NBA players, pope meet to talk social justiceNBA players, pope meet to talk social justice
A group of NBA players met with the pope at the Vatican on Monday to discuss social justice issues.
Day: November 23, 2020
NHL 2020-21 season plans: Latest on format, timeline and challengesNHL 2020-21 season plans: Latest on format, timeline and challenges
When will it start? Where will games be played? How many (if any) fans will be there? Here’s the latest on what we know.
Iowa’s Luka Garza on 2020-21 goals: ‘I think you’ll see improvements on everything’Iowa’s Luka Garza on 2020-21 goals: ‘I think you’ll see improvements on everything’
With the 2020-21 college basketball season set to tip off this week, Iowa preseason All-American Luka Garza spoke to ESPN about his team and personal objectives.
Ranking the top 25 players in men’s college basketballRanking the top 25 players in men’s college basketball
From Iowa to Illinois to Gonzaga, these are the players who could make this somewhat strange season special.
What was it really like playing during COVID-19? Behind the scenes with the Yankees through a player’s lensWhat was it really like playing during COVID-19? Behind the scenes with the Yankees through a player’s lens
Reliever Adam Ottavino photographed one of the most surreal seasons in MLB history. He shared some of his favorite images — and the stories they tell.
NBA players, Pope meet to talk social justiceNBA players, Pope meet to talk social justice
A group of NBA player met with the Pope at the Vatican to discuss social justice issues.
Hamilton set for knighthood from Queen Elizabeth IIHamilton set for knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II
Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is set to receive a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his achievements in 2020.
Five things from The RSM ClassicFive things from The RSM Classic
Robert Streb was in control at The RSM Classic. Then he wasn't. Then he was again. The Strebber became the first player to be a dual winner of the tournament with a playoff win - over another former champion - and a former World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play champion no less in Kevin Kisner. Here are five stories you may have missed from The RSM Classic. 1. Perseverance pays off When Robert Streb won his first PGA TOUR event at the 2014-15 RSM Classic he figured it was the start of a very successful career. He'd proven he could win and now he'd forge ahead. Indeed he had a huge season back then. But that season turned out to be an anomaly in the end. He had more top-10s in the 2014-15 season (nine) than he did in the next five seasons combined (eight). He finished outside the top 125 in the FedExCup from 2018 to 2020. Despite the lack of form, his week at Sea Island was pretty darn impressive. He opened with a career low 65-63 to lead and by the 54-hole mark had a three shot buffer at the top. An incredible bogey-free run of 55 holes was only broken on Sunday at the par-4 13th, which of course was the opening Kevin Kisner was waiting for. After all the effort, a three-putt on the par-5 15th saw him a shot behind the man who won at RSM when Streb defended his title. As everyone turned to thinking Kisner was marching to victory Streb stepped up in an unexpected way. He missed a birdie try at the 16th but then on the 192-yard par-3 17th hit a brilliant shot and converted one of just nine birdies at the hole all day to square things up. Despite a missed chance to win it all on the 72nd hole and then surviving the first hole of sudden death with a scrambling par, Streb went within a whisker of holing out an eagle from the fairway. The tap in birdie would be enough to win. "It’s really nice to say I’ve got more than one (win)," he said. "Winning more than once ... validates what ability you have. It was just kind of unexpected and super nice to get (this win)." Streb rocketed to eighth in the FedExCup with the triumph. Read more about it here. 2. Emotional effort from Villegas For a little while there was that feeling in the air. The feeling that the fairytale win was indeed going to come true. But while Camilo Villegas might not have won the trophy at Sea Island he continues to win over the hearts and minds of fans around the world. Not far removed from losing his daughter to a battle with cancer Villegas continues to honor her legacy the best way he knows how... by bringing awareness to the disease that claimed little Mia and other angels like her. Four birdies on the front nine Sunday gave him a real chance to win but in the end Villegas would settle for a T6 finish. In the grand scheme of things the result was not important. His message though, is ultra-important. Grab some tissues and have a read. 3. Kisner gets groove back. When Kevin Kisner missed the cut at the Masters on Saturday morning - he had to finish up his second round after earlier rain delays - he made a call to nearby Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken where he's spent countless hours honing his game from a young age. He heard there was a skins game on and he wanted in. Word was he wanted to feel what it was like to make birdies again. The gem of a course is a little short for the modern day TOUR star but with a fun routing and incredible green complexes it is a true test for most. The return to his roots clearly worked as Kisner went within inches of getting his second RSM Classic title. A 63 on Sunday was enough to force extra holes and his birdie try on the first extra hole was very close to falling. Kisner now has four top-4 finishes in his last 13 starts on TOUR. A fourth TOUR win can't be too far away. 4. Niemann plays for greater cause. A week ago Joaquin Niemann was bummed a COVID-19 positive test cost him a spot at the Masters. He could care less about that right now. The young star from Chile returned at The RSM Classic with more important things on his mind - namely the terrible plight facing his one-month old cousin. Rafita Calderon, whose father, Felipe, is the cousin of Niemann's mother, was born on Oct. 21 in Talcahuano, Chile and was recently diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which essentially is a breakdown of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The infant needs a costly infusion to survive so Niemann pledged the entirety of this week's winnings — as well as an additional $5,000 for every birdie and $10,000 for every eagle — towards to cause. Some T44's are worth more than others. Niemann earned $136,450 toward the cause, but the reality is the family will need more than $2 million in total. The International Presidents Cup star will continue to help the fight in every way he can. Read more here. 5. Conners feels the Love The RSM Classic leaderboard wasn't the only one worth watching on Sunday at Sea Island. The widely popular annual Birdies Fore Love campaign was also coming to a close and it was Canadian Corey Conners who came up trumps. The charitable endeavor tracks birdies made across the fall portion of a PGA TOUR season with the player who provides the most given $300,000 to give to a charity of their choice. Conners made a late blitz, finishing tied for 10th at Sea Island, but outlasting Sepp Straka and Sungjae Im on the Birdies Fore Love tally. Conners and his wife, Malory, recently started a foundation to help provide children with educational and athletic opportunities they couldn't otherwise afford. "It’s pretty amazing. I saw my name on the (RSM Birdies Fore Love) leaderboard at the start of the week and I was trying to make as many birdies as I could and trying to get myself up to the top. Pretty humbled to have gotten it done," Conners said. "The generosity of RSM for sponsoring this event and sponsoring a donation, is pretty remarkable. This has been a really tough year for a lot of people and for them to step up like this, I’m going to be able to impact a lot of lives with the $300,000, so it's pretty amazing." Read more here.
