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Daniel Ricciardo left to ponder why he was ‘not competitive’ at the British Grand Prix daniel,ricciardo,left,to,ponder,why,he,was,not,competitive,at,the,british,grand,prix,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one

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One of Formula 1’s most iconic figures climbed to the top step of the podium Sunday at Silverstone, as Lewis Hamilton finally broke through into the winner’s column in the British Grand Prix. It was the seven-time champion’s first victory since the penultimate race of the 2021 F1 season.

However, another transformative figure in the sport was left to wonder where things went wrong as he came across the line down in 13th.

Daniel Ricciardo, who was on the back foot almost the entire week in Silverstone, finished outside the points Sunday at the British Grand Prix. Speaking after the race, the Australian driver — and one of the most popular figures in the sport — was left to ponder what might have happened.

“It was a mixed conditions race which was exciting; ultimately grabbing some opportunities, but unfortunately, we were not competitive,” said Ricciardo in the team’s post-race report. “It was one of those days where we struggled more than we should have, so we’ll try to get into it and figure out why. In the last three weekends, I think we have lost out a little bit on the latest upgrades battle compared to some of our competitors in the midfield, so we’ve got some work to do looking at the next races.

“It’s good now to have a week off for all of us to reset and come back to Budapest which is a completely different circuit.”

Speaking with Lawrence Barretto in the television pen after the race, Ricciardo elaborated on how he felt in the car, highlighting how the pace was simply not there for his RB01 this week in Silverstone.

“I felt like we struggled more than we should have,” said Ricciardo. “I know that this isn’t necessarily going to be a real competitive circuit for us. But I still felt [relatively speaking] we struggled more. [So we’ll] try and get into it and figure out why that was.”

Looking ahead to the Hungarian Grand Prix, Ricciardo outlined how the team needs to “rectify some weaknesses” before the grid is back in action in Budapest.

“I think compared to some of our competitors in the midfield, we have lost out a little bit in the latest upgrade battle,” said Ricciardo. “I think Budapest is [a] completely different circuit. So let’s see.

“But yeah, it’s not enough for us just to be like ‘that track will suit us and we’ll be ok.’

“We obviously got to rectify some weaknesses and I’ll obviously look at my race and figure out where I lack the pace, but there were times we were like missing about eight-tenths a lap and I didn’t really feel like that was there.

“So, yeah, just one of those days.”

And with that, Ricciardo was off, left to ponder where he and Visa Cash App RB F1 Team can find those critical eight-tenths.

McLaren left wondering what might have been at the British Grand Prix mclaren,left,wondering,what,might,have,been,at,the,british,grand,prix,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one

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At first blush, Sunday’s British Grand Prix looks like a massive win for McLaren. Lando Norris captured his seventh Grand Prix podium of the season with a third-place finish. Oscar Piastri finished behind him in fourth place, giving the team a 27-point haul that topped all teams at Silverstone. That chunk of points saw McLaren not only gain on Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship but pull to within just seven points of Ferrari for P2 in the standings.

And yet, Sunday could have been so much more for McLaren.

A series of strategy decisions in changing conditions saw McLaren turn a potential one-two finish into the eventual P3 and P4 for Norris and Piastri, leaving the team to wonder just what could have been on Sunday at Silverstone.

In the early stages, it seemed as if McLaren had gotten it right. While Max Verstappen powered into P3 behind the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, Norris and Piastri waited to strike sitting in fourth and fifth, respectively. As the first batch of rain came through, that is when the papaya boys pounced, and within a few laps, they were running up in first and second, with Norris ahead of his teammate.

Eventually, the teams faced the critical decision regarding when to switch from slick tires to a set of intermediates, as conditions on the track began to worsen. Finally, McLaren brought Norris in, but given the pit lane layout at Silverstone — with each team having just the one pit stall — they faced a critical decision: Do they bring both drivers in and double-stack the cars, or do they leave one of them out for a lap on the slick tires in worsening conditions?

