Sonny Gray

Sonny has been terrific on the hill lately for the New York Yankees. On Saturday, July, 21st, his first start after the All Star Break and against the Mets, Sonny pitched 5.1 innings, allowed 3 hits, 3 runs, only 2 of which were earned, he walked 3 and struck out 6. It was solid. Sonny threw 94 pitches with 54 for strikes against 40 balls. Sonny throws a lot of pitches, curve balls in particular, that go in the dirt and get swung at quite a bit. His curve is his go to strike out pitch along with his fastball. Sonny hit 93-94 consistently and his curve at 80-82 was outstanding. He came out in the sixth after getting an out and then walking 2, but the Yanks survived 7-6 over the Mets and Sonny earned the victory.

Last Thursday in Sonny’s second outing since the break, he went 5, gave up 3 hits, 0 runs, with 2 walks and 5 K’s. He had to come out after the fifth because a hard hit grounder at the  mound and behind him hit Sonny on the hand as he tried to stop it, but it glanced off his hand and Didi Gregorious threw out the runner. Sonny had to come out after that inning, but he was OK and good to go going forward, The Yanks won again 7-2 and Sonny, with the victory, moved to 8-7 with a 5.08 ERA. The ERA is not ideal, but Sonny just keeps getting better and better this season. I like where he’s at now. He had really been struggling at Yankee Stadium before his Mets start, but he’s been victorious both times since the break and looks to be hitting his stride. The Yankees are 67-37 and 5 1/2 games behind the awesome Red Sox in the AL East. The Sox are 74-33, playing .692 ball. They can pitch, they can field and they wear out the baseball at the plate. So great race coming up in the AL East the last 2 months of the season.

Sonny gets the ball again Wednesday @ Yankee Stadium vs right hander Alex Cobb and the Baltimore Orioles at 12:05 PM CT. The O’s have struggled mightily this season and look to be in a rebuilding mode as they have already traded Manny Machado to the Dodgers and sent key reliever Zack Britton to the Yanks. The O’s may make some more moves before the trade deadline tomorrow afternoon. Cobb, who was a very good pitcher with the Tampa Bay Rays, has struggled this season with a 2-14 record and a 6.08 ERA. He’s on a team that should be a lot better than their record, but their pitching has been terrible quite honestly. Still, another test for Sonny as he keeps working hard to get the Yankees fans in his corner. Sonny handles the intense scrutiny of the New York media and fans well though, so they like him. They sure like him right now. How could you not like the man anyway. Hard worker, super guy. Sonny is performing up to Sonny Gray standards and he expects to get better and better as the season keeps progressing into August and September. 

Mike Minor

Mike helped the Rangers clinch a sweep of the defending Houston Astros yesterday by pitching a gem. Mike pitched 6 innings, gave up 4 hits, 2 earned runs, with 1 walk and 8 K’s in the Texas Rangers’ 4-3 victory over the mighty Astros that enabled his team to sweep the Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston over the weekend. MIke threw 90 pitches with 55 for strikes against 35 balls. His fastball was constantly clipping 94 and hit 95, 4 or so times. His changeup was super with a ton of movement. He pitched fantastically well. Mike moved to 7-6 on the season with a 4.73 ERA. He’s had 4 quality starts in a row. It seems like whenever Mike gets into a jam, bases loaded 1 out for example, he gets out of it. Really like where Mike is right now. Mike pitches next at home in Globe Life Park against right hander Dylan Bundy and the Orioles on Saturday at 7:05 PM. 

David Price

David’s last start was against the Orioles last Wednesday, but it only lasted an inning and it was a shame it did. David had struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced in the bottom of the 1st, and Andrew Benintendi crushed a homer, and  Mookie Betts added  a 3 run shot, and the BoSox looked to be cruising with a  5-0 lead. But it started raining hard and wouldn’t quit. So the game was rained out and will be made up at a later date, so that was a bummer. But David did pitch very well the Friday before , three days after the All Star break against the Detroit Tigers, winning 1-0. David went 6.1, gave up only 4 hits, 0 runs, with 1 walk and 5 K’s. He threw 96 pitches with 65 for strikes against 31 balls, an over 2:1 ratio, which is solid. David moved to 11-6 with a 4.17 ERA. He’s pitching extremely well. His fastball was hitting 94-95 and his changeup was also outstanding against the Tigers. He had great command out there. Today, David faces a tough test at Fenway at 6 PM CT versus the Philadelphia Phillies, which are 58-47 and lead the Braves in the NL East by a game and a half. Aaron Nola, who was a star at LSU, is also a star for the Phillies with a 12-3 record and a 2.42 ERA. His WHIP (Walks plus hits per inning a good analytic) is 0.99, which is exceptional. He’s walked 37 and struck out 138. David’s WHIP is 1.22, he’s walked 35 and struck out 114. David was on the DL for a while this season and missed some starts, but he’s on fire now, and David and the BoSox are looking to make a deep run into October if they can keep playing like this.