2020-21 Rookie Watch2020-21 Rookie Watch
In a season devoid of a traditional rookie class, it's predictable that there will be lulls in attention for golfers who could crash the conversation for the potential to trigger voting for an Arnold Palmer Award winner. In fact, that Will Zalatoris already has achieved Special Temporary Membership is a bonus. Alas, there's no news out of The RSM Classic. The only non-member who made the cut was Bernd Wiesberger, and he finished T4, but the 35-year-old Austrian exhausted his rookie eligibility with 11 starts during the 2014-15 season. Only four others in the field of 156 at Sea Island still have rookie eligibility, but Michael Hebert now is a career 0-for-4 on the PGA TOUR, Brandon Crick is 0-for-2, PGA Georgia Section representative Anthony Cordes was making his TOUR debut, and Davis Thompson is an amateur. Of that smattering, the only golfer who presents as a strong possibility to contend for ROY at some point is Thompson, a 21-year-old senior at the University of Georgia. He was No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the start of the week of the RSM. In the latest update of the WAGR (in which Thompson slots second), Andy Ogletree rose to a career-best fourth. It's also where he finished his amateur days since he turned professional after finishing T34 at the Masters. Only professionals collect the equivalent of FedExCup points, so hejoins the play-for-pay ranks with zero. Elsewhere, Takumi Kanaya outlasted Tomohiro Ishizaka in a playoff to determine the winner of the Dunlop Phoenix in southern Japan. After trading a par and two birdies on the par-5 18th hole, Kanaya's birdie on the fourth time through secured the title. It was Kanaya's third start since turning professional, but it's already his second victory on the Japan Golf Tour. He's now 126th in the Official World Golf Ranking. Remarkably, both Kanaya and Ishizaka still are college students. Rafael Campos (only 2020-21 PGA TOUR rookie) Starts = 3 Cuts Made = 0 FedExCup Points = 0.000 FedExCup Rank = n/a Last Week = DNP Next = TBD ^ – The value beside Will Zalatoris reflects where he would rank among members with his total of equivalent FedExCup points. If he’s inside the top 125 at the conclusion of the Wyndham Championship, he’ll earn PGA TOUR membership in 2021-22. He can become a member this season with a victory on the PGA TOUR or with two more wins on the Korn Ferry Tour. Non-members: Through the 2020 RSM Classic * – Because the 2019-20 season was contracted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this season’s target for Special Temporary Membership is 288.035 FedExCup points. It’s what Martin Kaymer totaled en route to ranking 150th in the FedExCup during the 2018-19 season. Non-members who achieve STM receive numerous benefits, three of which are primary as it concerns opportunities to compete on the PGA TOUR: 1) Unlimited sponsor exemptions; 2) Unlimited starts; 3) Position in the Beyond 150 Reshuffle. However, a non-member who achieves STM remains ineligible for the FedExCup Playoffs unless he wins a tournament. NOTE: The Player Advisory Council and the Player Directors nominate annually a list of first-season PGA TOUR members for the PGA TOUR members for the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. A player's rookie season ("Rookie Year") is defined as the season in which he becomes a PGA TOUR member (including Special Temporary Members) and plays in 10 or more events as a member or finishes in the Top 125 on the official FedExCup points list or qualifies as a Top 125 non-member, whichever occurs first. Further, for purposes of this definition, a new member (including Special Temporary Members) shall not be eligible to be a rookie if he has previously played in more than seven official PGA TOUR money events as a professional in any prior season. PGA TOUR members who have played in at least 15 official money tournaments vote on this award. The Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and Olympic Games each count as one the 15. In their discretion, the Player Advisory Council and Player Directors may determine that circumstances (the potential lack of nominees due to the absence of 2020 graduating class from the Korn Ferry Tour) may not warrant the selection of an award recipient in the 2020-21 season
Mahomes outduels Carr to all but wrap up AFC WestMahomes outduels Carr to all but wrap up AFC West
Patrick Mahomes led K.C. on a game-winning drive in the final minutes to earn a victory over Las Vegas.