They brought Norris in and left Piastri out.

While that worked for Norris, and he came back out as the race leader with a three-second advantage over Hamilton, it cost Piastri dearly. He wound his way around Silverstone while struggling to find enough grip, and after he finally completed his pit stop he emerged with a set of intermediates on his MCL38, and back in sixth place behind Carlos Sainz Jr.

Up in the F1TV commentary box, Jolyon Palmer was rather dismayed at the decision to leave Piastri out for one more lap. “His race has been butchered by staying out another lap,” stated the former F1 driver, and there was evidence available to bolster his position. Mercedes faced the same decision as Hamilton and Russell but executed a solid double-stack stop and both drivers came out ahead of Piastri.

However, McLaren then caught a break, as Russell’s W15 suffered a suspected water system failure, and his retirement promoted Piastri up to P5. He then took fourth, overtaking Sainz for the position.

Then came the next critical decision. With the laps ticking down and the track drying out, teams faced the question of when to switch from the green-walled intermediate tires — which were starting to show significant signs of wear — to a set of slicks. With 15 laps to go Hamilton and Verstappen both came in for a fresh set of tires, while McLaren left Norris out for one more lap.

Similar to the decision with Piastri, Norris lost significant time on his next lap on the worn intermediates, and his situation was compounded further by a slower-than-usual pit stop, set in motion when Norris pulled slightly too far forward in his pit box. As he lumbered out of his stall on a set of softs and tried desperately to fire them up, all he could do was watch Hamilton rocket by him to take the race lead.

Shortly thereafter, Norris’ hopes of a victory turned into a fight to hold on for P2. Red Bull decided to bolt on a set of hard tires on Verstappen’s RB20, and that looked like the right decision as Verstappen slowly gained on both Hamilton and Norris, with both British drivers working around Silverstone on soft tires. Eventually, Verstappen caught Norris and took second away from him, shuffling Norris down to third where he eventually finished.

Dreams of a McLaren one-two finish had fallen away, with the Woking-based outfit forced to settle for a P3-P4 afternoon.

“And yeah, as a team, I don’t think we did quite the job we should have done or good enough, but still lovely to be on the podium here in Silverstone,” admitted Norris trackside to Jenson Button following the race.

The McLaren driver then shouldered the bulk of the blame.

“You know, at the same time I blame myself today for not making some of the right decisions. But, I hate it. I hate ending in this position and ever having excuses for not doing a good enough job,” said Norris, before turning a bit more optimistic. “But I’m so happy, I’m still gonna enjoy it. I think we still did so many things right. So many positives.”

Speaking with Sky Sports Italy, McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella conceded that there were things they could have done differently, noting the decision not to double-stack with Piastri earlier in the race, as well as not putting a set of mediums on Norris’ MCL38 during the final pit stop.

Norris completed his trackside interview with Button on an even more optimistic note. I’m going to come back stronger next year,” said Norris, “and try again.”

Once more, as far as points go this was still a strong result for McLaren, as they cut into Red Bull’s lead atop the Constructors’ Championship standings, and pulled within single digits of Ferrari for P2.

But it could have been more for them.

So much more.

And there might be a few restless nights in Woking before the grid roars back to life in Hungary.

Lewis Hamilton finally reaches the top step again with victory at the British Grand Prix lewis,hamilton,finally,reaches,the,top,step,again,with,victory,at,the,british,grand,prix,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one

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It came home.

Sure England is still alive in the Euros, after a victory over Switzerland on penalties Saturday that advanced the Three Lions into the semi-finals where they will face The Netherlands on Wednesday. But something else came home on English soil Sunday.

As Lewis Hamilton finally climbed back to the top step of a Formula 1 podium, doing so at the British Grand Prix.

