John Deere Classic: Davis Thompson’s sensational, historic 1st victory john,deere,classic,davis,thompson,s,sensational,historic,st,victory,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour


In his 63rd start, Davis Thompson can officially call himself a PGA Tour winner.

He carded a final round 7-under 64 to post a 28-under total and win the John Deere Classic by four shots over Michael Thorbjornsen, amateur Luke Clanton and C.T. Pan, who tied for second place at 24-under.

Thompson became the 24th first-time tournament winner at this event. He did it in grand fashion by setting the John Deere Classic’s 72-hole scoring record. Michael Kim initially set it at 27-under in 2018.

He stayed stoic all week long, but Thompson let the emotions flow once he saw his wife.

“Just seeing my wife means a lot,” Thompson said to CBS Sports analyst Amanda Balionis after his win. “I love her so much and so thankful she was able to make it. I tried to stay present all day. When that putt finally went in, it was a big sigh of relief.”

Throughout his interview with Balionis, Thompson could not hold back the tears. He wiped them away multiple times.

All that hard work finally paid off for the 25-year-old.

“I’ve been working hard this year. It was okay for a while then I got going this last month and played well last week,” he said. “Tried to keep it rolling this week; was able to get the win.”

The former Georgia Bulldog set the tone from his opening tee shot. He went five-under through his first six holes and added his sixth birdie on the ninth to go out in 29 shots. Through nine holes, Thompson made 120 feet of putts, and by the end of the round, he recorded 139 feet of putts.

His first birdie was over 44 feet, and at the par-4 5th, he made a 29-footer. The flat stick was on fire for him, as Thompson could not miss.

The Sea Island resident made an 8-footer on 10 for his seventh birdie. His one hiccup came at the 12th when he bogeyed the hole. However, that slip-up would not stay with the youngster. Thompson returned to 7-under at 14 when he made his final birdie and came home with four straight pars.

Throughout four days of play, he gained +18.694 in strokes gained total. He picked up at least two strokes on the field in all five main categories. Thompson led the field with 30 birdies.

In short, the former Bulldog put on a clinic.

He replaced the 2023 John Deere Classic champion Sepp Straka’s place in the Champions House and became the third straight player to win the event while staying there.

J.T. Poston won while staying there in 2022, Straka won last year and Thompson has now been added to the lore.

“No, definitely not,” Thompson said about not letting the tradition go, “I think I have to pay for the whole house now, which is unfortunate, but I’ll gladly write the check for that.”

Thompson became the 12th Georgia golfer coached under head coach Chris Haack and the 17th in the program’s history to win on the PGA Tour. This victory also gets him into the Open Championship later this month and next year’s Masters Tournament at Augusta National. It also vaulted him from No. 51 to No. 22 in the FedEx Cup standings.

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.

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


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.

British Grand Prix: Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton hail ‘fairytale’ victory british,grand,prix,toto,wolff,and,lewis,hamilton,hail,fairytale,victory,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one


It was a win almost 1,000 days in the making.

On a challenging Sunday at Silverstone, Lewis Hamilton captured victory for the first time since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, finally reaching the top step of a Formula 1 podium for the first time since that epic campaign.

And the fact that it came on Hamilton’s final race at Silverstone for Mercedes was not lost on Team Principal Toto Wolff.

“Today’s win is like a fairytale,” emphasized Wolff in the team’s post-race report. “It is our last British Grand Prix together with Lewis and what a way to sign off. It is such a great feeling to be able to achieve victory in front of the British crowds with the most iconic, and most successful British driver in a Mercedes.”

Hamilton’s emotions matched the moment. The legendary British driver was choked up as he took the checkered flag, and that continued as he was handed a Union Jack at Becketts Corner during his cooldown lap. When he finally brought his W15 to a stop he shared a long, emotional embrace with his father before paying tribute to the thousands of fans cheering their hero.

Hamilton then shared his immediate thoughts with Jenson Button.

“Yeah, I can’t stop crying,” admitted the seven-time champion.

“I think, you know, since 2021, I’m just every day getting up, trying to fight, to train, to put my mind to the task and work as hard as I can with this amazing team and this is my last race here, the British Grand Prix, with this team so I wanted to win this so much for them, because I love them, I appreciate them so much, all the hard work they’ve been putting in over the years,” continued Hamilton.

