Jalen Brunson accomplished an incredibly rare feat with Villanova — winning two NCAA tournament championships in three years. Watch all of his top March Madness highlights from a legendary college career.
Injured slugger Bryce Harper, hit by a pitch in San Diego last month, had three pins inserted in his fractured left thumb, but the defending National League MVP told reporters Monday that he’ll be back in the lineup this season at some point.
One day after receiving seven stitches to close a gash in his left thigh, Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is back in the lineup for Boston to try to help his team extend a five-game home win streak against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tiger Woods closed with a 2-over 74 to finish tied for 39th on Tuesday at the JP McManus Pro-Am, a star-studded event won by Xander Schauffele.
Maclain Huge and Nathan Petronzio led the way at open qualifying for this week’s Barbasol Championship, matching 8-under 64s at Boone’s Trace National GC to earn tee times Thursday at Keene Trace GC. Huge, who played collegiately at Virginia Tech, made eight birdies Monday and was without a bogey. The former PGA TOUR Latinoamerica member is set for his first career PGA TOUR start after years on the grind on various smaller tours. Petronzio goes back-to-back at Monday qualifying after carding 62 to earn a spot in last week’s John Deere Classic. The rising SMU junior won the American Atlantic Conference Championship this past spring and is continuing to display firepower, aiming to channel lessons from a missed cut at TPC Deere Run into this week in Kentucky. Like Huge, he was bogey-free with eight birdies. Gunner Wiebe carded 7-under 65 to earn the third available spot via Monday’s qualifier, with Daniel Wetterich earning the final spot by way of a 3-for-1 playoff at 6-under 66. Falling just short were Fred Meyer and Jansen Preston. In all, 71 players competed for four spots in the Barbasol Championship field. For all scores from the Barbasol Championship qualifier, click here. Here’s a capsule look at this week’s Barbasol Championship open qualifiers … Maclain Huge (8-under 64) Hometown: Lovettsville, Virginia Alma mater: Virginia Tech PGA TOUR starts: 0 Last name is pronounced HEW-ghee Notes: Has spent time on GPro Tour, Minor League Golf Tour and Florida Professional Golf Tour in chase of his professional golf dreams, among other tours … Missed cut in lone Korn Ferry Tour start at 2016 LECOM Health Challenge, into which he also Monday qualified … Won 2015 Virginia State Amateur, defeating Mark Lawrence, Jr., 4 and 3, in the 36-hole final … Played collegiately at Virginia Tech alongside two-time Korn Ferry Tour winner Trevor Cone … Took up game at age 4 after seeing golf on TV and becoming intrigued. First club was a sawed-off 7-iron with electrical tape wrapped around the grip; he would hit balls around his family’s 75-acre sheep pasture. Nathan Petronzio (8-under 64) Hometown: Bee Cave, Texas Alma mater: SMU (rising junior) PGA TOUR starts: 1 Cuts made: 0 Best PGA TOUR finish: MC, 2022 John Deere Classic Notes: Made his PGA TOUR debut at last week’s John Deere Classic with close friend and SMU teammate Justin Thompson on the bag; Thompson drove upwards of 15 hours from Texas to the Quad Cities … Was named 2021 American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year … Won 2022 American Athletic Conference individual title with a three-round total of 13-under at Southern Hills Plantation Club in Brooksville, Florida, longtime host venue for Second Stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School; helped SMU to AAC team title as well. Gunner Wiebe (7-under 65) Age: 33 Hometown: Denver, Colorado Alma mater: University of San Diego PGA TOUR starts: 2 Cuts made: 0 Best PGA TOUR finish: MC, 2010 Farmers Insurance Open/2016 Fortinet Championship Notes: Has made five career Korn Ferry Tour starts in addition to two prior TOUR appearances … His dad Mark Wiebe won twice on the PGA TOUR (1985 Michelob Championship at Kingsmill; 1986 John Deere Classic) in addition to five PGA TOUR Champions victories … Was named 2010 Colorado Golf Association Player of the Year … Spent three years working as an assistant pro at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, in addition to a stint in the finance industry … Has overcome an arm injury to resume his professional golf career. Daniel Wetterich (6-under 66; advanced through playoff) Age: 25 Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio Alma mater: Ohio State PGA TOUR starts: 2 Cuts made: 0 Best PGA TOUR finish: MC, 2020 The Honda Classic/2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic Notes: Holds conditional Korn Ferry Tour status this season after finishing T135 at Final Stage of Q-School last fall; has made one 2022 start at Visit Knoxville Open (MC) … Played three seasons at Ohio State, graduating in 2019 with a degree in finance, after playing one year at Xavier in his hometown … Won 2019 Robert Kepler Intercollegiate at Ohio State University GC (Scarlet), site of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship … Cousin Brett Wetterich won the 2006 AT&T Byron Nelson in addition to three Korn Ferry Tour titles and represented the United States at the 2006 Ryder Cup.
