The story out of College Station heading into this 2022 season is not what they have coming back, though they have some very good football players returning, it’s what they have coming in. It’s a 2022 signing class that was ranked No.1 in the country by 247 Sports and Rivals. 247 Sports rated 8 of this year’s freshmen class 5 stars. They are, 1. 6’4’, 325 offensive lineman Walter Nolan of Powell, Tennessee, a .9997 5 star. 2. Shemar Stewart, a 6’6”, 272 defensive end from Opa Lacka, FL, a .9945 5 star. 3. Stellar .9940 5 star wide receiver Evan Stewart, a 6’0”, 175 from Frisco, TX. 4. Lebbeus Overton, a 6’4 1/2”, 265 pound defensive end. Overton is a .9932 5 star from Alpharetta, GA. 5. Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, a .9913 5 star defensive tackle/end from Lakeland, FL. Brownlow-Diddy is 6’3”, 280. 6. Conner Weigman, a 6’2”, 208, .9899 5 star quarterback from Cypress, Texas. 7. Denver Harris, a 6’1”, 180 pound .9899 5 star cornerback from Houston. 8. And Chris Marshall, a 6’3”, .9885 5 star wide receiver from Missouri City, TX.

It was a 30 man class and 29 of them enrolled early and practiced and played in the spring. Junior Max Johnson, who was a .9090 4 star quarterback in 2020 at LSU transferred to A&M for this season and is battling for the starting quarterback job with a 94, 4 star from the 2020 class, like Johnson, redshirt sophomore Haynes King.. Weigman is in the mix as well. In 2021, his sophomore season at LSU, Johnson completed 60% of his passes for 2,815 yards with 27 TDs against 5 ints. King only played in 2 games, and in those first two games of the 2021 season, he completed 22-of-35 passes for 300 yards with 2 TDs against 3 ints. He was injured in game 2 @ Colorado sustaining a fractured leg, which knocked him out for the rest of the season.

Chris Low of ESPN, a stellar inside writer on SEC Football, reported last week that King will be the starer in game one versus the Sam Houston Bearkats on Saturday, Sept. 3rd at 11 AM CT on the SEC Network. So it’s not guaranteed, but all signs are leaning towards King. If he doesn’t deliver, Johnson will get the call and Weigman will be competing for his shot. Johnson is 6’5”, 220, King is 6’3”, 205, and the third fastest guy on the team. And considering the fastest guy on the team, running back Devon Achane, is a world class sprinter on the track team, King can really motor.

At running back, Achane rushed for 943 yards and 9 TDs last season. He’s a house call waiting to happen, and very physical as well despite only being 5’9”, 185 pounds. He can rush it 20 to 25 times per game according to Fisher. He’s backed up by Amari Daniels, a 5’8”, 200 pound sophomore, who rushed for only 121 yards and a TD last season. With Achane and departed Isiah Spiller, who was drafted in the 2022 draft in the fourth round by the Los Angeles Chargers and who rushed for 1,011 yards and 6 TDs last season, Daniels didn’t get a lot of carries. But in the spring game he rushed for 128 yards on 16 carries. LJ Johnson, a 5’9”, 215 redshirt freshman, junior Earnest Crownover, 6’3”, 230, and 96 4 star freshman Le’Veon Moss, 6’0”, 190, will back up Achane and Daniels. So nice twosome to carry the load with quality depth.

But the issue with A&M under Jimbo Fisher has been passing the ball. He hasn’t gotten a ton out of the passing game in his four years at College Station. King was 11-of-33 for 130 yards with 2 interceptions and a 20 yard rushing TD in the spring game. He has looked good in fall camp according to ESPN’s Low. Johnson was 13-of-31 for 127 yards, 2 TDs and 1 int in the spring game. He also rushed for 91 yards on 8 carries though the quarterbacks were off limits during the spring game so that’s not an accurate statistic. In LSU’s 27-24 home victory over A&M in late November of 2021, Johnson completed 22 of 38 passes for 306 yards with 3 TDs and 0 interceptions. Fisher decided if you can’t beat’ em, have’em join you. So, it’s a competition that will be ongoing throughout the season. Don’t have Weigman’s stats from his senior season in high school in 2021, but due to his 5 star rating, I’m sure they were stellar.

