Cole Hamels has no plans to retire after 2019 seasonCole Hamels has no plans to retire after 2019 season
35-year-old pitcher Cole Hamels has no plans to retire once his contract with the Cubs is completed after the 2019 season.
Day: February 27, 2019
Sherman believes 49ers are ‘easy fit’ for Earl ThomasSherman believes 49ers are ‘easy fit’ for Earl Thomas
Richard Sherman believes a reunion is possible with Earl Thomas with the 49ers, but not if the Dallas Cowboys come calling. The 49ers cornerback told The Athletic’s Matt Barrows and the Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman that the free-agent safety would choose the Cowboys if the offers are equal
Eagles agree to let Foles seek starting job in free agencyEagles agree to let Foles seek starting job in free agency
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nick Foles rejuvenated his career in Philadelphia. Now he wants to turn his success into an NFL starting job — and the Eagles intend to give him that chance.
Bucks, Kings hold event to combat social injusticeBucks, Kings hold event to combat social injustice
Nearly a year after police fatally shot an unarmed black man in Sacramento and a series of protests ensued in California’s capital, the Kings and Milwaukee Bucks collaborated on a daylong summit to address social injustice and encourage discussion.
A year later, Brooks Koepka’s mood much brighter during Honda weekA year later, Brooks Koepka’s mood much brighter during Honda week
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – A year ago, Brooks Koepka was at home, sidelined with an injured left wrist, while The Honda Classic was being played just a few miles away. His mood – and his diet – were both going through a dark period. “I was sitting on the couch, probably eating a bunch of food,â€� Koepka recalled. “I wasn’t doing a whole lot. I gained, I think, 15, 20 pounds. I was obviously upset. I just missed competition. It wasn’t fun for me.â€� The wrist injury kept him out for four months and prevented him from playing the Florida Swing in March. He didn’t return until the week before THE PLAYERS Championship in May. Of course, you know how the rest of the season turned out — two major victories and the PGA TOUR Player of the Year award. All’s well that end’s well, perhaps, but those four months of inactivity for a player who was obviously ready to take the next step was tough. “I didn’t watch any golf until Augusta, so I didn’t know what was going on,â€� Koepka said. “You make a lot of friendships, seeing a bunch of people out here, and you just don’t have that. You’re forgotten very quickly. That’s what it taught me.â€� Nobody’s forgetting Koepka now, of course. He’s now starting his heavy stretch, having made just two starts since the calendar flipped to 2019. The most recent was last week at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, where Koepka finished T-27. He’s among the favorites this week at PGA National, although his track record at this event is not something to celebrate – four starts, one missed cut, his best finish a T-27 in 2016. Before missing last year’s event, he missed the cut the year before. “I haven’t had the best memories here,â€� said Koepka, who was born in West Palm Beach and now lives in Jupiter, just a few miles north of PGA National. “I was going through a bunch of stuff off the golf course two years ago and then last year not being able to play, so I’ve tried to put that all in the past and tried to move on.â€� Despite the results, Koepka insists that PGA National is a course he likes. “I think it suits me really well, especially with the firm greens now. I think I’ve got a good chance.â€� That last sentence seems like an understatement – especially given the fact he’s won four times (three majors and THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in Korea) since he last played The Honda Classic. “I always had the confidence,â€� Koepka said. “I wasn’t lacking that. I feel like I’m borderline cocky when it comes to that, but everybody out here should expect to win. Everybody out here is borderline confident to cocky. “Everytime you win, you’re going to build confidence, and if you’re on a nice little run like I was, you’re going to have a lot of it, and I feel like I’m still riding high on that. I’ve just been waiting for this Florida Swing for a while.â€�
Meet the man ready to battle MLB if neededMeet the man ready to battle MLB if needed
Bruce Meyer — the new chief negotiator for the Major League Baseball Players Association — may not be in the shadows for long.
LeBron’s take more positive: ‘Like where we are’LeBron’s take more positive: ‘Like where we are’
Despite his dour outlook after losses to the Pelicans and Grizzlies, LeBron James took a more positive outlook in L.A. on Wednesday, saying of the Lakers, “I like where we are today.”
Ex-NBA player White to try MMA, eyes UFC beltEx-NBA player White to try MMA, eyes UFC belt
Former NBA player Royce White says his basketball days are over as he prepares for a career in mixed martial arts.