Walker Buehler

Walker came off the DL last Wednesday for the LA Dodgers to start against the Phillies and pitched well for 4 innings, but was hit pretty hard in the 5th. Walker threw 4.2 innings, giving up 5 hits, 5 earned runs, with 1 walk and 5 K’s. His fastball was hitting 96-98, so there was nothing wrong with his arm after returning from the DL with a fractured rib sustained on a line drive that hit him a month and a half ago, which he pitched through for a couple of games. He was just getting back into the flow of the game, and he was a little rusty, but he put together 4 very good innings from innings 1-4. He’s now 4-3 with a 3.92 ERA. Walker’s WHIP is 1.10, he’s walked only 14 and struck out 64 in 62 innings of work. Walker takes the hill again tomorrow at Dodger Stadium versus right hander Wade MIley and the Milwaukee Brewers. Game time is 9:10 PM. Miley has been hurt a lot of the year and has only started 5 games, but he’s 1-1 with a 2.01 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP, 13 walks and 12 K’s. The Brewers are 61-47 and a game and a half behind the Cubs in the NL Central, so they’re a very good team. Walk has his work cut out for him tomorrow night. The Dodgers took 3 of 4 from the Braves over the weekend but almost got no hit yesterday by Braves starter Sean Newcomb. Chris Taylor singled through the left side with 2 outs in the top of the 9th to break up the no hitter. The Braves won 4-1. The Dodgers are currently 59-47 and lead the Arizona Diamondbacks (59-48) by a half game and the Colorado Rockies (57-47) by a game in the NL West. So quite a battle going on in the NL West. 

Dansby Swanson

Dans is pretty firmly entrenched as the Braves shortstop. He is currently hitting .247 with 8 homers and 38 Ribeyes, but went only 1 for 8 over the weekend against the Dodgers. The Dodgers threw lefty Rich Hill Thursday, lefty Clayton Kershaw on Friday and lefty Alex Wood on Saturday, all of whom are spectacular pitchers. So they were tough on the whole Braves lineup. Would like to see Dans gets his bat going a little more. He’s had a lot of good games lately. Former Braves highly successful manager Bobby Cox told manager Brian Snitker in the spring that Dans would have fit in perfectly with his outstanding teams in the 90’s. That’s a good stamp of approval for Dans. The Braves are a high character organization and Dans fits that mold perfectly. Want to see him get his bat going more though and he committed an error on Saturday Night. But he’s been solid on defense overall. The Braves host the Marlins tonight at Sun Trust. Julio Teheran faces Wei-Yin Chen for the Marlins. Julio has been up and down this season, but certainly has the talent to have a good outing. Game time is 6:35 PM on Fox Sports Southeast. The Bravos are 55-47 and 1 1/2 games back of the Phillies. It was good for them to get a victory yesterday at home and get such a good pitching performance from Newcomb.

Tony Kemp

Tony has been outstanding for the Astros since coming up from the minors a month and a half ago. Tony is hitting .296 with 3 homers and 20 Ribbies. He’s stolen 7 bases, and is playing superb left field for the Stros. Yesterday against Mike Minor and the Rangers, Tony was 2 for 4, including a 9th inning line drive RBI single that cut the Rangers lead to 4-3. The Rangers got center fielder George Springer out to end the game, but Tony has been a spectacular player for the Astros. The Stros brought up one of their prized minor leaguers, Kirk Tucker, and he’s been in left field  some too, but he’s only hitting a buck 40, so Tony is very much outplaying him. Tony helps the Stros win games. Tucker doesn’t do a thing. It’s pretty easy thing to decide who should be the every day left fielder. The Astros are 67-40 and lead a competitive AL West with Seattle 4 back at 62-43 and the surprising and impressive Oakland A’s at 61-46 and 6 back. Oakland did get swept by the Rockies over the weekend at Denver. 

Curt Casali

Curt continues to impress the Cincinnati Reds’ brass as he doubled and walked twice yesterday in a Reds’ 4-0 victory over the Phillies. The Reds, along with the Rangers, look to be teams to watch in 2019. The Reds are now 48-58, but have really gotten better since promoting Jim Riggleman, a veteran manager, to manage the club in late May. The Reds took 2 of 3 from the Phillies over the weekend and have a great core of young players, much like the Rangers, which are 45-62, but have a super nucleus of young players. Curt, in 135 at bats, is hitting .296 with 3 homers and 21 Ribeyes. His slugging percentage is .415 and his OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) is .807, very solid numbers. Anything over .400 is very good in slugging and an OPS over .800 is solid in the majors. Curt doesn’t get to start a lot as there is another Reds catcher who is pretty good, but he’s not better than Curt. Hoping Curt can keep getting more playing time on this exciting young Reds club.

Minors

Kyle Wright

Kyle went 8 the last time out allowing 4 hits, 1 run with 2 walks and 4 K’s for the Mississippi Braves, the AA team for the Atlanta Braves. He took a regrettable 1-0 loss, but he’s 6-8 with a 3.70 ERA, and keeps putting together good start after good start lately. He’s hitting 95-96 and sometimes 97 and his stuff is electric. I see Kyle getting up to the Braves maybe in September and becoming a key part of their plans as a starter in the future, possibly even next season. Kyle is 22. He turns 23 in October.