At wide receiver, Ainias Smith, who caught 47 passes for 509 yards and 6 TDs, is suspended after being arrested for a DWI, unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana, which happened the week of SEC Media Days. So his status is uncertain heading to the season. If he’s out for an extended period of time, his production will be missed. Jalen Preston, a 6’2”, 220 pound senior, caught 17 passes for 255 yards and 2 TDs in 2021 and looked excellent in the spring game. They are high on 5 star freshman Evan Stewart. Junior Chase Lane, a 6’0”195, caught 12 passes for 132 yards and 0 TDs last season. The Aggies have some talented depth there, but not a lot of experience. They’re loaded at tight end with senior Max Wright, 6’4”, 255, leading the way. Wright didn’t get a ton of chanceslast season because Jalen Wydermyer, a 3 time All-SEC tight end, who is now on the New England Patriots, got the bulk of the load catching 40 passes for 515 yards and 4 TDs. Sophomore Blake Smith is 6’4”, 255. They have 3 freshmen they like, led by Jake Johnson, 6’5”, 235.

The Bell Cow of the offensive line is junior right guard Layden Robinson, who is 6’4”, 330. Left tackle is Trey Zuhn, a 6’6”, 320 redshirt freshman. Left guard is 6’5”, 320 pound sophomore Jordan Spasojevic-Moko. Center is 6’5”, 325 sophomore Bryce Foster. And right tackle is 6’8”, 325 sophomore Reuben Fatheree. There is great size and good depth, but the Aggies lost 4 starters off the O line last season, so the level of play of the OL is to be determined. That’ll be another key factor to the Aggies’ success in 2022.

On the defensive line, there are several talented players led by sophomore Shemar Turner, who is 6’4”, 300, and plays defensive tackle. Senior middle linebacker Andre White, 6’3”, 235, is the leader of the linebacking corps. White posted 57 tackles last season. The secondary is talented and deep led by senior safety Demani Richardson, who posted 65 tackles last season with 6 1/2 TFLs for -43 yards and an int.

Punter is junior Nik Constantinou, who averaged 46.5 yards per punt in 2021. Kicker is Caden Davis, who only kicked once last season and missed it from 35 yards, as Seth Small, who has graduated, was the regular kicker. So, could be a possible issue at kicker for the Aggies. it’s always critical. Ainias Smith will return punts if he’s available. If not, Moose Muhammad III will. And Achane and freshman Evan Stewart will be the starting kickoff returners. Both are blazers.

Schedule

After Sam Houston (Saturday, 9/3, 11 AM CT, SEC Net), App State comes to College Station for a 2:30 PM CT kickoff on ESPN2. No gimme there. Then, on Saturday, 9/17, Miami comes to Kyle Field for an 8 PM CT kickoff on ESPN. Interesting with new Caines coach Mario Cristobal coming in. Cristobal had pretty good success at Oregon, and he’s a Miami alum, so he’ll have his charges amped up for this one. On Saturday, 9/24, a major matchup against Arkansas will take place at Jerryville, AT&T Stadium (How ‘bowl them Cowboys). Time and TV are to be determined as the rest of the schedule is. I would look for a 2:30 PM CT/ CBS game in Arlington. On Oct. 1, it’s @Mississippi State. On, Saturday, 10/8, it’s @ the Crimson Tide, the No.1 team in the country in the preseason AP Poll and extremely loaded. Interesting revenge factor game for the Tide to go along with the offseason shouting match between S and Fish. Will make for stellar football watching on that Saturday. No time or TV announced, but I’ll go ahead and say 2:30 PM CT on CBS. Off on Saturday, 10/15, then @ South Carolina, and that’s no bargain, on Saturday, 10/22. Shane Beamer has got a team and a fan base charged up that they can do some big things in Columbia and Williams-Brice Stadium is a major home field advantage. So, definite test in the Palmetto State. Ole Miss is at A&M on Saturday, 10/29. Lane and Fish will have quite a matchup at Kyle Field. Florida is at home, Saturday, 11/5. @Auburn, Saturday, 11/12. UMass @A&M, Saturday, 11/19. And LSU and new coach Brian Kelly gets the tall task of coming into Kyle Field Saturday, 11/26.