“I’m forever grateful to everyone in this team, everyone at Mercedes, and all of our partners. And I just want to say thank you to all of you for being here with us today. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And then otherwise to all our incredible fans,” added the Mercedes driver, “I could see you lap by lap as I was coming around, and there’s just no greater feeling as to finish at the front here.”

Hamilton’s tributes to the crowd as Silverstone continued into the FIA Press Conference.

“I mean, the car’s so loud, so hard to hear, but I could see it, and I really could feel [the crowd noise],” described Hamilton. “You know, when you go through Turn 7, it’s a long, long corner, and you see the guys on the left, or through the last couple of corners, you can also see this incredible crowd, or into Turn 15. It’s really, really an unbelievable feeling to be on that track. This is the best track for me, personally. I think this is the best track in the world. But it’s the fans also, the whole place, the wind direction that you have going into Stowe. That corner is incredible.”

In response to a question from the brilliant Luke Smith from The Athletic, Hamilton talked about the emotions he felt, particularly in that extended post-race embrace with his father, and whether this win felt any different than his previous 103 F1 victories.

“Yeah, it really does, because I think, you know, I’ve had my parents come to a race here and there,” began Hamilton.

“We’ve had, you know, my mom was there when we won a championship. My dad’s been there when we won a championship. It’s always been just at a different point of life. First World Championship, you know, was incredible, but it was really difficult to absorb it all at the age I was at. I think this weekend, I think just within life, you know, your parents are getting older, you know, we’re traveling so much.

“Time with family is a constant challenge. My niece and nephew are growing up and growing out their cuteness,” continued the driver. “But I’ve had them here this weekend, and I think they’ve all… We all try to be there for each other, even at a distance. But to have them there and… I mean, I know I’ve always had their support, but to be able to see them there and share this experience, they wanted to be at my last race, the last British Grand Prix with this team that have been so incredible to us. I mean, Mercedes obviously supported me since I was 13. So it’s definitely meant the most today to have them there and to be able to share it with them.”

While there was a downside for the team, as pole-sitter George Russell retired early on a day that could have seen him on the podium as well, Hamilton’s victory marked two wins in a row for Mercedes, extending their run of impressive form.

Hamilton addressed what this recent form means for the team going forward.

Yeah, I think hugely, hugely grateful to everyone in the team. I think this is just hats off to everyone. Niki [Lauda] would definitely take his hat off, but everyone that’s continued to work hard, everyone in the garage that’s continued to show up each weekend and not get downbeat by results,” said Hamilton. “I think George’s win last week was amazing, but it wasn’t on pure pace and I think this weekend was the first time we did it on pure pace. [With] qualifying on the front row. And then after that, even pulling in that first stint, both of us pulling away from everybody else. And then ultimately, I think with the conditions today, the drivers able to make a bit of a difference.”

Hamilton also admitted that the time between victories meant this win was even sweeter, along with the admission that for the first time in 104 victories, tears finally fell after a win.

“Absolutely. It feels different to previous races and particularly races where you’re having race after race after race or seasons where you’re having multiple wins,” said Hamilton. “I think with the kind of the adversity I would say that we’ve gone through as a team and that I personally felt, that I’ve experienced, those challenges, the constant challenge like we all have to get out of bed every day and give it our best shot. And, you know, there’s so many times where you feel like your best shot is just not good enough.

“And the disappointment sometimes that you can feel, you know, and we live in a time where mental health is such a serious issue. And I’m not going to lie, that I have experienced that. And there’s definitely been moments where you know, the thought that this was it, that that was never going to happen again,” continued Hamilton. “So to have this feeling come across the line, I think, honestly, I’ve never cried coming from a win. It just came out of me. And it’s a really, really great feeling. I’m very, very grateful for it.”

A fairytale Sunday, in what is shaping up to be a fairytale season for the Silver Arrows.

John Deere Classic Round 4 tee times for a competitive final day john,deere,classic,round,tee,times,for,a,competitive,final,day,sbnation,com,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news


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.

Today marks the final round at the John Deere Classic.

Davis Thompson took the lead on Saturday after his impressive 9-under 62, which got him to a 21-under total. The former Georgia Bulldog looks to win his first PGA Tour event at the same place that sparked Jordan Spieth and many other players’ careers.

TPC Deere Run continues to give up massive amounts of birdies. The players have made 1,681 birdies through 54 holes, more than 24 tournaments from earlier in the season.

With a chance of scattered thunderstorms, the PGA Tour chose to have players go off split tees for the final round to avoid any delays hopefully.