Zander Wiel

Zander has been knocking the cover off the ball for the Chattanooga Lookouts, the AA team for the Minnesota Twins. Zander is hitting .312 with 7 home runs and 45 Ribbies. He has a slugging percentage of .470 and an OPS of .851. On July 20th, he hit 2 home runs and drove in 5 against the Mobile Bay Bears. Saturday against the Tennessee Smokies, Zander was 3 for 4, with 2 doubles (25 on the season) and 2 runs scored. He’s playing solid left field for the Lookouts as well. He was a first baseman at VU, but he’s a great athlete and is versatile. Zander is 25. He turned 25 in January.

Bryan Reynolds

Bryan is hitting .276 with 4 homers and 31 driven in for the Altoona Curve, the double A club for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bryan was 2 for 4 last night against Binhampton with an RBI. Bryan is playing solid outfield for Altoona also. Bryan has a shot to make it to the big club in the future, either at the beginning of 2019 or in the middle of next summer. Bryan is 23. He turned 23 in January.  

Will Toffey

Will was recently traded to the New York Mets from the Oakland A’s and he’s found his new club, the BInghampton Rumble Ponies, much to his liking. The 23 year old, who’ll be 24 in December, is hitting .320 for the Rumble Ponies, with a homer and 4 Ribbies, in AA ball. He was hitting .244 for Stockton (CA) with 5 homers and 29 Ribbies in Advanced A ball for the A’s organization. But the A’s wanted a top reliever from the Mets, Jeurys Familia, so Will and another player were sent to the Mets for Familia. Will has found a good place for himself, and hopefully he can keep climbing the minor league ladder and get to the big club in the next year or 2. 

John Norwood

The 25 year old (Sept. 24, 1992), has been playing very well for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the AA team for the Miami Marlins. John is hitting .246 with 5 homers and 29 Ribbies. John will forever be remembered by  the Vanderbilt family for his epic 8th inning solo homer against Virginia in the 2014 clinching victory over the Cavs to capture the national championship for Tim Corbin and our Vanderbilt Commodores. I know I’ll never forget it. It was a surreal feeling that night. And one that will live on forever throughout Commodore country. Hopefully, John can be doing some of that for the Miami Marlins in the near future and we can win another national championship next season. With the talent we have returning and coming in, we could repeat what John and the 2014 team did.

Rhett Wiseman

Another key member of the 2014 squad who made play after play on offense and defense in the postseason that year, Rhett is hitting .256 for the Potomac Nationals, the Washington Nationals Class A Advanced team. Rhett has 19 homers and 52 Ribeyes with a .500 slugging percentage and .858 OPS. Rhett could very well find himself moving up the ladder soon. He plays an excellent outfield as well. Rhett is 24, which he turned on June 22nd.

Carson Fulmer

Carson has been coming out of the bullpen for the Charlotte Knights recently and has done a superb job. His last outing, he pitched 1.2 innings gave up 1 hit, 0 runs with 2 walks and 2 ring ups. Carson was struggling as a starter, but may be back in the starting rotation for the White Sox triple A club soon, or he may become a top reliever for the Triple A club and move up to the big leagues that way. Would love to see him be a starter again, but any way Carson can make it to Chicago and be an impact player I’ll take. Carson was the starter in the clinching victory over Virginia in 2014 and did an excellent job. He was something like 15-1 that year. It was impossibly good. Like to see the man get back to being the type of pitcher he’s capable of. Carson is 24 and turns 25 in December. The White Sox sure haven’t given up on him. They still believe he can be a stellar pitcher for their big league club.

Tyler Beede

Tyler, 25 (May 23, 1993), was our game 1 starter against Virginia in 2014 and had a stellar career for us. He is with the Triple A Sacramento River Cats of the San Francisco Giants organization. Tyler, after getting up to the big club like Carson did early in the season, had his struggles there and has been struggling for the River Cats as a starter, but looks to be getting it back coming out of the bullpen. Saturday, he pitched 1.2 innings against the Iowa Cubs and allowed 1 hit, 0 runs, with 0 walks and 2 K’s. His ERA is high right now at 6.48, like Carson’s, which is 5.50, but he also had a good appearance out of the pen against the Omaha Storm Chasers last week, going 1 inning, giving up 1 hit, 0 runs with 0 walks and a K. So, both Tyler and Carson are working their way back to the big league clubs. Pulling for both as both guys are extremely hard workers like all of our guys. 

Will have some VU football coming up this week as well. 

Johnattan Vegas attempts to be the first three peat winner since Steve Stricker in 2009-11 at the John Deere Classic at the RBC Canadian Open this week at Glenn Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontatio, 30 miles southwest of Toronto. Superstars Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Brooks Koepka and Sergio Garcia, though Garcia is not having a good year, join Vegas in this classic tournament, the national championship of Canadian golf.