The last time Hamilton reached the top step? That came at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on the fifth of December, 2021. Much has changed since then, starting with the fact that a week later Max Verstappen beat Hamilton to the checkered flag at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — in controversial fashion many will be quick to point out — to capture his first F1 Drivers’ Championship. But this victory has been a long time coming for Hamilton.

But it finally came.

As the teams battled challenging weather conditions, which included two different spurts of rain at Silverstone, the second lasting longer and creating slicker conditions on the track, Hamilton and Mercedes made a series of impressive strategy calls. The second was when the team made the decision to pit one lap earlier than race leader Lando Norris, bolting on a set of soft tires to last the seven-time champion to the checkered flag. Norris came in for his own set of softs on the following lap but was left helpless as Hamilton rocketed by him as he lumbered out of the McLaren pit box.

That set up a fascinating finish, with Hamilton ahead of Norris and the ever-dangerous Max Verstappen on the prowl behind the British duo in third place. For a moment it looked as if it would be Verstappen who would come out with the win, as Red Bull made the decision to bolt on a set of hard tires and those seemed to be working better for Verstappen than the softs were for Hamilton, and Norris. On Lap 48 Verstappen wound by Norris, advancing into second place with just Hamilton in front of him.

But Hamilton had a three-second gap over his rival, and with just a handful of laps remaining the Mercedes driver had the advantage, and one hand on the Royal Automobile Club Trophy. Could he hold off his rival, or would Verstappen deny Hamilton his 104th career victory?

The roar of the crowd at Silverstone told the final story.

As Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May waved the checkered flag, it was Hamilton who crossed the line first. Verstappen was able to chip away at Hamilton’s advantage over the last two laps, but he could not get to the rear wing of Hamilton’s W15.

A win years in the making had finally come home and on British soil. Lewis Hamilton had captured the 2024 British Grand Prix.

As Hamilton crossed the line, you could hear the emotion in the driver’s voice has he received the congratulations from his team. He was handed the Union Jack as he reached Becketts Corner on his cooldown lap, and he waved it proudly as he brought his race-winning W15 back to pit lane.

An iconic image, on an iconic day, in what is becoming an iconic F1 season.

Daniel Ricciardo not making any proclamations after frustrating Saturday for VCARB at the British Grand Prix daniel,ricciardo,not,making,any,proclamations,after,frustrating,saturday,for,vcarb,at,the,british,grand,prix,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one

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A week ago at the Austrian Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo delivered a bold statement despite missing out on the third segment of qualifying. Ricciardo outlined how the RB01 was a “top ten” car despite his elimination in Q2, and he backed up that proclamation with a points finish at Red Bull Ring.

There were no similar proclamations from Ricciardo following Saturday’s qualifying session at the British Grand Prix.

Ricciardo and teammate Yuki Tsunoda were both eliminated in Q2, with Tsunoda set to start 13th in the main event Sunday, and Ricciardo behind him in 15th. To hear the Visa Cash App RB F1 Team driver tell it, he was not “happy” with how things unfolded on Saturday at Silverstone.

“I’m not particularly happy with today’s qualifying; it wasn’t a good session, and this is something we need to figure out,” said Ricciardo. “Both runs in Q2 didn’t go as expected, and we struggled to get the lap in, leading me to do some overtaking in the last corner, which is something I hate when people do it to me.

“I started my last push lap a couple of seconds behind Zhou [Guanyu], and with the dirty air, you’re never going to get a good lap. The last three weekends haven’t been easy, but we found a way to make it work,” added Ricciardo. “Coming into Silverstone with the same struggles has also added to today’s frustrations because we don’t have the luxury to be able to get things wrong. We’ll address all we need during tonight’s debrief and look ahead at the race.”

While Ricciardo was frustrated with how Saturday played out, his teammate was a bit more pleased with the session.

“I’m happy with how we handled today; the team and I worked well together and communicated during qualifying to adapt to the changing weather conditions,” described Tsunoda. “We knew it would be difficult coming into quali because we’ve been lacking pace throughout Free Practice, and it’s a shame we haven’t been able to quite turn it around as much as we would’ve liked to, but the field is tight, and anything can happen.

