opportunity to make par and win the U.S. Open.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
Scottie Scheffler could not make a putt at the 124th U.S. Open, which helps explain why he made only four birdies over his four rounds.
He called it a “frustrating” week after he finished up on Sunday, adding that it was “long.” Indeed, Scheffler arrived at Pinehurst No. 2 fresh off a victory at the Memorial, his fifth win of the 2024 season. But Jack Nicklaus’ course played so tough, that many players compared it to a major championship.
That level of difficulty takes a lot out of a player, let alone the best golfer in the world, especially going into a U.S. Open. Hence, Scheffler will re-evaluate whether or not he will play in the weeks before majors going forward.
“I think playing the week before, a lot of it depends on the golf course, but I think last week with the golf course the way it was, it probably was not the best prep work for me coming into another challenging event,” Scheffler said Sunday.
Scottie Scheffler walks up the 18th hole during the third round of the 2024 U.S. Open.Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA Tour via Getty Images
“I shot 5-under during the first round at the Memorial, which would have been the easiest day, and after that, I was 3-under from there on out. I mean, that’s pretty U.S. Open-like, and to play that many rounds, especially with what I’ve been dealing with the weeks leading up or the whole season, been playing a lot of good golf and being in contention, I think maybe my prep would have been a little bit better for this week if I was at home.”
Of course, Scheffler has had a lot happen in his life off the golf course in recent months. His arrest at the PGA Championship quickly became national news and an internet sensation. He and his wife, Meredith, also welcomed a baby boy on May 8, only nine days before he found himself in a jail cell in Louisville, Kentucky.
After that, he played in the Charles Schwab Challenge, where a remarkable tragedy happened in the middle of the tournament. Then, Scheffler skipped the RBC Canadian Open and made his next start at the Memorial.
“I’m obviously not going to skip Jack’s tournament,” Scheffler added.
“It’s a tournament I love playing. It’s a tournament that I’m humbled to be the champion at.”
Before this season, Nicklaus staged the Memorial Tournament during the first weekend of June, with the first practice round coinciding with Memorial Day.
The PGA Tour pushed it back one week this year, hoping to give golf fans three straight weeks of top-level golf. After the Memorial, the world’s best went straight to Pinehurst No. 2, and then, next week, the top players on the PGA Tour will head to the Travelers Championship, the final Signature Event of the season. Nicklaus hopes that his tournament will revert to its prior schedule, and surely, Scheffler feels the same.
“I think in terms of prep work for a week that I know is going to be as tough as this, I’m leaning towards maybe not playing the week before,” Scheffler added after Saturday’s round.
Scottie Scheffler and Tom McKibbin during the final round of the 2024 U.S. Open.Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
“Going into the major championships, especially the ones we know are going to be really challenging, it may be in my best interest not to play the week before.”
Scheffler echoed this sentiment after his Sunday round, too.
“As far as prep for this week, it may not have been the best, but I knew what my schedule was at the beginning of the year. I had it set,” Scheffler said.
“That was always the way it was going to be. I feel like going forward, I’ll maybe do things a little bit differently in the weeks leading up to majors, especially when you know it’s going to be a challenging setup at a U.S. Open.”
Perhaps the PGA Tour will change the date of the Memorial back to its traditional date on the heels of Memorial Day next season. But maybe it does not. Either way, Scheffler looks like he will take the week off before major championships, especially before U.S. Opens, in 2025 and beyond.
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.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese entered the WNBA has household names after their electric rivalry in women’s college basketball. Reese’s LSU team beat Clark’s Iowa team in the 2023 national championship game when both players were juniors. They met again in the Sweet 16 as seniors, and Clark and the Hawkeyes got revenge by ending LSU’s season.
Clark was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft to the Indiana Fever. Reese went No. 7 overall to the Chicago Sky. There’s already a budding rivalry between their pro teams after Chicago’s Chennedy Carter hip-checked Clark earlier this season in a play that started a nauseating amount of national discourse. Part of the problem with that play was the refs ruled Carter’s cheap shot as a common foul — until the league changed it to a Flagrant foul the next day.
