The Devils will raise Patrik Elias’ No. 26 to the rafters on Saturday night, retiring the number of the all-time franchise leader in goals (408) and points (1,025) who also won Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003.
Justin Thomas was growing up outside Louisville, Kentucky, during Tiger Woods’ prime years. He had a prime seat in Valhalla’s clubhouse for one of Woods’ most memorable major triumphs, at the 2000 PGA Championship. “That week was the reason that I was like, ‘Okay, this is really what I want to do,’â€� Thomas said after his triumph at last year’s PGA Championship. On Wednesday, Thomas elaborated on the ways that Woods inspired him. If you look at childhood videos of Thomas competing in tournaments, he’s wearing black pants and a red shirt. That’s not a coincidence. Thomas even emulated Woods’ grip. “He’s someone that I’ve looked up to ever since my first memories of golf and someone I’ve always tried to model my game after,â€� Thomas said in his pre-tournament press conference at The Honda Classic. “I wore black pants and red shirt every tournament I played when I was a junior because of him. I use an interlocking grip because I saw a picture of him when I was a kid following through and he had an interlocking group and that was the day I started using interlocking and I’ve done it ever since.â€� Woods is nearly two decades older than Thomas, and made his PGA TOUR debut a year before Thomas was born, but their relationship has changed now that they are PGA TOUR peers. Woods was a Captain’s Assistant for last year’s U.S. Presidents Cup Team, which Thomas was a member of. Thomas and Woods flew together to last week’s Genesis Open, where they were paired for the first two rounds. The reigning FedExCup champ and only two-time winner of the FedExCup are now friends. “We have a great friendship, and I’m very lucky and I cherish that,â€� Thomas said. “He’s definitely somewhat of a mentor for me.â€�
These aren’t necessarily the best players in the division, but they’re the ones whose 2018 performance will be most vital to their teams’ success this season, and seasons moving forward.
Pace of play is a major issue for the game of golf both as a recreational sport and a professional game, and while Major League Baseball is introducing new rules to speed up the game, the solution for the USGA and R&A may be to change the allowed equipment. Golf legend Jack Nicklaus explained in a press conference prior to this week’s Honda Classic that the “golf ball is the biggest culprit� in slowing the game down, and that if the average ball was changed to travel 80 percent of the distance it currently does, rounds would be shorter. “There’s three things we have in the game of golf that really causes it to be slow and take longer: And that’s the golf ball, but the golf ball — it’s the length the golf course, the time that we play.
LeBron James, who has been to the NBA Finals the past seven straight years, says he’s against the idea of reseeding regardless of conference for the postseason.
Custer won the final race of the 2017 Xfinity Series season. Since Stewart-Haas has four cars, he’ll drive at Las Vegas for Rick Ware Racing.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says he would be surprised if Kawhi Leonard returns this season.
For the second straight offseason, the Steelers and their superstar running back will be talking contract. Here’s how the sides could come together — or pull apart.