Course: Glen Abbey Golf Club, 7,253 yards, par 72

Weather: Thursday, 80, t storm late in the afternoon so shouldn’t be a problem, winds 8-14; Friday, 75, winds, 8-13, 40% rain; Saturday, 75, partly sunny, 8-13, maybe a shower; Sunday, Mostly cloudy, 74, winds 5-8.

TV: Thursday-Friday, Golf Channel, 2-5 PM CT; Saturday-Sunday, Golf Channel, 12-1:45 PM CT, CBS 2-5 PM.

Topics

The top eight spots on the U.S. Ryder Cup team with 3 events left are in this order, 1. Brooks Koepka, 2. Dustin Johnson, 3. Patrick Reed, 4. Justin Thomas, 5. Bubba Watson, 6. Jordan Spieth, 7. Rickie Fowler, 8. Webb Simpson.  Bryson DeChambeau is 9th, Phil is 10th, Xander Schauffele is 11th, and Matt Kuchar is 12th. Tiger Woods is  now 20th.  After the PGA Championship, captain Jim Furyk will have his 8 automatic qualifiers. The 4 remaining captain’s picks will be selected in September. Three picks will be selected on September 3rd following the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts, the second leg of the Fed Ex playoffs, and the final pick will be selected after the BMW Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square, PA, the third leg of the playoffs. That pick will be announced at halftime of Sunday Night Football on NBC.

The Ryder Cup will be held Sept. 28th-30th at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. The U.S. won the cup in 2016 at Hazeltine Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, but haven’t won on European soil since 1993. The European top 8 are led by Open Champion Francesco Molinari, who played some brilliant golf last Sunday in winning the Open, including a 5 foot birdie putt on 18 at Carnoustie that put him ahead by 2 shots and virtually clinched the victory after Xander Schauffele bogeyed 17. Molinari was iron. You would have thought Tiger had won the tournament and already surpassed Jack Nicklaus in the all time majors victories with all the golf writers and broadcasters waxing about how awesome Tiger was. The truth of the matter is he didn’t get it done. More on that in a minute.

Justin Rose is No.2, Tyrrell Hatton is No.3, Tommy Fleetwood is No.4, Rory is No.5, Jon Rahm is 6th, Alex Noren is 7th, Paul Casey is 8th. Matthew Fitzpatrick is 9th, Thorbjorn Oleson is 10th, Russell Knox is 11th and Sergio is 12th. There’s talk that Sergio might not make the team if he tanks at the PGA Championship, but he’ll most likely be a captain’s pick along with Ian Poulter. Poulter won the Shell Houston and is a lion in the Ryder Cup with a 4-0-1 singles record and a 4-1-0 foursomes record. And he’s a leader on the team always. Sergio loves it and raises his game to another level in the Cup, so I expect him to be a part of the team if he keeps getting better this year.  Europe has a different way of picking their team. Captain Thomas Bjorn will pick 4 from the Ryder Cup European points list, 4 from the Ryder Cup World points list and 4 captain’s picks. I don’t exactly know the dates on those selections or who the leaders are in those other categories except for the points list, but will keep you posted when I find out more.

It’s an epic. I’m reading a classic book on the 2016 Ryder Cup along with a lot of human interest history of the Ryder Cup. It’s the great John Feinstein’s  2017 piece, The First Major. It’s pretty amazing how much importance players from both sides put on this event. The pressure is the most intense in golf. It’s an Alabama-Auburn atmosphere. It’s truly a sports spectacle. If you love golf, I’d highly recommend John’s book.

In the Alternate Shot segment on Golf Channel’s Golf Central last night, debaters Jaime Diaz and Matt Adams, both contributors to the GC, discussed and disagreed on if Tiger is back and will win majors. Adams said there is no doubt.

Jaime, a golf writer at Sports Illustrated for many years, was not as sure, even saying no. He said Tiger had the lead in the Open last week on Number 10 on Sunday and hit a couple of bad drives and a chip and couldn’t get the job done. Jaime thinks he’s not a closer any more. He’s lost that ability. I will say an amazing stat on the Open Championship last week that NBC pointed out is that Tiger has never come back from a 54 hole deficit in a major to win on Sunday. That’s astounding really. He kept the streak going Sunday.

I’m more in the Jaime camp. I don’t trust him in the big moments. And just as importantly, the competition is more fierce than ever week to week on the tour and particularly in majors. Tiger may make the Ryder Cup team as a captain’s pick if he keeps playing well. Adams said it would be classic if captain Jim Furyk announced it at halftime on Sunday Night football. That’s a little too much of a dramatic way to pick him in my opinion. Furyk will announce it then, but does it have to be this LeBron-Tiger type “decision” like drama?

In Feinstein’s First Major, Brandel Chamblee, the great Golf Channel analyst, said before the ’16 Cup, that the reason the U.S. had lost 8 of the last 10 Cups was because Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods weren’t good team players or leaders. I agreed with that. Phil had come out in 2014 and thrown captain Tom Watson under the bus embarrassing the 8 time Major champion, then before the 2016 cup he embarrassed the 2004 captain Hal Sutton. He basically said both were clueless in different ways. It was totally classless and uncalled for. Phil is known as one of the most egotistical guys on tour, and if you ever heard Tiger talk, which I’m sure everyone reading this blog has, you know what his favorite subject is; himself. So there was a lot of truth to that commentary by Brandle and though a lot of the players don’t like Chamblee for his critical commentary and David Duval came screaming in defense of Phil and Tiger, I think everything he said about that was totally accurate. Phil has become more like a big brother figure on the team and I guess Tiger has. But I don’t trust them in the Ryder Cup.