Brew a pot of coffee, grab some breakfast, and settle in as we get you ready for the final round of the John Deere Classic.

John Deere Classic Round 4 Tee Times (ET):

*indicates a 10th tee start

10:25 a.m. — Sam Stevens, Robby Shelton, Zach Johnson

10:25 a.m.* — Adam Svensson, Hayden Buckley, David Lipsky

10:36 a.m. — Chandler Phillips, Joshua Creel, James Hahn

10:36 a.m. *— S.H. Kim, Austin Smotherman, Patrick Rodgers

10:47 a.m. — Jason Day, J.T. Poston, Chesson Hadley

10:47 a.m.* — Wilson Furr, Jake Knapp, Bud Cauley

10:58 a.m. — Trace Crowe, Ben Silverman, Scott Gutschewski

10:58 a.m.* — Mark Hubbard, Sam Ryder, Ben Taylor

11:09 a.m. — Kevin Yu, Sungjae Im, Mac Meissner

11:09 a.m.* — Ryo Hisatsune, Stewart Cink, Kevin Streelman

11:20 a.m. — Max Greyserman, Beau Hossler, Brendon Todd

11:20 a.m.* — Pierceson Coody, Sepp Straka, Roger Sloan

11:31 a.m. — Denny McCarthy, Harry Hall, Seamus Power

11:31 a.m.* — Doug Ghim, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Justin Lower

11:42 a.m. — Lucas Glover, Andrew Novak, Chan Kim

11:42 a.m.* — Lee Hodges, Nico Echavarria, Blaine Hale Jr.

11:53 a.m. — Ben Griffin, Keith Mitchell, Jhonattan Vegas

11:53 a.m.* — Henrik Norlander, Brice Garnett, Joel Dahmen

12:04 p.m. — Sami Valimaki, Rico Hoey, Jordan Spieth

12:04 p.m.* — Bill Haas, Zac Blair, Thorbjørn Olesen

12:15 p.m. — Michael Thorbjornsen, Luke Clanton (a), Carson Young

12:15 p.m.* — Justin Suh, Matt NeSmith, Kyle Westmoreland

12:26 p.m. — Hayden Springer, C.T. Pan, J.J. Spaun

12:26 p.m.* — Kevin Dougherty, Ben Kohles, Dylan Fritteli

12:37 p.m. — Davis Thompson, Eric Cole, Aaron Rai

12:37 p.m.* — Kevin Chappell, Ryan Palmer

ICYMI: Top stories from the Rocket Mortgage Classic and across professional golf

Check out these stories:

Golfers must avoid these 10 mistakes during every round they play

John Deere Classic: Hayden Springer’s epic sub-60 round makes TPC Deere Run look easy

Thursday’s Golf Tips: The 5 best ways to remain cool, hydrated on the golf course

All golfers should do these 10 things during every round they play

Emotional Bernhard Langer says goodbye, gives one more epic driver off the deck

John Deere Classic: Comparing PGA Tour players to their ultimate equipment twin

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: Jason Day, 5 golfers complete advantage Moving Day john,deere,classic,jason,day,golfers,complete,advantage,moving,day,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour


Saturday at the John Deere Classic saw so many birdies at TPC Deere Run. The 54-hole leader, Davis Thompson, made nine en route to his 9-under 62. He leads the field by two shots at 21-under.

The former Georgia Bulldog was not the only PGA Tour player to take advantage of Moving Day.

Thirty-four players shot 68 or better, which helped many of them skyrocket up the leaderboard. However, who took the Moving Day the most seriously?

These five players kept themselves in contention or helped themselves get into contention after a solid third round.

5. Jason Day

The Aussie who started his career at the John Deere Classic, Jason Day, pushed himself up the leaderboard by 17 spots.

He carded a 5-under 66 on Saturday to sit at 11-under. Day is 10 shots behind Thompson, but it is all about position for him. If he can keep it up, he will only improve his FedEx Cup playoff standing.

4. Seamus Power

Seamus Power moved up 11 spots after his third-round 5-under 66, which got him to 13-under. He sits tied for 21st and is eight spots back. However, in the FedEx Cup standings, Power ranks in the 60s, so a good finish on Sunday could help him keep his season going.

3. Michael Thorbjornsen

The PGA Tour rookie, Michael Thorbjornsen, missed the cut last week in Detroit but is tied for sixth at the John Deere Classic.