The Genesis Scottish Open boasts arguably the best field it has ever seen thanks in part to the strategic alliance between the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour, which means a fantastic week of golf betting ahead. Of the top 20 players in the world, 17 will tee it up this week in what is now an official event for both tours. However, with a mixed field of DP World Tour and PGA TOUR players, it’s a little tricky deciding on players to bet on. Many in the online sports betting community are unfamiliar with the majority of players headlining the DP World Tour. There also isn’t a lot of data for the host course – The Renaissance Club. The links-style course has hosted the event for the past three years, but for many players in the field, it will be their first time playing there. Bettors appear to be leaning on players who come into the tournament playing well and have played the course before. At BetMGM, as of Tuesday, Matt Fitzpatrick (+2000) is generating the most action. The U.S. Open champion is pulling in the most handle – a massive 21.7% – and the second-most tickets (7%). This will be Fitzpatrick’s first tournament since winning his first major. The 27-year-old finished T-14 in 2019, T-42 in 2020, and lost in a playoff last year when Min Woo Lee birdied the first extra hole at The Renaissance Club. Another player drawing solid action is Justin Thomas (+1400). The PGA Championship winner is pulling in the second-most handle at 17.1%. Thomas has three top-5 finishes in his last five starts and is one of a few PGA TOUR players who have played in the tournament before, finishing T8 a year ago and T9 in 2019. While the weather could undoubtedly impact things – rain is forecasted for Friday – low scoring has been a theme of the three previous editions of the event at the course. Wind is the defense of the course but it has failed to appear in any significant manor the last few years. The average winning score has been 17-under, and all three years, it has ended in a playoff. Current Handle & Tickets Handle • Matt Fitzpatrick – 21.7% • Justin Thomas – 17.1% • Scottie Scheffler – 11% • Will Zalatoris – 10.3% • Cameron Smith – 5.9% Tickets • Will Zalatoris – 8.9% • Matt Fitzpatrick – 7% • Scottie Scheffler – 5.1% • Cameron Smith – 5.1% • Justin Thomas – 4.4% Will Zalatoris (+3000) is also a popular bet. This is his first event since finishing one shot behind Fitzpatrick at the U.S. Open. In terms of line movement, Fitzpatrick opened at +2200 and is now +2000. Others who have seen significant movement are Ryan Fox (+5000 to +4000) and Aaron Rai (+8000 to +6600). Jon Rahm has the best golf odds to win at +1200 but is only pulling in 2.1% of the tickets and 1.1% of the handle. * Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. BetMGM is available in AZ, CO, DC, IA, IN, IL, LA, MI, MS, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, or WY only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Paid in free bets. Free bets expire in 7 days from issuance. Minimum deposit required. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, DC, LA, NV, WY, VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (IN, NJ, PA & WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA) or call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), call or text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN) or call 1-888-777-9696 (MS). Sports betting is void where prohibited. Promotional offers not available in Nevada.
Billy Horschel says players who criticized the PGA Tour and then jumped ship in favor of the LIV Golf Invitational Series are “hypocrites.”
