Fantasy football rankings for the 2022 seasonFantasy football rankings for the 2022 season
ESPN fantasy analysts reveal their fantasy football rankings for the 2022 season, position by position for both PPR and NPPR leagues.
Day: May 9, 2022
NFL Nation sleepers for 2022NFL Nation sleepers for 2022
Our NFL Nation reporters pick one fantasy sleeper from each of the 32 teams for the 2022 season.
Giants cut Bradberry after failing to trade CBGiants cut Bradberry after failing to trade CB
Cornerback James Bradberry was released by the Giants on Monday after the team couldn’t find a trade partner.
Monday qualifiers: AT&T Byron NelsonMonday qualifiers: AT&T Byron Nelson
Conrad Shindler hadn’t competed on the PGA TOUR since fall 2019, but as he prepared to compete in Monday’s qualifier for the AT&T Byron Nelson in his home Dallas metroplex, he had some factors in his favor. The avid hockey fan had plans to attend his beloved Dallas Stars’ NHL playoff game against Calgary on Monday evening, providing an extra layer of motivation for his qualifying round at Hurricane Creek CC. He also had a major champion on the bag, good friend and 2004 Open Championship winner Todd Hamilton. Shindler carded 6-under 66 in his qualifying round, good for a spot in a 4-for-3 playoff for the final three of four available spots in this week’s field at TPC Craig Ranch. (Wesley Bryan carded 8-under 64 to comfortably earn the first spot.) Shindler survived the playoff, as did Kyle Wilshire and Andrew Loupe. The odd man out was Austin Eckroat. “Always nice to play at home, sleep in your own bed,” said an appreciative Shindler, when thinking about what the week would mean to him and wife Theresa. “We’ve got a 5-month-old … little emotional. Been here before, but excited to have him and do this. So excited. “Just proud. It’s been a trying three years since I was on TOUR in 2018, fought hard, had a lot of close calls. But it’s nice to be back under the big lights and give it a go.” In all, 73 players competed for four spots in this week’s field. For all scores from Hurricane Creek CC, click here. Here’s a capsule look at the four Monday qualifiers for this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson … Wesley Bryan (64) Age: 32 Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina Alma mater: University of South Carolina PGA TOUR starts: 86 Cuts made: 49 Best PGA TOUR finish: Win; 2017 RBC Heritage Notes: Holds past champion TOUR status via his 2017 victory at Harbour Town as a rookie … Has made 11 TOUR starts in 2021-22, highlighted by a T15 at the Corales Puntacana Championship in March … Began 2021-22 season on medical extension due to wrist injury, but was unable to fulfill terms of extension in six starts (concluding at Valspar Championship in March). Has made five starts since, via a combination of categories … 2016 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year; won three times that season to secure an automatic Three-Victory Promotion to the TOUR … Prior to earning Korn Ferry Tour membership, built a social media following with brother George via “Bryan Bros” video content that showcased trick shots and various antics around the game of golf … Avid fan of musician Justin Bieber. Conrad Shindler (66; advanced through 4-for-3 playoff) Age: 33 Hometown: Dallas, Texas Alma mater: Texas A&M PGA TOUR starts: 23 Cuts made: 10 Best PGA TOUR finish: T15; 2018 Barbasol Championship Notes: Held 2017-18 PGA TOUR membership after earning TOUR card via 2017 Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season … Won Korn Ferry Tour’s 2017 Rex Hospital Open outside Raleigh, North Carolina … Close friends with 2004 Open Championship winner Todd Hamilton, who caddied for Shindler in Monday’s successful qualifying effort. Hamilton also caddied for Shindler at Final Stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School in 2016 … Avid Dallas Stars (NHL) fan; planned to attend Stars playoff game Monday evening after qualifier … Set for first PGA TOUR start since 2019 A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier. Kyle Wilshire (66; advanced through 4-for-3 playoff) Age: 29 Hometown: Georgetown, Kentucky Alma mater: University of Central Florida PGA TOUR starts: 2 Cuts made: 1 Best PGA TOUR finish: T62; 2021 Butterfield Bermuda Championship Notes: Successful Monday qualifier for third TOUR event of 2021-22 season; also qualified for Butterfield Bermuda Championship and The RSM Classic last fall … Played 2017 season on Korn Ferry Tour, making 10 cuts in 22 starts, highlighted by a T38 at the Corales Puntacana Championship … Opened with rounds of 64-62 at 2017 Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank on Korn Ferry Tour … Has undergone multiple knee surgeries as he continues to chase his dreams … Has worked as a trash porter to help make ends meet in professional golf … Helped lead Central Florida to NCAA Championship appearances in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Andrew Loupe (66; advanced through 4-for-3 playoff) Age: 33 Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Alma mater: LSU PGA TOUR starts: 94 Cuts made: 34 Best PGA TOUR finish: T3; 2016 The American Express Notes: Set for first TOUR start since 2021 Barbasol Championship, where he finished 74th … Played four consecutive full seasons on TOUR from 2013-14 to 2016-17. Best FedExCup showing came in 2015-16, where he recorded six top-25 finishes in 27 starts and qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs … Won 2015 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship as part of Korn Ferry Tour Finals, regaining his TOUR membership in the process … As a high school athlete, twice earned all-state honors in basketball and was invited to the Louisiana All-Star game (didn’t play due to injury).