“We’re struggling with pace in the high-speed corners at this track, which is similar to last week, but we’ll work hard to maximise our performance tomorrow. We had good pace in the wet and we’ll adapt based on the weather conditions and communicate, that’s the key.”

VCARB Technical Director Jody Egginton noted that the team might not have put Ricciardo in the best position during Q2, but that there is potential for the team on Sunday.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t put Daniel in good enough conditions for his final run in Q2 which got him caught up in a lot of traffic, altering his position for tomorrow,” said Egginton. “We find ourselves slightly back from where we want to be, but laps time deltas to the cars around us are small and the team is pushing hard to extract everything from the car.”

Salvaging something on Sunday could be critical for the team in their fight with Haas in the F1 Constructors’ Championship. VCARB currently sits in sixth place in the standings, 11 points clear of Haas. But with Nico Hülkenberg starting sixth on Sunday Haas has tremendous potential to cut into that lead. If Riccardo and/or Tsunoda can find a way to forge into the points, it would be a massive step for the team.

And it would perhaps ease some of the frustration Ricciardo is feeling this Saturday at Silverstone.

British Grand Prix: Sergio Pérez concedes he ‘let the team down’ in qualifying british,grand,prix,sergio,p,rez,concedes,he,let,the,team,down,in,qualifying,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one

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Ahead of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix Red Bull team boss Christian Horner noted that Sergio Pérez needed to “dig deep” to pull himself out of a bit of a slump.

Digging in the gravel trap at Copse was probably not what the Red Bull Team Principal had in mind.

During Saturday’s qualifying session, Pérez was one of the first drivers to make the change from the intermediate compound to a set of slicks, but that soft tire did Pérez no favors as he quickly found himself in the gravel, and out of qualifying.

“I was the first one basically to get to the slick tire, and as I was coming into Turn 9 I downshifted and lost the rear of the car,” said Pérez in the team’s post-qualifying report. “I just locked up. So I went straight … but it was completely wet on the outside. My mistake.”

Despite his starting position, down in P19, Pérez hopes he can get back into the points and minimize the damage for Red Bull.

“It’s gonna be a very tricky race, a long afternoon, but I have every hope that I can get back to secure some points and minimize the damage,” added Perez.

Speaking with the official F1 channel after qualifying, Pérez went as far as to say that he “let the team down” with his mistake at Copse.

“It’s very frustrating, it hurts to let your team down in that way, especially because we’ve had a really strong weekend up to now. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to show the full pace,” described Pérez.

That mistake came not only during a difficult stretch of form for the driver but on a week where that run of poor performances has led to renewed speculation about Pérez’s job security at Red Bull. Despite the announcement of a new contract for the driver which could keep him in his current seat through 2026, his recent struggles have seen more rumors about Pérez potentially losing his spot due to performance clauses in his contract.

As always, paddock rumors require at least a healthy grain of salt or two, but there is no denying that Pérez is under pressure to deliver for Red Bull as they face a potential Constructors’ Championship fight with teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes.

Seeing Pérez in the gravel is not how Red Bull wanted to start their weekend, as they look to stay ahead in that fight.

Bernhard Langer says goodbye, gives one more epic driver off the deck bernhard,langer,says,goodbye,gives,one,more,epic,driver,off,the,deck,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-dp-world-tour

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Bernhard Langer said farewell to the DP World Tour Friday at the BMW International Open.

He missed the cut after he carded a 71-73 to finish at even par. Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in Munich, Germany, is a track about 45 minutes from where the 66-year-old grew up.

Langer is a two-time Masters champion, won 42 times on the formerly known European Tour and has 46 wins on the Champions Tour. After 52 years, he had one more first to experience — saying goodbye to golf, at least to the DP World Tour.