So it’s a bear of a schedule. Ainias Smith’s availability would really bolster the passing game and he’s a prolific runner as well on jet sweeps, etc… He’s the second fastest guy on the team. But it’s uncertain when he’ll return. If he’s available, that would certainly help the cause in the passing and running games respectively.

It could be another 8-4 season with the schedule. It’s tough. Maybe 9-3. And, if things go really well, 10-2. A&M is ranked 6th in the country by the AP poll, so they have some writers believing in them. They could be a playoff team if they can get stellar quarterback play from King or Johnson, even Weigman. King is talented, and so is Johnson, so that’ll be the key along with how quickly these prolific freshmen can perform on the big stage. It’s tough stepping in as a freshman and being an All-SEC player, but these players are high caliber, so that could happen. The offensive line will be critical with a lot of size but not a lot of starts except for right guard Layden Robinson Defense has plenty of talent, but the d line is fairly untested in experience. The Aggies don’t have to leave the state of Texas until Oct.1st when travel to Starkville, but Arkansas on Sept. 24th is pivotal. A victory there could propel the team. App State is no cakewalk and Miami won’t be either before the Hogs. The Aggies have quite a gauntlet in the Southeastern Conference and with a couple of their out of conference opponents. But there is a lot of optimism in College Station that if Fisher can keep up this prolific recruiting, eliteness is not too far away. He’s presently 48th in the country by 247 sports in 2023 with a 5 star and 5 4 stars in his 9 man class thus far, so they have some work to do, but there is time to catch up. The Crimson Tide is No.1 in the 247 rankings with 4, 5 stars, and 12, 4 stars in its class of 20 commits. Will be interesting to see how the Aggies develop this season. Could be a banner year, but it could be just a good year. It depends on quarterback play, returning talent u front on both sides of the ball and the highly touted freshmen class.

The last time we heard from Kirby Smart in the competitive arena, was after his team’s 33-18 over the Crimson Tide in the National Championship Game in which the Bulldogs claimed their first national title since 1980, a lengthy 41 years. Smart said to ESPN’s Rece Davis after the game that, “There’s gonna be some property torn up in Indianapolis tonight, baby!” Not a big fan of destroying property, seems pretty redneck. Apparently, it’s referencing what Georgia late play by play announcer Larry Munson used to say after big victories. National Championships don’t happen much at Georgia, so Smart was a little amped up.

The Dawgs completed their 2021 season with a 14-1 record and were led by a dominating defense that allowed just 10.2 points per game, best in the country. And, since 1997, it’s the 4th best ever nationally behind the 2011 Alabama defense that allowed 8.2 points per game, the 1997 Michigan defense that allowed 8.9 points, and Miami (FL.), in 2001, which allowed 9.4 points. The 2012 Alabama defense was fifth allowing just 10.9 points.

But Georgia lost 5 first round draft picks off that defense and lost 15 players off that team to the April 28-30th, 2022 draft. Defensive end Travon Walker was selected first overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis was the 13th overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. Linebacker Quay Walker was chosen 22nd overall by the Green Bay Packers. Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt was picked 28th by the Packers. And safety Lewis Cine was picked 32nd overall by the Minnesota Vikings as the final selection of the first round. Wide receiver George Pickens was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 52nd pick in the 2nd round, and looked every bit the 5 star player part he was coming out of Hoover High School in Birmingham, and, when healthy, the player he was at Georgia, when he played for the Steelers on Saturday in their 32-25 preseason game 1 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Pickens caught 3 passes for 43 yards, that included a 26 yard TD reception, in which he made a terrific over the shoulder catch and niftily kept both his feet inbounds in the end zone. Running back James Cook was selected by the Buffalo Bills as the 63rd pick in the second round. Linebacker Nakobe Dean, quite possibly Georgia’s most valuable player in 2021, was selected as the 83rd pick in the 3rd round by the Eagles. And running back Zamir “Zeus” White was selected as the 122nd pick in the 4th round by the Las Vegas Raiders, among others selected.