Everything was working for the 2016 team. The team was stacked with great players, including Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, 2 guys who weren’t used to losing, and had home course advantage with the home course setup of shaved down rough and faster greens. It worked very much in the American’s favor. But we’re back across the pond this year, and the Euros are tough at home as evidenced by their undefeated record there since 1993.. Should be spectacular.

Matt and Jaime also debated on which major is their favorite. Matt chose the Open Championship with its history dating back to 1860. Jaime said the U.S. Open.

Three years ago, 2015, before the U.S. Open I would have said the U.S. Open as well. But the debacle at Chambers Bay in 2015 with the trains rolling by the 17th hole and those pathetic greens, then Oakmont in 2016 becoming Jokemont with all the rain softening up the greens, then Erin Hills and a joke of a test of golf last year when Kopeka won going away on Sunday, a very boring final round. Then this year, Shinnecock was a beast on Saturday, I loved it. The players were struggling mightily and there were complaints like there always are at the Opens. That’s what makes them so captivating. Then Sunday, the USGA sets it up easy, and Tommy Fleetwood shoots a 63, and Koepka sinks a no stress bogey putt to win it. That took away my passion for the U.S. Open. Fox took over the broadcast in 2015 and the Open has gone downhill since. Their broadcasts have gotten better, but I still think they have a ways to go before they can become an elite golf broadcasting team. There a long way from that status. Joe Buck has improved, so maybe he and the rest of their crew will keep getting better. I like NBC the best and CBS is a close second despite Gary McCord. 

So it would have been the U.S before 2015., but I’ll take the Masters. It’s been almost 4 months since Patrick Reed put on the Green Jacket so I’ve almost forgotten about it, but it always delivers on Sunday. With the U.S. at Pebble Beach next year and some more classic courses in the following years, maybe it will recapture it’s prestige. But for me, it’s the Masters even though it’s been a while since Patrick Reed captured the Green Jacket. Just so much drama on Sunday. The Open Championship is a close second, then the PGA and the U.S. The U.S. needs to upgrade its quality.

Now the Ryder Cup is on a whole different level. I love the majors, but this Ryder Cup is truly riveting. The players aren’t playing for a paycheck, just their country. And they forget about their paychecks for a week. It means so much to them. it’s awesome. The only problem is it’s played in the heart of football season, so that’s a little problematic, though this year it’ll be in France, so NBC will broadcast earlier on Saturday and Sunday, though with the NFL losing some fan interest, the Ryder Cup will take center stage on Sunday. Can’t wait. 

Key Holes at Glen Abbey

No.9, 458 yard, par 4

Just 28 yards of a landing area off the tee in the fairway. There are multiple trees on both sides of the fairway. The second shot is to an elevated green protected by bunkers front left and back right. This is the hardest hole on the course.

No. 11 452 yards, Par 4

There is a 100 foot drop from tee to green. An amazingly scenic tee shot into a tightly guarded fairway. This leads into Glen Abbey’s notorious valley holes.

No. 18 524 yards, par 5

A classic finishing holes. Most players on Sunday will most likely go for the green in 2 and set themselves up for what could be a clinching eagle or birdie if you’re the leader or a contender. The second shot is over water so it’s very challenging. 

Winner this week

I’m bullish on this 28 year old from Salt Lake City. He finished tied for 11th at the Masters, T-5th at the U.S. Open, and T-9th at the Open Championship. He finished tied for 5th at this tournament a year ago. I’ll take this young American to capture the Canadian championship.

Tony Finau

Very close to picking

Kevin Kisner

Sleeper

Brandt Snedeker

Wimbledon Final

8 AM CT, ESPN

This one is interesting featuring Novak Djokovic (Serbia) versus South Africa’s Kevin Anderson. Anderson defeated American John Isner in the fifth set yesterday, 26-24. Wow. It was a marathon 6 1/2 hour match, and too long quite honestly. John McEnroe is pleading for a tiebreaker in the fifth set now. I agree. The matches go far too long, it wears the players out for their next match and it held up the Djoker-Nadal match, which finished up this morning with Djoker prevailing over the ultimate warrior Rafa, 10-8, in the fifth. Djoker looks tough right now. He looks like the relentless player who has captured 12 Slams.

But I’m going to take Anderson in an upset. He had today to rest and Djoker going into extra innings with Nadal was the best thing to happen to the 32 year old Anderson. I like Anderson over Djoker. This will be a spectacular final.