As the Sky and Fever met again on Sunday in a nationally broadcast game on CBS, Clark was again hit with a hard foul, but this time the refs got the call right. As Clark was driving to the basket, Reese went for the block and hit her hard in the head. The officials called for a review and determined it was a Flagrant-1 foul, meaning Clark got two free throws and then Indiana got the ball. Watch the play here:
This isn’t a dirty play or intentional cheap shot. Clark went for the layup, Reese tried to recover for the block, and while going for the ball she whacked Clark in the head.
Clark looked just fine after the sequence, scoring nine points in the last five minutes of the third quarter. Hopefully she’s okay because hard hits to the head are nothing to play around with.
The Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark rivalry will keep going strong in the WNBA. It’s must-see TV every time these two players matchup.
Sergio Garcia has had an impressive week at the U.S. Open. He opened the championship with a 1-under 69, then carded a pair of 1-over 71s to make the cut and remain in the mix throughout the weekend.
But what Garcia has worn this week has been a sight to behold. Garcia captains Fireballs GC, the LIV Golf team that employs Mexican Abraham Ancer and fellow Spaniards Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig. As such, he wore his team uniforms throughout the championship at Pinehurst No. 2.
Players can wear whatever they want or whatever their apparel sponsor chooses.
But if there is one takeaway from Garcia’s performance this week, it is that his Fireballs GC needs new uniforms.
On Thursday, Garcia repped a bright red shirt and a white hat with his team’s logo plastered on his chest and cap.
Sergio Garcia during the first round of the 2024 U.S. Open.Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
His first-round wardrobe was not terrible, at least relative to what he wore on the subsequent days. But it most certainly popped out. He had a similar outfit for Sunday’s final round, too.
Yet, his first and final round fits paled in comparison to what he wore on Friday. Garcia pulled out a pair of bright red slacks, a color similar to the shirt he donned on Thursday. He matched that with a white shirt and white hat, which featured the Fireballs GC logo.
Sergio Garcia lines up a putt during the second round.Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Then, on Saturday, Garcia ditched the red altogether and decided to go with another color.
He wore a bright yellow shirt, coupled with a pair of white pants. He went with a black cap to round out his look.
Sergio Garcia on the 4th hole during the third round. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Of course, Garcia’s yellow shirt immediately brought back memories of yesteryear, when he wore yellow during the final round of the 2006 Open Championship. He tied for fifth that year, as Tiger Woods went on to win at Royal Liverpool. Garcia then lost to Padraig Harrington in a playoff at Carnoustie one year later.
Sergio Garcia plays a shot during the final round of the 2006 Open Championship.Photo by John McHugh/Getty Images
He will not get that close this year at Pinehurst No. 2, but he still had a respectable performance this week. Garcia made it into the field as a first alternate, thanks to his strong play in final qualifying.
This week also marked his 24th straight U.S. Open appearance, an impressive feat for the 2017 Masters champion. But his wardrobe has been anything but that, as his Fireballs GC squad should get new uniforms, perhaps in time for The Open Championship.
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.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25494021/2157454178.jpg "U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau among 5 best dressed players u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,among,best,dressed,players,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-opinions,liv-golf")
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25493871/2157846977.jpg "U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau among 5 best dressed players u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,among,best,dressed,players,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-opinions,liv-golf")
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25493885/2157863548.jpg "U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau among 5 best dressed players u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,among,best,dressed,players,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-opinions,liv-golf")
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25493867/2157742926.jpg "U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau among 5 best dressed players u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,among,best,dressed,players,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-opinions,liv-golf")
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25494016/2157876531.jpg "U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau among 5 best dressed players u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,among,best,dressed,players,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-opinions,liv-golf")
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25493881/2157841372.jpg "U.S. Open: Scottie Scheffler to re-consider 2025 plans after tough week u,s,open,scottie,scheffler,to,re,consider,plans,after,tough,week,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news")
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25493705/2157611146.jpg "LIV Golf: Sergio Garcia needs to replace horrible uniforms liv,golf,sergio,garcia,needs,to,replace,horrible,uniforms,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-opinions,liv-golf")
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25493718/2157717804.jpg "LIV Golf: Sergio Garcia needs to replace horrible uniforms liv,golf,sergio,garcia,needs,to,replace,horrible,uniforms,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-opinions,liv-golf")
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25493726/71508493.jpg "LIV Golf: Sergio Garcia needs to replace horrible uniforms liv,golf,sergio,garcia,needs,to,replace,horrible,uniforms,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-opinions,liv-golf")