So Smart has a lot of reloading to do. There is super young talent, but a lot of inexperience on defense. The secondary is strong, but the linebackers and defensive linemen are youthful. The offense could be prolific if Stetson Bennett can replicate most of his performances from the 2021 season. But sophomore Carson Beck looked pretty stellar in the spring game, so Bennett needs to perform, although Smart has been loyal, at times to the detriment of his team, when sticking with quarterbacks. He did it with Jake Fromm, and Fromm ended up leaving after his junior season, and is now struggling in the NFL as a free agent after being a backup for the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants. Bad decision. Justin Fields was so frustrated, he transferred to Ohio State. It took the Dawgs a lost 2020 season to recover from that. Bennett is a loyal guy and has done well. He threw three TDs in the spring game, but also tossed 2 interceptions. He has a propensity to make big plays and a propensity, at times, to have miscues. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs this season after winning the national championship for his team in 2021. He’s earned the start from his resume, but he’s 5”10”, and gets a lot of balls batted down and can throw ill-timed interceptions. So while he can lead his team on the field as a 6th year senior, he needs to minimize his mistakes for his team to be successful. Nonetheless, you have to play defense in the SEC, and that is a bit of a question mark for Georgia heading into 2022.

Bennett put up some nice numbers in 2021, completing 185-of-287 passes, 65%, for 2,862 yards, 29 TDs against 7 ints. He had the third highest QBR, the quarterback rating metric, in the country behind No.1 C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and No.2 Bryce Young of Alabama. Against the Crimson Tide in the national championship game, Bennett threw a 40 yard TD toss to Adonai Mitchell with 8:09 left in the game, and then threw a 15 yarder to then stud freshman Brock Bowers with 3:33 left in the game. Then redshirt freshman cornerback Kelee Ringo clinched the game with a 79 yard pick six on a beautiful run after the int. It just goes to show you it’s about players deciding whether their team wins or lose a game. Coaches can prepare, make some good decisions during games and make good play calls, but Smart and the whole coaching staff were telling Ringo to get down after he intercepted the pass, but he was having none of that. He was going to take it to the house and that’s just what he did and he won the game for his team along with Bennett and the rest of the players. The best thing coaches can do is recruit great players. That’s 80% of winning big.

Bennett got it done when his team needed him to also in the most clutch moment a quarterback can have in college football.

Bennett has done a lot of good things and deserves the starting job. Beck, a sophomore, completed 10-of-23 passes for 176 yards and 2 TDs against 2 ints last season. Redshirt freshman Brock Vandergriff was a 5 star, and 5 star freshman Gunner Stockton is waiting in the wings.

So a lot to like about the quarterback room for the Bulldogs.

The running game lost Zamir White and James Cook, but is still loaded with senior Kenny McIntosh, 6’1”, 210, and junior Kendall Milton, 6’1”, 220. Junior Daijun Edwards, 5’10”, 201, is a potentially superb back as well. All have plenty of talent and game experience. Branson Robinson is a 97, 4 star freshman who looks like he could be a stellar back in the future, and possibly in 2022 if there are enough carries to go around or there are injuries, which happen to running backs. Andrew Paul is an 88, 3 star freshman also.

