At some point this season, the Washington Nationals are going to pencil center fielder Victor Robles in their lineup and leave him there. This will be an important moment for the franchise, because Robles could be one of those special players that comes once a generation or so.
The National Hockey League said Thursday that it’s aware of the backlash over Kid Rock performing at the 2018 All-Star Game in Tampa, saying that the decision to hire him was “purely based” on his entertainment value and history as a hockey fan. The 47-year-old singer has drawn attention
Here are nine tidbits from the first round of the CareerBuilder Challenge that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Be looking for the Emergency 9 shortly after the close of play of each round of the tournament. Know Thy Enemy These were the top 10 picked golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. It might not be time to panic just yet with a 54-hole cut but thankfully for some of you, substitutions are allowed in this game! Remember, this week’s ONLY METRIC is scoring! With all three courses playing less than 7,200 yards and all to par 72, there should be plenty of it. Course and Weather Management The talk of the event today was how perfect the weather was and how gusty it is going to be on Friday. Thankfully in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO substitutions are part of game. With three courses in play, it’s time to avoid the hardest of the bunch, the Stadium Course. The Tournament Course and La Quinta have been by far the easier of the bunch the last two seasons with the new rotation and today wasn’t any different. At one point La Quinta Country Club was playing a staggering four shots under-par this afternoon. Only five of the top 41 today were playing the Stadium Course. If you’re at a crossroads about who to stick into your lineup, La Quinta is the tiebreaker! Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition! Well, yes gamers did! As noted above, 68 percent of the folks playing PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO this week have Jon Rahm on their roster. The Spaniard fired 62 (-10) at La Quinta and affirmed his love for desert courses that he acquired during his four years at Arizona State. The dots kept connecting as he won the DP World Championship in November in Dubai. He’s the No. 3 player in the OWGR and is performing like it! Oasis Those of you who have been riding the Brian Harman Express have noticed that the train car is getting fuller by the week! Those who have been late to the party and have bought a ticket this week won’t be disappointed after Thursday. The man with five consecutive finishes inside the top eight opened with a breezy 65 (-7) at La Quinta to sit T9 after round one. Normal service continues. #NappyFactor The debate rages on and you’ll read more about it in Study Hall down the page! Martin Piller’s wife, Gerina, is 25 weeks along with baby No. 1. She’s walking in the gallery this week as her hubby looks for TOUR win No. 1. He co-leads the field in birdies as he circled half of his holes on the Tournament Course. Piller has won three times on the Web.com Tour with totals of 18, 26 and 28-under par. He’s not afraid to make birdies! Low Net Even though only five players of the top 41 began on the Stadium Course, I’m keeping my eye on two who ended the day inside the top 10. Take a bow, Nick Watney and Grayson Murray! They both posted 65 (-7) and get to take on La Quinta, the easiest course in the rotation, tomorrow. Posting rounds this low and being only three back should give them both an excellent foundation to add to before returning to the Stadium Course on Sunday. Past Champion Problems Two-time winners Phil Mickelson and Bill Haas aren’t helping the desert historians feel any confidence after the first round. Mickelson could only manage 70 at La Quinta after starting three-under-par through his first five holes. Haas threw up an even par 72 at the Stadium Course and checks in at T125 in a field of now 155. Remember, these are two guys who have feasted in the desert over the years. Yikes. Fish or Cut Bait? As is the case EVERY SINGLE WEEK ON TOUR, there are big names that don’t fire in the opening round. This week is a bit different as the cut is 54-holes and two of the three courses are some of the easiest on TOUR. The question is even more difficult to answer as 2014 champion Patrick Reed, 10th-most selected above, posted 74 (+2) at the Tournament Course in his season debut. His reward is playing the Stadium Course tomorrow in gusty conditions…Bubba Watson was the 11th-most selected and just missed out on the chart above. His 70 today at La Quinta will make gamers think twice tomorrow as he’ll begin T88. Study Hall Brandt Snedeker returned to TOUR action this week after battling a sternum joint injury. His comeback was derailed overseas as he WD from the Indonesian Masters with heat exhaustion. His even-par 72 on the Tournament Course leaves his T125 with a trip to the Stadium Course Friday…Brandon Hagy withdrew Wednesday night with a wrist injury and was replaced by Rick Lamb…Corey Pavin withdrew after 17 holes with a neck injury for those of you keeping an eye on PGA TOUR Champions One & Done presented by SERVPRO…No bogeys in an opening round 69 (-3) for Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood pegged all 18 greens in Abu Dhabi… Sergio Garcia and Louis Oosthuizen are tied for the lead (66) while Pat Perez (70) is T-29 at the Singapore Open.Â
Brady’s sudden hand injury shifts the spotlight back to New England’s controversial Jimmy Garoppolo trade.