The hope of finding somewhere to turn when there is seemingly no place to go is, at best, a paralyzing one. Especially when that someone is not even five years old. Amira Smiley was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2002, just under three years before her sister, Gia. Born to parents Joe and Missy, the sisters were brought into a world steeped in unfathomable hardship. Before the game of golf helped to become a reliable staple in her life, Amira was forced to grow up way too soon in the face of way too much despair. “At a very young age, I was fending for myself and trying to raise my little sister, too,” said Amira, now 20. “We grew up too quickly and saw a lot of stuff people just should not ever be subjected to. When I was about four or five, me and my sister started living with my (paternal) grandmother, but it was very off and on. I would live with her for a few months until my parents had supposedly gotten their acts together. It was just a lot of back and forth.” With both battling drug addiction, parents Joe and Missy Smiley allowed a life to create itself around their two girls that no one should have to endure. “Amira was with me off and on from the day she was born,” said Parley Smiley, the girls’ grandmother. “She saw a lot in her childhood years that a person should never have to see or go through. I raised them just like I raised my own kids, which included teaching them about responsibility.” “I have to say, what I really think kept me from becoming a statistic are the people in my life, especially my grandmother,” Amira said. “She has been my mother, father, grandmother and grandfather. Her support has inspired me a lot. She has always encouraged us with things like school and pursuing all opportunities to further ourselves.” When Amira got a little older, Parley was awarded legal custody of the Amira and Gia. In the height of her middle school years in 2013, the girls’ mother, Missy, passed by a drug overdose. She was 37. Amira was 11. “The day that happened, I was living with my grandmother and playing outside,” Amira recalled. “My grandmother came outside and told us what had happened. She ended up being on life support for about five days.” Although her mother had already been declared brain dead, Amira had the opportunity for one final visit. “I did get final closure by being able to go and see her one last time,” Amira said. “Prior to that, because of another incident, I hadn’t seen her in over a year. I just felt a lot of ill feelings towards her for putting me through what she had. Honestly, I didn’t want to see her the last time I saw her. But, having the chance to do so one final time with her maybe somehow able to hear what I had to say gave me that final closure.” Ever since then, the girls’ father, Joe, has been in drug-related trouble with the law. After being released from jail in 2021, it wasn’t long before he was in trouble again. Currently homeless, Joe continues his battle with addiction. Amira sees him on occasion walking around, though she has decided it to be best for her to have no interaction with him at this point. “I always knew I wanted a different life for myself,” Amira said. “I had to grow up so quick and raise my sister and know what I had to protect her from. I didn’t want all that. I knew that I wanted to grow up and get married. If I had kids, I didn’t want them to have to experience what I had to.” Enter the game of golf. Interestingly, it was Amira’s father, a golf fanatic, who introduced his oldest daughter to the game. When Amira was just three years old, Joe would take her to the course to hit balls. “One of the guys who worked at the golf course told my dad he should keep me in the game of golf,” Amira said. “That guy saw potential even at that young age. But then, my dad got into trouble, and I couldn’t play golf anymore. So, I started playing basketball instead.” Amira played basketball through her freshman year at Henry Clay High School in Lexington, but it just didn’t capture her drive like the game of golf had at such a young age. “I’m the type of person who always needs to be active and doing something, and I didn’t get a lot of playing time in basketball” she said. “I thought back to golf and decided to try it out again.” “I don’t know a lot about golf, but I do see how much it’s meaning to her,” Parley said. “When she stopped playing basketball, she told me she thought she wanted to return to golf. She went and showed the golf coach what she could do, and he said, ‘yeah, there’s a spot on this team for you.’ From then on, that was it.” Amira began playing seriously her sophomore year at Henry Cook. “The first time I met Amira was on the driving range many years ago,” said Kevin Mims, Executive Director, First Tee – Greater Lexington and Amira’s former golf coach at Henry Cook. “Her dad had called me and said he wanted to see if she could play on my team. “I told him anybody can play on the team, and no one gets cut. If they can’t play golf, they can learn it.” Mims, though, was impressed by what he saw out of her on the range that first day. To help get a bit more information on her, Mims reached out to Amira’s basketball coach. “He said to me, and I quote, ‘you won’t find a harder worker or anyone that puts their head down and goes to it as hard as she does,’” said Mims. “Kevin and others encouraged me to keep playing and practicing, which made me fall in love with it even more,” Amira