He carded a 5-under 66 to move up four spots as he sits at 16-under. Five shots are entirely doable, but he will have to stay aggressive.

2. Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth shocked everyone Saturday morning as he came out red-hot on Moving Day. He jumped up 35 spots to sit tied for 12th and at 14-under. Spieth signed for an 8-under 63, which marked his lowest score of the year.

As a two-time John Deere Classic winner, he knows what it will take on Sunday. At seven shots off the lead, he may be out of reach to earn his third title, but a top 10 would be huge for his confidence heading into the last stretch of the season.

1. Eric Cole

Eric Cole recorded a 7-under 64 on Saturday to move up two spots. He and Aaron Rai sit at 19-under total and two shots behind Thompson. Cole took full advantage of Moving Day by avoiding too many costly mistakes.

He made two birdies on the front nine but got hot on the back. Cole birdied 10 and 11 before adding his fifth at the par-4 14th. His lone mistake came at 15 when he made a bogey, but Cole put himself back into contention with a birdie-eagle-par finish.

Cole’s eagle on the 17th was massive for him. It allowed him to close out the day with a bang and got him into the final group.

These guys needed strong performances on Moving Day, and they delivered.

The PGA Tour announced that the field will play off split tees for Sunday’s round since there is a chance of scattered thunderstorms throughout the day.

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: Jordan Spieth skyrockets contention strong round john,deere,classic,jordan,spieth,skyrockets,contention,strong,round,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour


Jordan Spieth came out blazing hot at the John Deere Classic on Saturday with his lowest round of the season. He carded an 8-under 63 to sit at 14-under total. Spieth jumped 33 spots on Moving Day, making the most of his early tee time.

The former Texas Longhorn was 6-under through eight holes as he went out in 29 strokes. He added two more birdies on the 10th and 12th before his only hiccup of the day.

Spieth bogeyed the par-4 13th but quickly regrouped. Three straight pars followed before he made his ninth birdie of the day at 17. It was nearly an eagle, but it came up inches short.

“It felt a lot better than being 7-under through 16, and I feel almost like a weird disappointment at that point,” Spieth said. “So nice to hit two beautiful shots into 17 and half a roll from getting an eagle there.”

“All in all, those finishing pins were tougher. Fortunately, I don’t think the field is going to make four birdies in a row to finish. Most of them are out there a little before that. It was a good day. Did a lot of things well. I improved on yesterday and that was my goal.”

His putter proved to be one of the strongest clubs in his bag on Saturday. Spieth made 100 feet of putts through the 12th hole.

Saturday’s 63 was his best round of the week so far, but that is typically how he handles this tournament. Spieth starts slow but gets stronger as the week goes on.

“It’s a race. It’s prime scoring conditions,” he said. “We had quite a few front pins in bowls that you needed to make birdie on. Sometimes that’s the hardest part, is the shot almost seems too easy because we’re not used to it.”

“Luckily, I capitalized on those and made a couple of putts,” Spieth said. “It was just a good solid round. No chip-ins, nothing spectacular, no crazy ones here or there. But tomorrow, if I can be as solid as I was today and maybe catch a couple of extra breaks, it would take something extremely flawless to have a chance, but I’ll try and do what I did today.”

Spieth’s 14-under is currently T14 on the leaderboard. TPC Deere Run is playing into these guys’ hands, especially the front nine. The back nine is playing a little trickier. He will have to go low on Sunday to potentially win his third John Deere Classic.

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

British Grand Prix: Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri flex McLaren’s muscles on Friday british,grand,prix,lando,norris,and,oscar,piastri,flex,mclaren,s,muscles,on,friday,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one

British Grand Prix Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri flex McLarens


A major story this Formula 1 season centers on how the chasing pack behind Red Bull has caught the 2023 Constructors’ Champions, setting up a vision of a title fight as the season enters its second half. Chief among that group? McLaren, as the darlings of last year’s second half have shown tremendous pace this year.

And if Friday is any indication at the British Grand Prix, that will continue this weekend.

Lando Norris topped the timing sheets in both FP1 and FP2, with teammate Oscar Piastri on his heels in both sessions as the Australian driver was third-fastest in FP1, and second-fastest in FP2. While practice results often tell a fraction of the full story, what should give McLaren comfort is that all teams — including Red Bull — used the softest compound available in FP2.

Both drivers, as well as Team Principal Andrea Stella, viewed Friday as a “solid” first day.