Scottie Scheffler shoots 64 in PGA practice round at Southern HillsScottie Scheffler shoots 64 in PGA practice round at Southern Hills
Scottie Scheffler’s pursuit of a second major championship is off to a strong start. The Masters champion recently shot 64 in a practice round at Tulsa’s Southern Hills Country Club, which will host next week’s PGA Championship. It’s a course where Scheffler has been victorious before, having won the 2015 Big 12 Conference Championship at the historic Perry Maxwell design that has undergone a dramatic renovation by Gil Hanse. Scheffler, who holds a sizable lead in the FedExCup after winning four of his last six individual starts, made the trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma, with his Zurich Classic of New Orleans partner, Ryan Palmer, to get a sneak peek at the new-look layout. Scheffler shot an “easy” 64 in last Thursday’s practice round, according to Southern Hills assistant pro Cameron Chhim, who caddied for Scheffler. “He played one ball the entire time, no practice putts, and made it look easy,” Chhim told Golf Oklahoma. “He’s No. 1 in the world and it was pretty easy to see why. It would be hard to say that he’s not going to win (the PGA) or at least be in contention. He hits it far enough and he has just incredible distance control with his irons. Ryan (Palmer) shot 2 or 3 under and looked like he was standing still based on how Scottie was playing.” Chhim said Scheffler’s round included six back-nine birdies. Scheffler, who is trying to become the first player since fellow Dallas resident Jordan Spieth (2015) to win the year’s first two majors, has said Southern Hills is one of his favorite courses, and it’s easy to see why. “His proximity on most was 6 to 8 feet,” Chhim added about the somewhat waterlogged round. “The greens weren’t slow, but they were wet. His speed control was good and just took the break out of a lot of them. He looked like he was converting them easily.” Chhim said Scheffler shot 1 under on the front nine before a rain delay. Then he ran off birdies on Nos. 10-13, 15 and 17. Scheffler is playing the AT&T Byron Nelson this week in his hometown of Dallas. The tournament was the site of Scheffler’s PGA TOUR debut eight years ago, as he made a hole-in-one and finished T22 while still in high school.