said. “The better I got at golf, the more fun I had.” “I truly believe golf is the most important part of Amira’s life,” said Alena Woodson, Amira’s friend. “Since finding golf, she has been able to go out there and focus on the good things about herself, as an individual, as opposed to all the bad things that have happened to her in her life. When she is out there, she is focusing on exactly what she loves most – golf.” When the golf coach at Transylvania University in Lexington reached out to Amira late in her high school career, he offered her a spot on the team. As a rising junior at Transylvania now, Amira looks back with confidence on her decision to not just pursue golf, but to stick with it. “I love the game now,” she said. “I not only like the game, but I like being able to use the game as a way to help impact other people at First Tee.” In addition to volunteering her time to teach kids at First Tee – Greater Lexington, but in keeping with the values and life skills ingrained in the program, Amira has actually broadened the spectrum of people who benefit from the game. “Later this month, I’ve arranged for First Tee kids to come with me to where I work at the Woodhill Community Center, which is a home for at-risk youth,” she said. “The kids I work with there are underprivileged kids who don’t really have the opportunity to play golf, so we’ve arranged to be able to bring golf to them and see if they might become interested in it as well.” “Last year, the team went to Elizabethtown, Kentucky,” said Mims. “One of the places we visited was an organization that helps combat sex trafficking and/or the sexual abuse of girls. Upon arrival, Amira was the first one through the doors after assuring Mims she had no qualms about sharing her story if it could help even one girl. “She marched straight in saying, ‘I’ll do anything, share my story…anything.’ She looked at me and said, ‘you just don’t know how close I was to being one of these girls.’” Amira also credits the Woodhill Community Center and its Urban Impact program, which provides a safe haven and activities for kids with problematic home lives. She began going to the center – which is a beneficiary of this week’s Barbasol Championship on the PGA TOUR, as is First Tee – Greater Lexington – in the third grade. “Amira may be hard-nosed, but she also has a heart as big as I’ve ever seen,” said Mims. “When Amira came along, we started taking the girls to the Woodhill Community Center on Wednesday nights, which Amira was instrumental in getting done. “I can’t speak highly enough about her. She is all about giving back.” Prior to Amira joining the golf team, Mims said the team practiced every day and competed in tournaments on Saturdays. On Wednesday nights, though, he added in team visits to assisted-living or nursing homes, to give these girls a broader view of what life was about. “Amira can – and will – do anything she puts her mind to,” said Eve Fox, Amira’s friend and college roommate. “She wants to be a fighter pilot and a great golfer. She’s definitely determined to do it all, and I know she will accomplish it all.” “I just want to have a good family when I get a little older,” Amira said. “I would like a husband and kids that would love and support me and let me love and support them. That’s something I’ve wanted ever since I was a kid, to give that love and respect. When I think about my life, I just want to have a positive impact on my kids and grandkids. I want my grandkids to feel about me the way I feel about my grandmother.” “She won’t settle for anything but the best,” said Parley. “She’s a very true person. If she says she’s going to do something, she does it. She’s a selfless person and very unique in my eyes.” To Amira, First Tee – Greater Lexington is a wonderful outlet for her to share her story and the lessons she has learned along the way. “She’s a leader that does so by doing,” said Mims. “She is all about integrity and doing what you say you’re going to do. She is used to responsibility and, I think, was forced to take too much on as a youngster.” And her game? “I think the best parts of my game are ball-striking and putting,” said Amira, whose best tournament score is 80. “I know that if I can just get it onto the green, I’m good to go.” “She has worked really hard at golf and has gotten really good at it,” said Fox. “She has taken me out on the course, and I’ve watched her do trick shots. It’s just really fun to watch her play. She’s also very serious about it and continually strives to get better.” For now, Amira’s plan after college is to join the military. She has become quite the skilled young pilot and is currently working to earn her private pilot’s license. Her sister Gia, now 17, graduated from high school back in May and is headed to a technical college to pursue a career in welding. “Amira is one of the most amazing people I have ever met,” said Woodson. “When you learn of her life story, you quickly see how easy it would’ve been for her to follow the path that everyone before her is on. But she has worked the hardest I have ever seen someone work, not at golf, but also in school. She just refuses to become a product of her environment.” “This stuff has always been a part of my life, but it’s stuff I’m getting through,” said Amira. “I’d like to believe it has made me a better and stronger person.” Never a doubt. And it has resulted in a remarkable young lady with everywhere to go, too.