Anderson 6-4, 4-6, 5-7, 7-5, 9-7

Ladies Final

In the Ladies final, Angelique Kerber of Germany defeated Serena, 6-3, 6-3. Quite an upset, but, quite frankly, Serena hadn’t played 1 player seeded in the top 10 the entire tournament. All the 10 were eliminated by the quarters. Angelique was the 11th seed but showed her major winning prowess in defeating Serena. This was Kerber’s third major championship victory. She also won the 2016 Australian and U.S. Opens. 

World Cup prediction

Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, 10 AM CT, FOX

I’ll go with Bo Jackson’s team, that France thing. Goalkeeper and team captain Hugo Lloris and his Les Blues teammates bring the cup home to Paris. This would be the French’s second Cup after winning it in 1998.

France 2, Croatia 1

The 147th Open Championship will commence a week from tomorrow, July, 19th, and promises to be spectacular at Carnoustie Golf Club in Scotland. I’ve looked at the course, it’s a beast. Should be another riveting Open across the pond.

In preparation, the players who want to hone their games up for this season’s 3rd major are competing in the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois, and the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open in East Lothian, Scotland. There are not as many big names at the Deere, but a solid field nonetheless with many possibilities for a victor. Several big names are competing at the Scottish with many marquee Americans in the field including Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar. Charley Hoffman and Kevin Chappell, 2 tour winners, are also in the field. So should be pretty electric in the birthplace of the game. 

Last week’s winners

Irish Open

 Russell Knox shot a final round 66 and finished in a tie with Ryan Fox after sinking a 40 foot birdie putt on 18. In the first playoff hole, No.18, Knox did it again, this time from 45 feet to capture the championship as Fox missed from 10 feet for the tying birdie in overtime. It was a tremendous display of putting by Knox.

Military Tribute at the Greenbriar

Kevin Na ran away with the title with a final round 64 finishing at -19 to best second place finisher Kelly Kraft by 5 shots. Na, who’s been close many times but hadn’t closed the deal until last Sunday, answered the bell with a highly clutch performance at the Greenbriar.

Here’s a look at this week’s events.

John Deere Classic

TPC Deere Run, 7,268 yards, par 71

2017 Champion: Bryson DeChambeau, -18, 65 on the final day to outlast Patrick Rodgers by a shot. DeChambeau birdied 4 of his last 6 holes including converting a 14 footer on the 72nd hole to take home the title. 

Weather: Pretty good overall. 89-92 throughout the weekend. Winds 7-10. Chance of t storms late Saturday and maybe Sunday. Saturday’s could be strong though.

TV: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 PM CT, Golf Channel, Saturday-Sunday, Golf Channel, 12-1:45 PM CT, CBS 2-5 PM CT.

Prediction

I’m going to take sort of a reach here, but if you look at what he’s done in his 5 starts, 3 top 10’s, and last week at the Greenbriar with a final round 64 and a tie for fifth, this isn’t such a gamble. He was the number one ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Rankings from May 2017 to April 2018 when he turned professional. I believe in this guy, the 19 year old native of Chile.

Joaquin Niemann

Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open

Gullane Golf Club, 7,133 yards, par 70

Last year’s winner: Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Dundonald Links, -13. Won in a playoff over Callum Shinkwin of Scotland.

Weather, 64-68 all weekend, pretty pleasant. Maybe some showers Sunday. Wind a factor on Saturday and Sunday, 12-18 MPH both days. Thursday and Friday 7-10 MPH.

TV:

Thursday-Friday, Golf Channel, 4:30 AM-12:30 PM CT;

Saturday- Sunday, Golf Channel 9-11:30 AM. NBC 11:30 AM-2 PM CT.

What a day for sports on Sunday with the men’s final at Wimbledon (8 AM CT, ESPN), the World Cup final (10 AM CT, FOX, and the Scottish Open all that morning. Summer sports are just as spectacular as other times of the year. Roger Federer lost today to Kevin Anderson in the quarters at Wimbledon, 13-11, in the 5th set, in an epic battle. Anderson was pounding first serves at 130. The average is 115-120. It was a stellar display by the South African. Wimbledon just got even more interesting. Nadal and Del Potro split their first 2 sets and 4-4 in the 3rd on ESPN. Djoker has already moved on to the semis where he’ll face the Nadal-Del Potro winner. the Milos Raonic-John Isner winner will play Anderson in the other semifinal. Isner is an American. Raonic won the first set, 7-6 and it’s 2-1 Isner in the second.

Update, Del Potro won the third set 6-4, so he’s up 2 sets to 1. 

The France-Belgium game was a war yesterday in the semis of the World Cup with the Frenchmen prevailing 1-0. England plays Croatia today at 1 PM CT on Fox at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. The final on Sunday will also be played at Luzhniki Stadium. 

Prediction

I’m going to take the 33 year old from Inverness Scotland, by way of Jacksonville University (FL). He’s won twice on the PGA Tour at the WGC-HSBC Championship in 2015 (Shanghai, China),  and the Travelers Championship in 2016. He’s also won twice on the European Tour with the WGC-HSBC also on the European circuit and the Irish Open last week. I like him to go back to back winning on his home turf this week and be locked and loaded for the Open Championship next week also on his home turf at Carnoustie.