Kevin and Brittany Kisner receive Augusta University President’s AwardKevin and Brittany Kisner receive Augusta University President’s Award
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Golfer Kevin Kisner and his wife Brittany have been recognized with the annual Augusta University President’s Award for outstanding philanthropic support to the Children’s Hospital of Georgia. President Brooks A. Keel, PhD, announced the news May 5 during the President’s Spring Celebration. “One of my greatest honors as president of Augusta University is to present the President’s Award to those who have made a remarkable impact on our institution,” Keel said. “It takes a leadership gift from people in our community like Kevin and Brittany Kisner to truly make a difference in what we do here. The Kisners are not just giving money, they are helping us build a dedicated program in pediatric development and behavioral health that will serve children and impact them for their lifetimes.” Since the Kisners could not attend the spring celebration, President Keel presented them with the award earlier in the week when the couple visited the Health Sciences campus to present a $1 million check to Children’s Hospital of Georgia, Augusta’s only children’s hospital. “I’ve always wanted to give back once I reached a platform such that I could give back,” said Kevin Kisner, an Aiken native and professional golfer who has earned four PGA Tour victories and 45 Top 10 finishes. “Everyone can give something, and we hope we inspire others to give,” said Brittany Kisner, co-founder and board chair of the Kevin & Brittany Kisner Foundation. Brittany Kisner said she first noticed a need for more pediatric development and behavioral health services at Children’s Hospital of Georgia several years ago when she worked there as a speech pathologist. Health experts report that the pandemic has intensified this need. The Kisners presented a $50,000 gift to Children’s Hospital in December 2020 to help start a part-time clinic for children with these health challenges. A year later in November 2021, the Kisners pledged $5.3 million to help establish and name a center for pediatric development, behavioral health and wellness. Their $1 million gift this week was the first installment of this substantial commitment. “We felt like we started so small in what we were able to do, but through personal giving and giving of the foundation, and then going out to other donors and asking them to give to this endowment, it is unbelievable that we can reach a point where we could receive an award like this,” Brittany Kisner said. “To be thought of by the president that we’ve done enough to get an award with his name on it – that’s pretty spectacular,” Kevin Kisner said.
Dallas’ Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler return to site of PGA TOUR debutsDallas’ Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler return to site of PGA TOUR debuts
This week, a pair of highly ranked, inextricably linked Texans will tee it up in the event where they each debuted on the PGA TOUR, years before they became household names. In 2010, Jordan Spieth, then 16 and the reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champ, gave the hometown crowd in Dallas a glimpse of what awaited in the years to come. Not only did Spieth make the cut at the AT&T Byron Nelson, but he also stood inside the top 10 through 54 holes before ultimately finishing T16. Four years later, another reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion from the Dallas area, Scottie Scheffler, made his first PGA TOUR start at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Not only did Scheffler, then 17, make the cut, but he also made a hole-in-one in the third round and finished T22. Both players would be named All-Americans at the University of Texas. In 2012, Spieth led the Longhorns to an NCAA team championship. Scheffler led Texas to a runner-up finish four years later. Spieth won a Green Jacket in his second Masters appearance. Scheffler did so in his third. Spieth ascended to world No. 1 in just 79 PGA TOUR starts – Scheffler got there in his 75th start, with a win in their old college town of Austin. Both players arrive this week having won their last stroke-play start – Scheffler at Augusta National, Spieth the following week at the RBC Heritage. Both will be among the favorites at next week’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills, where Spieth will try to complete the career Grand Slam, and Scheffler can become the first to win the season’s first two majors since – who else – Spieth in 2015. Let’s take stock of both players’ games entering their hometown event, the AT&T Byron Nelson. Scheffler’s breakout On the morning of Feb. 13, Scottie Scheffler was arguably the best American without a PGA TOUR win. He was locked in a four-way tie for third place entering the final round of the WM Phoenix Open, two shots behind 54-hole leader Sahith Theegala. Less than two months later, he had not only rattled off four PGA TOUR wins, he had become the emphatic No. 1 in the world – and a Masters champion on top of that. Scheffler is the first player to leave Augusta National with a Green Jacket and four wins already in that PGA TOUR season since Arnold Palmer in 1960. While Scheffler’s switch to veteran caddie Ted Scott deserves its due credit, analytically there have been some marked improvements that helped lead to his massive success this season. Scheffler was an above-average iron player last season, ranking a respectable 83rd on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach and 45th in greens in regulation. His performance has skyrocketed in both of those statistics this season: Scheffler is up to fourth in greens-in-regulation