“It’s been a solid day. We’ve done a good amount of running and some nice laps, so I feel reasonably comfortable. We’ve made some changes over the morning which helped me get into a good rhythm, which is super important around such a high-speed track like this,” said Norris in the team’s post-practice report.

“I think we’ve got a few more to tweaks to make, but it’s difficult with the challenges of wind and rain. It’s been a clean two sessions, and that’s a good start to the weekend, so I’m happy with that.”

Piastri, who capitalized on the late-race incident between Norris and Max Verstappen to score a podium finish in the Austrian Grand Prix, hailed the results on Friday while cautioning that weather could throw teams a curveball the rest of the weekend.

“That’s Friday done. It’s been a decent day for the team, especially in FP2. We’ve got a few things to sort out overnight to make it a bit better on my side, but I think it’s been a solid first day at Silverstone,” said Piastri.

“Going into tomorrow, I think we’re in a reasonable position, however we’re probably going to get very wet which can change things. I’m looking forward to getting back on track.”

The McLaren boss took a similar approach.

“Today at Silverstone we had two productive sessions. There was an ever-present risk of rain, but it only materialised towards the end of the second session, which gave us enough time to go through our run plan and set-up work,” said Stella. “In general, we got encouraging information – but conditions were very particular today, so we’re not looking too much at the lap times themselves. We’re now just focusing on tomorrow, when we need to be ready for whatever the weather brings.”

Diving into some of the telemetry data, courtesy of F1-Tempo highlights Norris’ strength on Friday when compared with Verstappen. Here is a look at both driver’s fastest lap in FP2, with both drivers on the softest compound:

Whether this is a matter of setup or engine mode, of course, remains to be seen.

But certainly, this was a strong first day for McLaren at the British Grand Prix.

Brad Pitt, Lewis Hamilton F1 movie now has an official title brad,pitt,lewis,hamilton,f,movie,now,has,an,official,title,sbnation,com,front-page,formula-one

Brad Pitt Lewis Hamilton F1 movie now has an official


Ahead of the British Grand Prix it was announced that the upcoming feature film focused on the world of Formula 1 starring Brad Pitt and produced in part by Lewis Hamilton now has an official title.

And it gets straight to the point.

F1 is that title, and the feature film will be released worldwide on June 25, 2025 and two days later in the United States. The film stars Pitt as a veteran driver for APXGP, a fictional team on the F1 grid. Damson Idris stars as Pitt’s teammate at APXGP:

Filming is still ongoing for the movie, with scenes being shot at this weekend’s British Grand Prix at the historic Silverstone circuit. During the 2023 F1 season scenes were filmed at a number of grands prix, including footage shot at Silverstone, Hungaroring, Spa Francorchamps, Circuit Zandvoort, Las Vegas Strip Circuit, and Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

During the 2024 F1 season, scenes for F1 have been — or will be — shot at Suzuka Circuit, Silverstone, Hungaroring, Spa Francorchamps, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Mexico City, Las Vegas Strip Circuit, and again at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

It was also announced on Friday that ahead of Sunday’s British Grand Prix a teaser trailer for the film will be released.

Last season filming occurred during the British Grand Prix, with Pitt and Idris even participating in drivers’ meetings. Hamilton was asked a number of questions about the film during the FIA Press Conference, and talked about the cooperation from the sport, as well as the efforts made by the filmmakers to deliver an “authentic” experience.

“Yeah, I’ve been really incredibly grateful to [Formula 1]. I don’t know if this would have been possible 10 plus years ago, when the old management was in place. They wouldn’t have perhaps seen this as an important step in terms of the sport’s growth,” said Hamilton a year ago. “But we’ve already seen the great work and impact of the Netflix show and I think this will take it to new heights beyond that. So yeah, I think there’s so many people around the world, as you’ve seen already, that are so excited about this sport, wanting to learn more. And the fact that we will have all the original characters that are actually on the grid, and then Brad, is pretty cool.

“I’m pretty certain, I mean, our cameras are a lot better than what you’re seeing when you’re watching TV. I’ve seen all the footage of the camera positions. I’ve spent time with Joe, trying to make sure we’ve got the best camera positions and the frame rate is different, it’s going to look fast. I think it’s going to look faster than it does on TV. Because I think it’s something to do with the frame rate that we have to have. But Joe is an incredible director, and I think you’re going to see him really… You’ve already seen what he’s done with fighter jets, what is what he did with [Top Gun:] Maverick. So just think about what he’s done with that in terms of the dogfights you saw from those jets, which was pretty epic. And bringing that technology and that viewpoint into our world,

“I think it’s going to be amazing.”