Things got emotional for him on Friday. He had to fight back tears throughout the 18th hole and while he spoke with the media after his round.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Langer said after his round. “It’s been a dream come true for me, growing up in a village of 800 people where nobody knew what golf was.”

“People had no idea, it was a strange situation. Even when I finished school and I tried to become a golf professional people didn’t even know what that was, it didn’t even exist as a profession in a way. It was very difficult and complicated, but it was my dream. I was able to live that dream for 50 years.”

Langer continued to put into words what his career and the DP World Tour mean to him.

“I have wonderful memories from all over the world, not just in Europe but Asia, Australia, Japan, America, South Africa. I was able to travel the world and meet with kings and queens,” he said. “I played golf with all sorts of people, whether they were successful businessmen or just the average butcher or bricklayer or whatever, it was fun, it was great.”

Once Langer finished, he took off his visor and received quite the cheer from the German faithful. The golf legend hugged Marcel Siem and Martin Kaymer, two fellow Germans, as they followed him.

He gave the crowd a thumbs-up, blew a kiss, and embraced his family and friends. Then he signed his scorecard.

It is a miracle to see him on the golf course after Langer tore his Achilles heel in February. He missed the Masters Tournament in March but returned in three months to play on the 50-and-over tour. The German golfer made his return at the Insperity Invitational at the end of April.

He also attempted to defend his U.S. Senior Open title at Newport Country Club in June. Langer finished T42 at 2-over.

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.

John Deere Classic: Kevin Kisner among popular names to miss the cut  john,deere,classic,kevin,kisner,among,popular,names,to,miss,the,cut,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour

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After two days of low scores, the John Deere Classic has cut its field in half. This week is a birdie marathon to see who can go the lowest.

Plenty of players found success, but many did not. They could not make enough birdies drop to stay in the hunt.

The lead is 14-under through 36 holes as C.T. Pan and Aaron Rai fired off 8-under 63s on Friday to follow up their 65s from Thursday.

Among the most popular names to play this weekend are two-time John Deere Classic winner Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Joel Dahmen, Keith Mitchell and Sungjae Im.

There are 24 players within four shots of Pan and Rai, which means the marathon will continue through the next 36 holes. Who will be able to prevent mistakes and make the most birdies?

Defending champion Sepp Straka made the cut on the number at 5-under. It does not seem like he will win back-to-back titles.

The cut line was 5-under, so anyone with 4-under or higher went home early. It is odd to see a cut that low, but that is how TPC Deere Run is playing this week.

Let’s take a look at the most popular names headed home.

The most popular name to MC at John Deere Classic

— Daniel Berger (-4; 68-70)
— Harry Higgs (-3; 72-67)
— Matt Kuchar: (-3; 69-70)
— Nick Dunlap: (-3; 69-70)
— Kevin Kisner: (-2; 68-72)
— Patton Kizzire: (-1; 71-70)
— Maverick McNealy: (E; 67-75)
— Nick Hardy: (E; 70-72)
— Neal Shipley: (+2; 70-74)

Higgs has been on quite the run on the Korn Ferry Tour and is on track to secure his PGA Tour card again. Most of the time, a 3-under total after 36 holes would see a guy play the weekend, but not this one.

The John Deere Classic has seen 1,352 birdies in two days of play. A 4-under and higher will not get a golfer paid. Many of these guys played well Thursday, but Friday’s wind caused problems for them and ultimately sent them home.

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

The Houston Astros are once again alive and well in the AL West the,houston,astros,are,once,again,alive,and,well,in,the,al,west,sbnation,com,front-page,mlb

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It wasn’t all that long ago when I was using this space to talk about how the Houston Astros had yet to really lift off this season and were spinning their wheels in the mud. With most of their rotation dropping left-and-right and their hitters underperforming while combined with the strong start from the Seattle Mariners, it was getting to the point where there were already rumors that the Astros could be considering selling once they got to the trade deadline. It was that rough.