and 27th in Strokes Gained: Approach. The world No. 1 is gaining more than three times as many strokes with his approach play per round than last season – up from 0.15 to 0.50. A good amount of that can be credited to increased precision with his scoring clubs. From 50 to 125 yards away this season, Scheffler is averaging 3 feet closer than he did in 2020-21. That adds up to a 130-spot jump in that statistic, from 157th into the top-30. On the greens, the improvement has been even more drastic. Scheffler was ranked 107th on TOUR last season in Strokes Gained: Putting – just about breaking even with the field in that statistic. This season, he’s gaining 0.59 strokes per round on the greens, ranking 20th on the PGA TOUR. From 10-15 feet, Scheffler has jumped from 160th in the rankings to 10th. Scheffler’s performance with the driver this season has actually diminished some – a drop in accuracy has led to a significant decrease in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee. But his enormous leaps with his irons and putting have completely masked that numerical dip, giving Scheffler ample fuel for one of the best runs in recent PGA TOUR memory. Improvement off tee driving Spieth Over the last several seasons, Jordan Spieth has struggled with bouts of wildness off the tee. But improved accuracy and perhaps a more aggressive strategy are leading to gains in that part of Spieth’s week-to-week game. Spieth ranked well outside the top 100 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. While a good portion of that was due to his wildness off the tee (he ranked 181st and 180th those seasons in fairways hit), one could surmise that a hesitancy to pull driver as often also contributed to those lower Strokes Gained numbers. This season, Spieth is averaging a stout 310.5 yards on all tee shots on par 4s and par 5s, 10th-best on the PGA TOUR. That’s an increase of more than 15 yards (295.1) and 35 ranking spots (45th) over last season. This, despite clocking in with identical clubhead speeds each season, 114.59 mph in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. This would suggest that Spieth is choosing to hit driver more frequently, taking a more aggressive approach off the tee. Spieth’s moderate improvement in driving accuracy – from 54% to 58% of fairways hit – is not nearly as big a leap as he has taken in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee numbers. Spieth is ranked 39th in that stat this season, after sitting between 135th and 176th from 2018-19 to 2020-21. After the RBC Heritage last month, Spieth memorably said, “I won this golf tournament without a putter.” He wasn’t that far from the truth: Spieth ranked 60th in the field for the week in Strokes Gained: Putting at Harbour Town, the worst rank by a PGA TOUR winner in six years. For him to unlock his best self this summer, that facet of his game will undoubtedly need to get better: Spieth currently ranks 186th out of 210 qualified players in strokes gained on the greens per round. Both stars should be compelling viewing this week in their home state of Texas.
2022 Kentucky Derby Field2022 Kentucky Derby Field
Photos for each horse from the post parade plus where they finished.
Tiger Woods listed in final PGA Championship fieldTiger Woods listed in final PGA Championship field
The field for next week’s PGA Championship was announced Monday, and the list featured both Tiger Woods and the defending champion, Phil Mickelson. Woods and Mickelson are among the 17 PGA champions in the field for the year’s second major, which will be played May 19-22 at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The final spot in the PGA Championship is being held for the winner of the AT&T Byron Nelson, which begins Thursday. Woods, who made his return to competitive golf at last month’s Masters, played a practice round at Southern Hills on April 28. He walked 18 holes with the club’s head pro, Cary Cozby, on the bag. Cozby described the trip as “all business” and predicted that Woods would play the PGA, telling Golf Oklahoma, “Everything is so smooth with him now. His rhythm is great, he hit it straight and plenty far, he pitched and putted it great. I know guys can hit it past him now, but watching him work was amazing. He’s so meticulous, detailed and immersed in what he’s doing. He was very inquisitive on lines and the best angles.” Woods is coming off a 47th-place finish at the Masters, where he impressed with an opening 71 in his first competitive round since the February 2021 car accident that nearly resulted in the amputation of his right leg. Woods grew visibly fatigued as the week wore on, however, and only committed to The Open in July as he left Augusta National. Southern Hills was the site of Woods’ win in the 2007 PGA, the 13th of his 15 major triumphs. “I don’t quite have the endurance that I would like to have had, but as of a few weeks ago, didn’t even know if I was going to play in this event,” he said after his final round at Augusta National. “To go from that to here, we’re excited about the prospects of the future, about training, about getting into that gym and doing some other stuff to get my leg stronger, which we haven’t been able to do because it needed more time to heal. I think it needs a couple more days to heal after this, but we’ll get back after it, and we’ll get into it.” Mickelson is the PGA’s defending champion but has not appeared in a tournament since February.
Our Secret Agent takes the Whimsical Stakes (G3)Our Secret Agent takes the Whimsical Stakes (G3)
Saturday at Woodbine, Our Secret Agent drew away to win the Whimsical Stakes (G3) by 2 3/4 lengths over favorite Boardroom and Dreaming of Drew in their first graded stakes of the year. Get the results, chart, and photos here.