And now we know the title.

5 NBA teams falling behind their rivals after not doing enough this summer nba,teams,falling,behind,their,rivals,after,not,doing,enough,this,summer,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-trade-rumors,nba-free-agency,draftkings


The first big wave of player movement in the 2024 NBA offseason has come and gone, and a few things are starting to crystalize. The Oklahoma City Thunder look like the class of the West after adding Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso to last year’s No. 1 seed. The Boston Celtics remain a strong favorite in the East, but the New York Knicks with Mikal Bridges and Philadelphia 76ers with Paul George are ready to push them.

Some teams have set themselves up for improvement this offseason even if they aren’t at the top of the championship picture. The Dallas Mavericks did well to add more shooting and defense around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and it will be fascinating to see how Klay Thompson performs away from the Bay. The Orlando Magic won’t sneak up on anyone this year, and have a chance to be an emerging Eastern Conference powerhouse.

Then there’s the teams who haven’t done enough. While there’s plenty of time left in the offseason to make moves, these six teams should be feeling the heat to do something or they are going to get left behind by their rivals.

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets could have retained Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency if they wanted to. Instead, Denver was too afraid of looming penalties for entering the ‘second apron’ of the luxury tax, and decided it could replace the veteran two-guard’s production with younger players. Either that, or ownership just cheaped out.

This is the time that Denver should be going all-in around Nikola Jokic. The three-time MVP is in the prime of his career at 29 years old, yet the team around him continues to lose talent over nothing but money. The Nuggets lost Bruce Brown and Jeff Green last year after winning the 2023 championship, and now it’s lost an even bigger contributor in KCP. This decision puts a ton of pressure on Denver’s untested young bench — Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther — to perform at a high level immediately. The Nuggets’ depth was already an issue last year, and it’s an even more glaring need now.

The Nuggets will still be very good. They may even still win the title. But the team got significantly worse by losing Caldwell-Pope for no good reason. The young guys are going to have to take a major leap, or the Nuggets have failed Jokic this summer.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers were a pretty good team last year that only won one playoff game and never had a realistic chance of winning the Western Conference. It would seem to behoove a team like that to make some major moves in the offseason, especially when it has three first round picks to trade at its disposal. Instead, the Lakers have been content to draft Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, and do nothing else.

Knecht can help the Lakers next season as a rookie with his off-ball shooting, but that won’t be enough to make a major push up the standings. LA is betting on internal development of their young players, but if they make a real veteran addition, chances are they will be worse by proxy. LA got very good health out of LeBron James and Anthony Davis last season, and who knows if that will be the case this year. The West keeps improving, and the Lakers are doing nothing as LeBron James sets to enter his age-40 season.

The Lakers are preparing for life after James instead of going all-in while he’s still an elite player. LA doesn’t want to trade its future draft picks and take on penalties from entering the second-apron. The Lakers are kind of just chilling, and that shouldn’t be good enough when they employ the superstar with the longest prime in league history.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks were supposed to be a championship contender after acquiring Damian Lillard last season. Instead, the team looked underwhelming out of the gates, fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin to replace him with Doc Rivers at midseason, and then saw Giannis Antetokounmpo suffer a season-ending injury just before the playoffs.

It feels like it’s now or never for the Lillard-Antetokounmpo pairing entering the 2024-25 season, but the Bucks have done absolutely nothing to improve the team this summer.

It’s true that the Bucks are capped out and light on future assets, but other teams have found a way to get creative in similar situations. Milwaukee’s big plan appears to be praying for good health from their four veteran stars. That doesn’t seem like a wise move when the 76ers and Knicks went all-out to add top-end talent, while the Celtics remain the class of the conference. If Milwaukee disappoints again this season, it’s only a matter of time before Antetokounmpo trade rumors pop up again.

Miami Heat

The Heat missed out on Damian Lillard last summer, and they never had a chance at Donovan Mitchell this summer before he re-signed with Cleveland. Miami is a franchise known for taking big swings, yet they’ve done a whole lot of nothing heading into the 2024-25 season.

Jimmy Butler is entering the final year of his contract without an extension in place. Bam Adebayo is locked up on a long-term deal, and there are some nice young pieces on the roster in Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, Kel’el Ware, and Tyler Herro. For now, the Heat feel like a team stuck in two-timelines: one not good enough to win with Butler as a centerpiece this season, yet without a foundational player if he leaves in the summer of 2025.