Bermuda greens, warm temps â€" welcome to the Florida SwingBermuda greens, warm temps â€" welcome to the Florida Swing
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Earlier this month at Pebble Beach, it was a final-round hailstorm. A week later at Riviera, it was torrential rain and unseasonably cool SoCal temperatures. On Wednesday, after finishing his pro-am round at PGA National, Adam Scott was basking in a warm climate and a gentle, compassionate breeze. The four-week Florida Swing starts this week with The Honda Classic. For Scott and his fellow pros, that primarily means two things: 1) No poa annua greens. 2) Hot weather. “I think we have a good stint on the West Coast, but by the end, guys are ready to move East,� Scott said, who played well at Riviera but did not make the cut at Pebble Beach – and thus managed to avoid the Sunday hail. “The weather can be a bit temperamental over there and so can the greens at times. … “I think the guys are ready to get here and sweat a bit.� Thanks to the return of THE PLAYERS Championship to March, the PGA TOUR schedule once again has four consecutive weeks in Florida. The last time that happened was in 2016, when the first World Golf Championships event of the calendar year was held at Trump National Doral prior to its move to the Mexico Championship the last two years. Of course, the last time THE PLAYERS was part of the true Florida swing was in 2006, prior to the tournament moving to May. Returning the TOUR’s signature event to March was the right decision, according to Florida native Billy Horschel. “It’s nice to have THE PLAYERS back in March,� Horschel said. “I think it’s where it should be. I understand why they moved it to May and it did its job. … Now that we had that, let’s move it back to March where the course was intended to play. I think it’s going to be a great benefit to the tournament and to everyone involved.� Although weather can still be an issue at times – “It’s Florida. There’s a 70 percent chance of rain every day,� said local resident and defending Honda champ Justin Thomas – the generally warm, humid conditions are a nice change of pace. There’s a reason why the TOUR recently announced its revised policy to allow players to wear shorts during practice and pro-am rounds. “To me, the poa annua, the grass, is not the issue,� said Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas. “To me, the weather is more of the issue with some of those really cool mornings we had in L.A. and Torrey and Phoenix too. I grew up in warmer weather, so to me, just feeling this weather and this breeze makes it great.� For many other players, though, poa annua is either a) an acquired taste or b) a necessary evil if you didn’t grow up putting on the surface. Thanks to constant growth throughout the day, poa annua greens can become bumpy and inconsistent in the afternoon. Yes, everybody is putting on the same surface, but that doesn’t mean everybody likes it. Florida’s Bermudagrass greens generally offers more consistency. “The grass is a big deal,� said Kansas native Gary Woodland, whose first TOUR victory in 2011 came in Florida at the now-Valspar Championship. “… I grew up on bentgrass, so poa annua is the farthest thing away from what I grew up on. So I like getting to Florida. Nice Bermuda.� “It’s nice being off poa annua, that’s for sure,� said Thomas, who has one win and three other top-10s in 13 career TOUR starts in Florida. “You never know what the ball is going to do on those kinds of greens.� Brooks Koepka, the reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year, was born in Florida and played collegiately at Florida State. Of his 108 career TOUR starts, just seven have come during the West Coast swing. In fact, after playing the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, he skipped the West Coast entirely this season before resuming play last week in Mexico City. Although his TOUR track record on Florida courses isn’t overly impressive – 14 starts, zero top 10s, four missed cuts, his best finish a T11 at last year’s PLAYERS – he’s glad to be home. “I enjoy it here. I enjoy it in Florida,� Koepka said. “It’s a lot more comfortable on the greens. … The greens are a bit interesting in Hawaii. I struggle on poa – especially fast, slopey poa like last week. I don’t play my best but it’ll be nice to get on some Bermuda and really roll the rock.� Horschel, like Koepka, is a Florida native who stayed in-state to play at the University of Florida. Also like Koepka, he hasn’t won a TOUR event in Florida, although three of his five career wins have been on Bermudagrass. “Obviously that’s something I like a lot,� he said. “Poa annua is poa annua – you’re going to hit a lot of good putts and have some weird bounces and not go in. It’s nice to come back on greens that just stay smooth for the consistency of a round of golf.� Since 1983, Tiger Woods – who will start his Florida swing at next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard – has the most TOUR wins in Florida with 16 (out of 61 starts, which converts to a winning percentage of 26.23 percent). He also leads with 25 top-5 finishes, and his 32 top-10s ties Davis Love III for most in Florida during that stretch. Of course, that’s Tiger – his game translates to any course. Other than Tiger, just 16 other players since 1983 have won three or more times in Florida. Among that group is Scott, whose last two TOUR wins have been in the state, including The Honda Classic in 2016. “Look, I like playing here, there’s no doubt,� said Scott, who in 2004 posted his second career TOUR win at THE PLAYERS. “Riviera is my favorite track on TOUR, but I like playing this event too. I like playing all the events in Florida. I like the spring generally.� Scott, Steve Elkington (three Florida wins) and Greg Norman (four Florida wins) have a combined 11 wins in the state. Asked if the Aussies had perhaps figured out the secret to winning in the Sunshine State, Scott mulled over the question for a few seconds before responding. “What can you say? Greg was the best player in the world; he’s going to win anywhere,� Scott said. “Elkington’s a ball-striker; maybe some of the tracks here are ball-striker golf courses. You look at THE PLAYERS, he’s won it twice. That’s ball-striking. And that kind of fits my game too, of being a ball-striker. “Maybe it’s coincidence, but if you get enough great players together, they’re going to win all over the place.� For now, the place to be in the next four weeks is Florida. Time to work up a sweat.
Iowa suspends McCaffery 2 games over tiradeIowa suspends McCaffery 2 games over tirade
After Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery went on a profanity-laced tirade against an official after a loss to Ohio State on Tuesday night, Iowa suspended him for two games.