Well, here we are a month later and all of a sudden the questions have changed. Instead of wondering whether or not the Astros are going to fall off and start selling, the question now is whether or not the Mariners can hang on to what was once the largest divisional lead in the AL West. Houston has gone 20-10 over their last 30 games and are now three games over .500 and right in the thick of things in the playoff race while Seattle has gone 16-14 in their last 30 and 3-7 in their last 10 to be specific.

As a result of this sudden change in fortune, the Astros are now only two games behind the Mariners in the AL West and FanGraphs’ Playoff Odds reflect this as well — Houston now has a 60 percent chance of making the Postseason with a 45 percent shot at winning the division again. This is after the Astros finished June 5 with a 40 percent chance of returning to the playoffs with only a 24 percent shot at winning the division. The Astros are even being given more of a shot to end up with a first-round bye (10 percent) than the Mariners currently are (8.3 percent). The boogeyman of this division is well and truly alive once again, to the point where the word “destiny” is being bandied about around here.

So what’s behind this sudden shift in form for both teams? Part of this can be attributed to the natural ebb-and-flow of the long marathon that is baseball’s regular season but at the same time, for things to change this quickly for both teams is still a bit whiplash-inducing. Usually it takes a while to see a shift like this and maybe it would warrant more attention had this shift happened in say, September instead of in June and July. With that being said, it’s still very fascinating to see just how quickly the Astros managed to turn things around and conversely it’s a bit concerning to see this getting away from the Mariners like it appears to be.

The fuel that’s been propelling the Astros back towards the top of the AL West has been the fact that their offense has stepped up their game. I mentioned that the offense wasn’t the reason why they were struggling last month but there was still room for improvement for Houston when it came to hitting the ball. Unsurprisingly, Houston’s lineup did eventually revitalize itself and has been hitting .274/.329/.445 as a collective since June 1. Additionally, they’ve put together a .335 wOBA and a team wRC+ of 119 since the start of June, which is tied for the seventh-best number in all of baseball during that period.

The main man pushing Houston’s revitalization has been Yordan Álvarez, who has absolutely unleashed fury upon opposing pitchers since the start of last month. For the season, Yordan has 2.8 fWAR — however, he’s produced 2.0 of that fWAR since June 1 alone. Álvarez has been hitting .366/.466/.796 since that aforementioned date with a wOBA of .513, 10 home runs over 118 plate appearances and a wRC+ of 240. Folks, that’s Gunnar Henderson territory. Shoot, that’s Aaron Judge territory. It also helps that the usual suspects like José Altuve (152 wRC+ since June 1) and Alex Bregman (128 wRC+ in that same span) have stepped up and are hitting like most baseball observers would expect them to do so. The Astros are a tough team to deal with at the plate but that’s always been the case since their rebuild from the mid-2010s started to pay off.

What makes this return to form for Houston’s offense so impressive is that it’s happening without Kyle Tucker. Tucker went on the IL with a shin contusion back in early June and to let you know just how rough things were going for the rest of the Astros, he’s missed every game since June 3 and he’s still Houston’s leader in On-Base Percentage, Slugging Percentage, wOBA, xwOBA and wRC+ and he’s also still the joint leader in home runs and joint-second place in stolen bases.

Tucker has been the best player in the lineup for the Astros this season and losing him could’ve been a death knell for Houston’s lineup if the rest of the Astros continued to limp along at the plate. Instead, players have been stepping their game up left-and-right in Tucker’s absence and now Astros fans are surely dreaming of what this lineup will look like once Tucker returns and gets this offense working at full strength again.

Houston’s pitching during this span has been intriguing to say the least. This should definitely be the position that is weighing down the Astros since they’ve lost two of their starters for the season and have another one who is currently on the shelf and could potentially lose out on their vesting option in 2025. Instead, the Astros have kind of just kept it pushing in that regard and Hunter Brown’s performances since June 1 has somewhat reflected what the Astros have done on the mound during that span.