Miami would be wise to look at Butler trades and prioritize their future, but this organization typically doesn’t operate that way. Unless the Heat can find a way to make a move for an impact talent, it feels like they’re stuck at the bottom of the East playoff picture.

Los Angeles Clippers

This one is self-explanatory. The Clippers lost Paul George in free agency without getting assets back for him. LA responded by making some bargain signings in Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Nic Batum, and Mo Bamba, but those guys aren’t going to make up the loss of an All-NBA caliber player like George.

The Clippers still have Kawhi Leonard and James Harden on the roster, but that isn’t a reliable duo at this point in their careers. The scary thing for LA is it doesn’t control its own first round pick until 2030. Right now, this looks like a low-end Western Conference playoff team at best with the arrow pointing downhill and very few assets to course correct.

Phoenix Suns

At least the Phoenix Suns didn’t cheap out. Despite a massive luxury tax bill looming, the Suns re-signed Royce O’Neale to a $44 million contract. Phoenix also added Mason Plumlee to bolster its front court depth. We’ll applaud those moves on the margins, but it isn’t enough to really make a difference for a team that just got swept out of the first round of the playoffs.

Phoenix was supposed to be competing for championships when it acquired Kevin Durant. The all-in move for Bradley Beal last summer has backfired, and now Phoenix has an enormous payroll, three ill-fitting stars, and zero tradable future draft picks until 2031.

If the Suns don’t look great to start the season, it’s probably only a matter of time before they need to start thinking about trading Kevin Durant. At that point, Devin Booker’s future would become a major point of speculation, too. The Suns don’t have many moves left to make, and their team still isn’t good enough.

John Deere Classic: Jordan Spieth makes 1st start in 9 years john,deere,classic,jordan,spieth,makes,st,start,in,years,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour


Jordan Spieth is back in the Quad Cities for the first time since his 2015 John Deere Classic victory.

So far, it seems to be a sentimental trip for him as he reminisces on his history at TPC Deere Run.

Ahead of the tournament, Spieth joined the media to reflect on his 2013 and 2015 victories and how much has changed for him.

“I probably spent a little more time at the course back then, but in general, my day-to-day on the course hasn’t changed much,” Spieth said on Wednesday. “Off the course, it’s obviously very different.”

He has grown a lot from the young 21-year-old kid on Tour.

“I think I try to be that kid,” he said. “I try to think about being that kid every time I tee it up.”

Spieth is now a dad of two kids and has 13 PGA Tour wins.

Ahead of the tournament, he, his son Sammy and his daughter Sophie went to ‘The Big Dig,’

“I think Michael [Greller] had the most fun,” he said. “He and his two kids were out driving tractors around. It was a lot of fun. It was full circle, right? I was 21 the last time I was here, and now I’ve got two kids that I took to The Big Dig.”

He explained that his return to the John Deere Classic had been on the table since early spring, and thankfully, the timing worked out for his schedule.

“I was pretty excited about the idea that I would be coming back the Deere this year, now that we’re here, it’s crazy,” Spieth said on Wednesday.

“It really does feel like a second home. It’s been really cool, the reception I received since coming back one day at Zach Johnson’s charity event and then a couple of days here at the golf course. I don’t have support like this anywhere outside of DFW, so hopefully, that continues this week, and I can pick up where I left off.”

Spieth has only played in this event four times. The John Deere Classic gave him a sponsor exemption in 2012 when he finished T58. He would win in 2013, tie for seventh in 2014 and win again in 2015.

Will he have similar luck in his fifth start? So much has changed for him since his last start in the Quad Cities.

Spieth has not had his best season on Tour in 2024. He has played in 17 events and has just three top 10s and three top 25s. The 30-year-old has also missed five cuts.

Last week at the Travelers Championship, he finished T63. At the U.S. Open, it was a T41. Spieth missed the cut at Jack Nicklaus’ Signature Event, The Memorial.

The last time he finished inside the top 10 was at the Valero Texas Open with a T10. Since then, it has been an up-and-down grind. Despite his performances in the last few months, Spieth is among the betting favorites.

Nonetheless, this week holds a lot of weight for him. Spieth is currently No. 59 in the FedEx Cup rankings. He will need to find some success in the coming weeks if he wants to play past the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

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.