Wife’s face tells the story of Conner’s huge win

Excel Sports Management already represents many of the world’s top golfers, including Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas. It just added the most famous player in college golf, as well. J.R. Smith, the former NBA star now attending North Carolina A&T, has signed with Excel to represent him in potential NIL deals on the course. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the deal, citing Excel’s Lance Young. The NCAA’s new name, image and likeness legislation allows Smith to endorse products through things such as commercials and social media postings. Smith has six million followers on Instagram. He has drawn “significant” interest from equipment companies, clothing manufacturers and video game companies, Young told ESPN. Smith was drafted into the NBA out of high school in 2004. His 16-year career included two championships – in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers and 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers — and the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year Award. He is in his second semester at North Carolina A&T, an HBCU in Greensboro, North Carolina, where the avid golfer is a member of the men’s golf team. He made his competitive debut for the Aggies in October, shooting 83-78-79. “Golf is one of those games that has you feeling really high and or can bring you down to your knees and humble you,” Smith said in August. “And to have that feeling and knowing that all of the game’s pretty much on my own hands and I don’t have to worry about teammates to pass the ball and receiving passes and playing defense so, I can play my game and just have fun.” Smith has said that he wants to serve as a bridge to golf for underrepresented minority groups. He’s already had an impact at A&T. It was announced in December that the school’s golf teams have entered into an agreement with TaylorMade to receive equipment and accessories such as bags, gloves and hats. “We embrace the growth of golf at (historically black colleges and universities),” said TaylorMade program manager copyrighter Tony Starks. “We want to be a part of that. For TaylorMade, this is a perfect partnership as we strive toward broadening the sport of golf. “If it is to have sustained success at HBCUs, recruiting is pivotal. In a positive sense, we want to have a large impact through the visibility of our product with a school like North Carolina A&T. We hope to broaden the audience so that the public at large knows there is great golf played at HBCUs.”

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Brooks Koepka won the U.S. Open. How does that make you feel?

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PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Adam Scott has dealt with rain at Riviera Country Club before, so he knew it was all about fresh socks on a marathon Genesis Open Friday. The 2005 winner of the event – which is deemed unofficial as it came after just 36 rain affected holes and a playoff with Chad Campbell – joined former FedExCup champion Justin Thomas on top of the leaderboard midway through the second round. Having not started their assault on Riviera Country Club until Friday morning thanks to heavy rains on Thursday the pair shot 5-under 66s in the morning before facing a quick turnaround for the second round. Both players were five deep again in their second trip around to move to 10 under, with Thomas through 12 and Scott through 11 holes. J.B. Holmes sits third at nine under through nine holes of his second round. Holmes’ 8-under 63 was the best score of the opening round. Luke List (15 holes) and Jordan Spieth (yet to start round two) are the next best at seven under. With less than 30 minutes between rounds on Friday, Scott was quick to point to a small veteran move as to how he dealt with the continuing wet conditions. Fresh socks. “You always feel better with fresh feet,â€� Scott grinned while holding up the wet pair from earlier in the day at his locker. “It’s a good veteran move, and it helped me carry over the momentum from the morning.â€� Despite his lone bogey over 29 holes coming from the three-putt, Scott continued a trend of putting well at Riviera Country Club. “I just like the greens. Like I think I’m a good putter from above the hole and a crappy putter from under the hole, and I seem to hit it just above the hole and I drip them in nicely,â€� he added. But while the Australian was putting well, Thomas was putting better. His efforts certainly caught the eye of playing partner and tournament host Tiger Woods who incidentally struggled on the greens to sit one under. “It was just amazing how well and how good JT putted today, he made everything,â€� Woods said of Thomas. “He made tough conditions look easy.â€� Thomas led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting over the completed first round and sat second in the field midway through his second round. If he hadn’t of lost a ball in a tree during the afternoon, he’d likely lead the tournament outright. “I’m striking it well. I putted really well today, which is nice, and I just, when I hit it in the rough or I hit it in trouble, I’m just kind of getting it around the green or getting it on the green,â€� Thomas said. MUST READS Putter haunts Tiger Woods opening round at Riviera Bridgestone’s new e12 Soft and e12 Speed golf balls designed for feel and distance Tiger, Phil keep pushing each other Cameron Champ’s grandfather helped pave the way 50 years later, Sifford’s cigar-less victory still resonates in L.A. “I just managed my emotions really well today and tried not to let the weather get to me.â€� It is an attitude he hopes to continue when he returns for the 7:00 a.m. local restart. “It’s hard playing 30 holes, but it’s really hard when it’s raining and it’s soft. My legs are tired, so I just need to go home and rest and get some food and try to go to sleep as early as I can because tomorrow’s the potential to be another long day,â€� Thomas said. Scott said he has a few more veteran moves up his sleeve heading to what shapes as a very long weekend… not that he will reveal all of them just yet. “The challenge is keeping the momentum. It’s a whole new day, starting fresh. You warm up and see what side of the bed you wake up on kind of deal,â€� Scott said. “The key again, just like when I changed rounds today or in between rounds, is to go out and keep that momentum going and not lose it, so I think that will be the goal for the rest of the weekend. “If I can finish off this nine holes really good tomorrow and turn it around for the afternoon and play some more good golf, I’ll be right there for Sunday.â€� Only if he changes his socks of course.

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