As a staff since the start of June, the Astros have an incredible ERA- of 85 — tied for the third-best in all of baseball! Weirdly enough, Houston’s FIP- during that same span has been 104, which is clearly middle-of-the-road. Then you look at what Hunter Brown has been doing during that time and suddenly his ERA- of 25 and a FIP- of 73 since June 1 suddenly makes a little more sense. Combine his performance with Framber Valdez and Ronel Blanco doing their best to keep the rotation afloat and Houston’s rotation is definitely coming together to produce something that’s greater than the sum of their parts at the moment. They’re making it happen and their return to the good side of .500 has made that clear.

While it’s not exactly time to say that the Astros are “back,” they’re absolutely alive and definitely kicking again. General Manager Dana Brown’s faith in his squad is being repaid and suddenly his confidence that Houston would be buying at the deadline is looking clairvoyant instead of simply being the right thing to say in GM-speak. While it’s never really wise to call time on any team’s season during the first half, this is also a bit of a reminder that when it comes to teams like the Astros, the time to count them out doesn’t come until they’ve actually been mathematically eliminated.

Speaking of GM’s, the onus is now on Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto to help revive the Mariners. While their pitching staff is doing just fine, it is plainly obvious that Seattle needs hitting. With guys like Julio Rodriguez, Jorge Polanco, J.P. Crawford, Mitch Haniger and even the “Big Dumper” himself Cal Raleigh all currently doing some serious underperforming at the plate, their lineup needs multiple sparks and they need it in the worst way. Seattle’s pitching should still be good enough to help keep them in the playoff conversation but if they keep struggling at the plate like they have, it won’t be long before the boogeyman from Space City catches them for good.

The 5 best ways to remain cool, hydrated on the golf course the,best,ways,to,remain,cool,hydrated,on,the,golf,course,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-opinions

The 5 best ways to remain cool hydrated on the
On: By: admin


July is here, and the heat came with it.

Golfers do not care how hot it is — they will play 18 regardless of the heat index. From raging storms to triple-digit temperatures, if someone has a tee time, they’re more often than not making it happen.

There are plenty of items that golfers can take with them on the cart to stay cool and hydrated.

An honorable mention is if someone is taking a caddie, think of them as well. Pack a couple of water bottles, an extra cooling rag, or something that will make a difference. They usually walk in that 100-degree weather, so make your experience better by showing love to the caddie. They will appreciate you even more if you think of them in this heat.

Remember to tip them if they did a good job as well. Again, they’re walking in hot conditions, chasing the ball all over; it is the least a player can do.

So, without further delay, let’s examine five things that will help players stay cool on the golf course and beat this heat.

Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images

5. A Good hat to shade you from the sun and a solid SPF

The first step to staying cool on the golf course is wearing a hat that will shade you from the sun. Don’t forget the sunscreen, either. Both are needed to not only stay cool but protect your skin.

Bucket hats are great for shading your face and neck. Joel Dahmen wears one after having cancer earlier in his life.

There are also options for breathable hats that help keep the head from overheating.

There are many different sunscreens on the market, but my favorite is the Super Goop. This company has mineral and regular sunscreen options.

SuperGoop, Golf

The SuperGoop Play Bundle | SuperGoop

Super Goop Sunscreen

SuperGoop is perfect for the golf course. It lasts a long time and is great with sweat. They have SPF 50 and 30, which is chock-full of antioxidants and other great ingredients for the skin.

The spray is great for the golf course, but they also have a fantastic mineral face and lip SPF product. We included the “Play Bundle” because it’s a great way to test the product.

Regardless of the sunscreen brand, having a hat and keeping the SPF on is crucial to enjoying golf this summer.

4. Hydration Tools

Purchase Liquid IV packets to put in water bottles or electrolyte tablets. Staying hydrated includes drinking water and replacing any lost electrolytes.

Purchase a pack of your favorite brand and stuff some of those into the golf bag. Having those on hand will be a lifesaver when an extra boost is needed.