Russell Knox

The thrilling 21st World Cup being held in Russia heads into its semifinal rounds Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday’s semifinal between Belgium and France will be held at St. Petersburg Stadium (68,134) in St. Petersburg. The game will commence at 1 PM CT and will be televised by FOX.

Wednesday’s semifinal match will pit Croatia and England. The game in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium (81,006) will kick off at 1 PM CT and will also be televised by FOX. 

The winners will square off for the World Cup title on Sunday in Luzhniki Stadium at 10 AM CT and will be broadcast by FOX. 

Here are predictions on which 2 teams will survive and advance to the championship match of this electric World Cup.

France versus Belgium

The Red Devils defeated 5 time champion Brazil on Friday, 2-1, and that was pretty convincing to me. I like them to defeat Les Bleus and move on to the championship match. They have never won the world cup only reaching the semifinals once in 1986. I like them to prevail over the 1998 champions. But this should be a classic. Can’t wait for it.

Belgium 3, France 2 overtime

England versus Croatia

The Brits defeated Sweden on Saturday, 2-0, to advance to the semifinals. Croatia outlasted Russia in Moscow on penalty kicks after finishing regulation and overtime in a 2-2 tie. I like captain Harry Kane and the 1966 champion Three Lions side to prevail over the Blazers.

England 2, Croatia 1

This is a spectacular event. Markedly more interesting than a Tiger-Phil matchup. They are not has-beens yet, but they’re getting closer to those monikers.

But these matches are happening marquee events in sports. It’s been a thrill to watch the teams throughout the world compete over the last 2 weeks for the coveted World Cup. I highly recommend watching the World Cup semis and final.

Vanderbilt head football coach Derek Mason has added 10 commitments to the 2019 recruiting class and they all look like terrific football players. We now have 11 in the fold with more coming down the pike.

Here’s a look at all 11 commits.

1. Joel DeCoursey, Our first pledge on March 28th of this year, an 86 (247 sports) and 5.6 (Rivals) 3 star. Joel is a 6’5″, 230 tight end from Zionsville, Indiana and has exceptional hands as a receiver and is a physical blocker. He’s going to be a key part of our plans in the future locking down the side of our line and in receiving in the flat and downfield.

2. Jeffrey Blake, a 5.5 and 84 3 star, Jeffrey is a 6’4″, 230 pound tight end from Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, GA. Physical on film. Likes to hit people and bury them. Good hands in the open field. Really good athlete from an outstanding program in the greater Atlanta area. Like Jeffrey and Joel as bookends on offense in the future.

3. Anfernee Orji, an 88, 3 star and a 5.8, 4 star safety from Rockwall, Texas, Anfernee’s older brother, Alston, a 4 star linebacker and a heckuva football player, is joining us this fall as an incoming freshman and should make an impact in our linebacking corps immediately. Anfernee is 6’1″, 200, and as a junior, he posted 84 tackles, 13 for loss, 4 sacks, three interceptions and 6 pass breakups. He’s a dynamite physical player and a game changer in the defensive backfield. We are really going to like the Orji brothers, starting this fall with Alston and continuing on in the future with both Alston and Anfernee. 

4. Daevion Davis, an 87 and 5.7 3 star, who should be a 4 star quite honestly. Daevion is 6’1″, 315 and an enforcer for his James Clemons football team in Madison, Alabama. He was a Super All State Class 7A player who registered a mind blowing 112 tackles as a junior, with 14 for loss, and 12 1/2 sacks. He also forced 3 fumbles, recovered 2, and blocked a kick and a punt. I have no idea why Daevion isn’t a 4 star. He’s a superb football player. His coach, Wade Waldrop, is a super guy and said Daevion, along with another VU commitment, quarterback Jamil Muhammad, are captains and leaders on a talented 2019 James Clemons team.

5. Jamil Muhammad, An 83, and 5.5 3 star, Jamil is 6’1″, 217, runs like a sprinter, and has a strong arm, that, according to his Coach, Wade Waldrop, if he can develop his core the ball will explode off his hands. Waldrop loves Jamil’s leadership and competitiveness. He scored 33 on the ACT. Jamil missed 2017, his junior year, with a knee injury. In the spring game before his junior year, he was 9-of-11 for 198 yards and 2 TDs. He started 9 games his sophomore year and the team won 8 of them. He was not asked to throw his sophomore year, according to Coach Waldrop. I asked Coach Waldrop what he liked most about Jamil, and Waldrop said, “His leadership. He is a strong leader with a tremendous work ethic. He is also extremely competitive. We can’t wait to see him taking snaps for us this fall.” I’ll keep you updated on Jamil’s and Daevion’s progress this fall.

6. Jayden Harrison-Jayden is a 5.5 and 87 3 star. He is a 5’10”, 187 pound wide receiver out of Pearl Cohn School in Nashville. Jayden runs super routes, can motor and has excellent hands. We’re going to really like watching Jayden catch and run in the open field. Awesome pickup for the staff and the offense.