Tiger Woods feels a special energy around the Old Course at St. Andrews. He has referred to it throughout his career as his favorite course in the world. He has won two Open Championships there. This summer, he has made the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews his priority. Woods traveled to Europe a week early for this week’s JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor GC in Ireland, and he said Tuesday that his decision to not compete at last month’s U.S. Open was made with an eye ahead. “I had some issues with my leg, and it would have put this tournament in jeopardy, and so there’s no reason to do that,” Woods told reporters Tuesday. “This is a pretty historic Open that we are going to be playing. I’m lucky enough to be part of the past champions that have won there, and want to play there again, and I don’t know when they are ever going to go back while I’m still able to play at a high level. “I want to be able to give it at least one more run at a high level.” Woods has competed in five previous Open Championships at St. Andrews. His eight-stroke victory in 2000 was his second of four consecutive major titles in what is known as the “Tiger Slam.” His two-stroke victory at St. Andrews in 2005 was his second of three Open Championship titles; he also won in 2006 at Royal Liverpool. Woods’ first Open Championship appearance came in 1995 at St. Andrews. He made the cut as an amateur and finished T68. He finished T23 at St. Andrews in 2010 and missed the cut in 2015. “I’ve always loved this golf course, from the first time I played it back in ’95,” Woods said at the 2015 Open at St. Andrews. “I just love the creativity. You have to be able to hit all different types of shots. You need to have the right angles. Over the years of learning how to play the golf course under all different types of wind conditions, it changes greatly, and it’s based on angles. You have to put the ball on certain sides of the fairways in order to get the ball close. “To me, that type of thinking and the strategy that goes into that is something I’ve always loved.” After suffering severe injuries to both legs in a single-car accident in February 2021, Woods made his competitive return at this year’s Masters, making the cut and finishing solo 47th. He also made the cut at the PGA Championship in May but withdrew after a third-round 79; he had cited leg soreness after the round. Woods considered competing at last month’s U.S. Open at Brookline but withdrew prior to the tournament. He tweeted the week prior to the event that his body needed more time to get stronger for major championship golf. He flew to Ireland for this week’s two-day JP McManus Pro-Am, held Monday and Tuesday, and he plans to spend time practicing off-site before traveling to St. Andrews. “If you asked me last year whether I would play golf again, all of my surgeons would have said no,” Woods said Tuesday. “But here I am playing two major championships this year. I will always be able to play golf, whether it’s this leg or someone else’s leg or false leg or different body pieces that have been placed or fused. I’ll always be able to play.” For the chance to play next week at St. Andrews, he is very grateful.
Tiger Woods feels a special energy around the Old Course at St Andrews. He has referred to it throughout his career as his favorite course in the world. He has won two Open Championships there. This summer, he has made the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews his priority. Woods traveled to Europe a week early for this week’s JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor GC in Ireland, and he said Tuesday that his decision to not compete at last month’s U.S. Open was made with an eye ahead. “I had some issues with my leg, and it would have put this tournament in jeopardy, and so there’s no reason to do that,” Woods told reporters Tuesday. “This is a pretty historic Open that we are going to be playing. I’m lucky enough to be part of the past champions that have won there, and want to play there again, and I don’t know when they are ever going to go back while I’m still able to play at a high level. “I want to be able to give it at least one more run at a high level.” Woods has competed in five previous Open Championships at St Andrews. His eight-stroke victory in 2000 was his second of four consecutive major titles in what is known as the “Tiger Slam.” His two-stroke victory at St Andrews in 2005 was his second of three Open Championship titles; he also won in 2006 at Royal Liverpool. Woods’ first Open Championship appearance came in 1995 at St Andrews. He made the cut as an amateur and finished T68. He finished T23 at St Andrews in 2010 and missed the cut in 2015. “I’ve always loved this golf course, from the first time I played it back in ’95,” Woods said at the 2015 Open at St Andrews. “I just love the creativity. You have to be able to hit all different types of shots. You need to have the right angles. Over the years of learning how to play the golf course under all different types of wind conditions, it changes greatly, and it’s based on angles. You have to put the ball on certain sides of the fairways in order to get the ball close. “To me, that type of thinking and the strategy that goes into that is something I’ve always loved.” After suffering severe injuries to both legs in a single-car accident in February 2021, Woods made his competitive return at this year’s Masters, making the cut and finishing solo 47th. He also made the cut at the PGA Championship in May but withdrew after a third-round 79; he had cited leg soreness after the round. Woods considered competing at last month’s U.S. Open at Brookline but withdrew prior to the tournament. He tweeted the week prior to the event that his body needed more time to get stronger for major championship golf. He flew to Ireland for this week’s two-day JP McManus Pro-Am, held Monday and Tuesday, and he plans to spend time practicing off-site before traveling to St Andrews. “If you asked me last year whether I would play golf again, all of my surgeons would have said no,” Woods said Tuesday. “But here I am playing two major championships this year. I will always be able to play golf, whether it’s this leg or someone else’s leg or false leg or different body pieces that have been placed or fused. I’ll always be able to play.” For the chance to play next week at St Andrews, he is very grateful.