3. Portable fan

A misting fan is incredible for the summer, especially while on the golf course. It keeps a steady breeze on you while providing a little spritz of water.

Amazon, Portable Misting Fan, golf

| Amazon

Portable Misting Fan

A portable misting fan that can be propped on the golf cart is essential during summer. This option has excellent reviews, and the price is not too steep.

People can also use wearable cooling devices. These gadgets sit around the necks and blow cool air around the head. Many women wore them at the Tour Championship last year, and they are another great option for staying cool while playing golf. If interested in one of those, here is the link for a portable neck fan.

2. Cooling Rags/ Cooler

Many people know about the Frogg Toogs Chilly Pad cooling towels, and it is time to buy one. Also, get a small cooler and keep ice in it. Drench the towel in water, and it will keep the heat away. These rags will keep you cool between shots and last for hours.

A cooler is great for snacks and drinks, but you can also throw in the towel to keep it colder longer.

Rickie Fowler, Golf

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

1. Emotional Support Water

Stay cool on the golf course by purchasing a water bottle. Channel your inner Rickie Fowler and snag a 30-40oz bottle to carry with you. Do not forget those stickers, either—they are a necessity.

Fill it up often because staying hydrated is essential in the summer.

The heat can drain you quickly, so the more water, the better. A reminder, though: While many people like cold water, it can shock your system on a hot day. Room-temperature water may not be as refreshing, but it does help the most with hydration.

If you insist on cold water, remember to sip it. Do not chug it, as that can also cause issues.

Those are the things to do this summer to beat the heat and keep playing golf.

What do you do to keep cool while playing golf during the summer? Sound off below with your favorite tip.

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.

Golf Talk Today: The simple do’s and don’ts of July 4th golf fashion golf,talk,today,the,simple,do,s,and,don,ts,of,july,th,golf,fashion,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-opinions

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Welcome to Playing Through’s morning ritual — Golf Talk Today.

Each morning will feature a Golf Talk Today, where the crew will discuss various elements throughout the PGA Tour, LPGA, LIV Golf, and more.

First off, Happy Fourth of July!

As we all celebrate our patriotic freedom today, today’s topic is Fourth of July golf fashion. With the John Deere Classic starting today, we wanted to give a July 4th fashion guide — the Do’s and Do not’s.

A patriotic outfit can quickly go from trendy to loud, so let’s examine what works and does not for your Fourth of July golf round.

The Do’s of Patriotic Golf Fashion

Stick to the basics

Solid-color pants or polos are a great choice. Red, White and Blue are three great primary colors for building outfits.

Patterns are still fine; I’m not saying to avoid them, but just be smart about it.

Many pieces from the J. Lindeberg Team USA line are perfect options for the Fourth of July.

Before everyone freaks out about the bright pattern, the red polo is the classic approach I am talking about. The navy pants are also great.

Let the Pattern be the moment

If an American flag or any kind of pattern is what you want to wear, let it be the moment. Wear a more neutral pair of pants and shoes to match. Try to tie it together by matching the hat to the pants or to one of the colors in the pattern.

Don’t be so predictable

Yes, it is America’s Day of Freedom, but that does not mean American flags must be all over the clothing. Red, White, and Blue are iconic colors that people recognize as patriotic. There are some nice patterns out there that are great for the holiday, but remember, less can be more for days like the Fourth of July.

The Do not’s of Patriotic Golf Fashion

There is only one thing to avoid for golf fashion on the Fourth of July.

Please do not wear the American flag pattern all over

Less is more, especially when it comes to patriotic patterns. Wearing an American flag top and bottoms is way too much. Opt for the flag shirt and solid bottom or vice versa.

Most patriotic pants are too tacky, so avoid those at all costs.

John Daly is likely the only person who can wear those pants and pull them off because he is that confident.

That does not mean you can purchase one American flag item instead of the entire outfit.

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