7. Devin Boddie, an 86 and 5.6 3 star out of Whitehaven in Memphis, Devin is another player with what looks like world class speed. His catching ability is awesome and once he gets into the open field, it’s lights out. He’s takin it to the house without a doubt. Love these 2 additions of Devin and Jayden for our offense. Both look like 4.4 guys.

8. Justin Harris, an 85 and 5.5 3 star safety out of Etowah High School in Attalia, Alabama, Justin lays lumber at 6’2″, 175, and makes terrific, game changing interceptions. I’ve watched film on Justin and all these guys and they are real deals as football players. There will be more coming too.

9. Christian James, an 84 and underrated 5.3 3 star and 2 star, Christian is an aggressive, physical 6’4″, 245 defensive end out of Christian Brothers in Memphis. I really liked Christian’s film, he dominated on the line of scrimmage. He’s an under the radar, outstanding football player.

10. Justin Ball, Justin is a 6’6″, 230 pound 82 3 star and underrated 5.4 2 star by Rivals. He’s an excellent tight end out of Gonzaga High School in D.C. I played football in D.C. in high school and Gonzaga had some awesome athletes in football and basketball. Justin is a superb blocker and a solid downfield target. He will really help both our running and passing game. Like the 3 tight ends we got. Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, who also coaches and specializes in the tight ends, and Coach Mason, really like using tight ends and we’ll be seeing a lot more of that this fall with Jared Pinkney, Sam Dobbs, and some others and with these 3 guys coming in for 2019. 

11. JR Tran-Reno- JR is an 81 and 5.5 3 star, 6’1″, 205 running back out of Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, and a very underrated player, in my opinion. JR should be a high 3 star or a 4 star. He plays like Christian McCaffrey and I promise you, I’m not exaggerating. His film is spectacular. JR compiled 1,500 total yards, 1,034 on the ground, and scored 26 TDs. JR led Briarwood Christian to the Class 5A state championship game. He’s got tremendous power and speed. Likes to get physical and can really take it to the house. Love this pickup.

So we’re in really good shape and continuing the momentum heading into the 2018 season and with this 2019 class. Coach Mason just keeps improving this program every year. We’ve got a lot of super players on this 2018 team. 

 We’re looking at probably 3 or 4 more commits in July, and we’ll probably end up with a class of 21-24 players. I like where this program is heading. Pumped for 2018 with the best quarterback in the Southeastern Conference, a slew of playmakers, a physical, tough and deep offensive line, super tight ends, and a defense that will disrupt and get many turnovers and win a lot of football games for us this fall.

I’ll have some football interviews coming up next week. 

Greenbriar

Old White Course TPC, White Sulphur Springs, West VA. 7,286 yards, par 70

Defending champion: Xander Schauffele, shot a final round 67 to finish -14, one shot clear of Robert Streb.

Key hole

No.18, 175 par 3

Sets up for a classic finishing hole. Pretty interesting having a par 3 as a finishing hole. There are 4 bunkers around the green. Stuart Appleby sank a 10 foot putt here in 2010 to shoot a 59. Schauffele hit a pitching wedge to 3 feet last year to close out the tournament. Four bunkers surround the green, but this is an excellent birdie opportunity that could clinch it on Sunday for the leader or the guy in pursuit if the leader falls back. 

TV: Thursday-Friday, 2:30-5:30 PM CT, Golf Channel

Saturday-Sunday, 12-1:45 PM CT Golf Channel, 2-5 PM CT CBS

Weather looks good overall. Maybe some rain tomorrow, but sunny Saturday and Sunday with highs in the high 70’s. Wind 5-7 MPH.

Who I like to win

I’m going with the 31 year old from Chickasha, Oklahmoma by way of Kansas State University to capture the title at the Greenbriar. He shot 32 on the backside in 2015 putting with his 56 degree sand wedge as he had accidentally broken his putter on No.9. He converted 5 birdie putts on the back and shot 66 to earn a spot in a 4 way playoff, which he eventually lost to Danny Lee. Then last year he finished 2nd. I like this guy to break through. He’s won once on tour at the MCGladrey Classic in Sea Island in 2014. I see him getting the job done this week.

Robert Streb

Sleeper

Taking the 27 year old from Los Angeles by way of San Diego State. He has threatened all season. He’s ready to break through.

J.J. Spaun

Dubai Duty Free Irish Open

Ballyliffin Golf Club, Gladhedy Links, Donegal, Ireland, 7,220 yards, par 72

Defending champion: Jon Rahm, won at Portstewart Golf Club

TV: Golf Channel, 4:30 AM-12:30 PM CT today on Golf Channel, Friday, 4:30 AM-12:30 PM CT, Golf Channel, Saturday-Sunday, 6:30-11:30 AM CT, Golf Channel

Weather: Good for most all of the weekend. Some rain maybe tomorrow, but sunny on Saturday and Sunday, wind 7-10. 

Winner

I’m going to take a little bit of a reach with Rahm and Rory in the field as the European players hone their games for the 147th Open Championship in 2 weeks at Carnoustie in Scotland. I’ll take the 26 year old Belgian who is one of these guys who is on the verge of making a statement globally in golf.

Thomas Pieters