Not everyone is trying to leave the rebuilding Pittsburgh Pirates, as the team announced Thursday that it signed closer Felipe Rivero to a four-year, $22.5 million contract extension. The agreement for the 26-year-old left-hander runs through 2021 and includes club options for 2022-23, according to
This week’s highlights include LeBron’s draft pick, a high-IQ Warrior, bad All-Star promotions and more.
In his first speech since the world of men’s college basketball was rocked by an ongoing federal investigation, NCAA President Mark Emmert said he has commited “to have meaningful change” and newly placed reforms before the start of the 2018 season.
Jon Rahm’s 10-under 62 for his opening round put him in the lead after one round of play in Southern California.
Jon Rahm’s 10-under 62 for his opening round put him in the lead after one round of play in Southern California.
LA QUINTA, Calif. — For Phil Mickelson, the CareerBuilder Challenge has acted as the official start to the golf calendar for the five-time major winner for the last seven years. It’s an opportunity to knock off the competitive winter rust and see where the game stacks up. Despite opening with a 2-under 70 that left him eight shots adrift of leader Jon Rahm — who briefly flirted with 59 Watch at La Quinta Country Club — Mickelson remained pleased with the progress he made over the last week-and-a-half working with coach Andrew Getson. “I think you’re a little bit more nervous in seeing where your game is at,” Mickelson said, “but the last week-and-a-half where I’ve been getting ready and preparing has gone really well.” For Mickelson, this offseason was decidedly different from the previous year when he underwent two sports hernia surgeries that kept him from getting in the necessary practice time on the course and in the gym in preparation for the season. “Last year was a tough start for me,” Mickelson said. “I had a couple of setbacks in the offseason and wasn’t quite as ready as I wanted to be when the season started. And so I was playing without the strength speed and practice time I wanted to. But this year is totally different. I’ve been able to get a lot of good work in these last couple of weeks. My game feels good.” With a clean bill of health, the challenge for Mickelson during the offseason was trying to rectify a balky driver that’s plagued him for much of his career. Never one to shy away from tinkering, Mickelson switched to a Callaway Rogue Sub Zero that was four swingweight points lighter than his previous driver — a significant change for a player who has typically gone with a heavier overall weight in an attempt to find more fairways. Save for a tee shot that was blown out of bounds on the par-4 8th hole at La Quinta — he would still go on to make bogey — Mickelson looked comfortable and confident with the new club in the bag, routinely pulling it out on tight driving holes and finding the fairway. “[The new driver] was great with one exception, which was a little flinch,” Mickelson said. “Other than that, I drove it very well. I’m excited about the year driving the ball. I feel like I had a nice little breakthrough and I feel like the new technology is much more stable on that Rogue that allows me to miss it not as big. I’m very optimistic.” The only part of Mickelson’s game that wasn’t working on Thursday was his iron play. Normally one of his strengths, he hit just nine greens in regulation and found himself in trouble a number of times during the round, including on the last hole where made bogey from the center of the fairway. “The strength of my game — my iron play — was not as tight today,” Mickelson said. “I didn’t hit it as close as I needed to and didn’t make as many birdies as I should have.” In addition to the new driver, Thursday marked the first time in 24 years that Mickelson started a season with someone other than Jim “Bones” Mackay on the bag. The two mutually parted ways during the offseason, opening up the opportunity for brother Tim to take on the duties on a full-time basis. With a new caddie and driver in the bag, Mickelson appears ready for the challenges that lie ahead this season, and the opportunity to once again chase down the U.S. Open trophy that’s eluded him his entire career. For now, though, he’s concentrated on the challenge at hand: trying to get back into contention in the desert. “I feel like I’ve been playing really well, even though they haven’t been competitive rounds,” Mickelson said. “I’ll have to get a couple of hot rounds to get back into the tournament, but I enjoy the challenge of it.”