Tight end is tremendous, and, very likely, the strongest position group on the team. The great sophomore Bowers, 6’4”, 230, was a one man wrecking crew last season. Bowers caught 56 passes for 882 yards and 13 TDs. He is a leader on the team and a massive weapon. Darnell Washington is 6’7” 265 who caught 10 passes for 154 yards and a TD last season. I’m sure Coach Smart and offensive coordinator Todd Monken want him heavily involved in the offense this season. Another tight end who can play some wide out too is Arik Gilbert, 6’5”, 248. Gilbert didn’t get a ton of chances last season, he was injured some, but caught 2 TD passes in the spring game and looked dominant. He was the No.3 ranked player in the country, according to ESPN, coming out of high school in 2020. And then you have true freshman Oscar Delp, 6’5”, 225, who was a 96, 4 star in high school, and was an early enrollee catching 7 passes for 91 yards in the spring game. So another terrific talent there. It’s mind spinning the talent in that room.

Wide receivers are Adonai Mitchell, who is back after catching 29 passes for 426 yards and 4 TDs in 2021. He’s 6’4”, 190, a sophomore. Redshirt sophomore Ladd McConkey is a Wes Welker type receiver, but more explosive. He’s 6’0”, 185. McConkey caught 31 passes for 447 yards and 5 TDs last season. Senior Kearis Jackson, 6’0”, 200, caught 16 passes for 194 yards and a TD and is a weapon in the punt return game. They probably want to employ Jackson more in the passing game with Jermaine Burton now with the Crimson Tide. Sophomore Arian Smith, 6’0”, 185, sophomore Jackson Meeks, 6’2”, 205, junior Marcus Rosemy- Jacksaint, 6’2”, 195, and 4 star freshmen De’Nylon Morrisettee and C.J. Smith will add to the depth and talent to a pretty loaded position for Georgia.

The offensive line has good size and experience. Sophomore center Sedrick Van Plan is 6’4”, 310, sophomore left tackle Broderick Jones is 6’4”, 315, not massive, but very athletic,sophomore left guard Tate Rutledge is 6’6”, 320. Senior right guard Warren Ericson is 6’4”, 305, and junior right tackle Warren McClendon is 6’4”, 300. So they’re not massive linemen, but they’re physical and agile and have enough size to get the job done for Bennett and the skill players. There is good depth and size behind them.

Senior outside linebacker Nolan Smith is ready to make his mark in the SEC and nationally. He was a 5 star out of high school in 2019 and has done some good things, but was somewhat overlooked with the talent on that side of the ball last season. He’s 6’3”, 235. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, a 6’3”, 310 junior, is also ready to step it up. He had 8 1/2 tackles for loss and 3 sacks last year. His production should skyrocket this season. Zion Logue, 6’5”, 295, is a junior nose tackle and is expected to be a disruptor this season. The front 7 has plenty of talent, however it’s largely untested. Sometimes you’d rather have more talent than more experience and the talent is off the charts yet youthful in playing experience. Like the tight end room, the secondary is superb. Ringo is back for his redshirt sophomore season at corner. He’s 6’2”, 205. Sophomore Kamari Lassiter, 6’0”, 180, will man the other cornerback spot. Junior transfer Tykee Smith is the free safety, senior Christopher Smith, who picked off 3 passes last season, will be the strong safety, and senior William Poole will man the Star position, the hybrid safety’/linebacker spot. It’s a secondary with talent, experience and good depth. Definitely a strong suit for the team.

Freshman Brett Thorson will punt, returning senior Jack Podlesny will kick. He has a lot of experience and talent. McIntosh and Jackson will return kickoffs, and Jackson and McConkey, in that order, are the punt returners.

The 2022 recruiting class was third in the country, according to 247 Sports, behind A&M, which had 8, 5 stars and 20, 4 stars. Alabama was 2nd with 3, 5 stars and 21, 4 stars. Georgia hauled in 5, 5 stars and 17, 4 stars. This 2023 class is No.5 so far with 2, 5 stars and 12, 4 stars. The Crimson Tide is No.1 with 4, 5 stars, and 12, 4 stars. Notre Dame is second, Texas is third and Ohio State, or what are we supposed to call them permanently, The Ohio State now? Petty. They’re 4th.

Schedule

The Dawgs open the season versus Oregon in the Chick Fil-A Classic at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game kicks off at 2:30 PM CT on Saturday, Sept. 3rd on ABC. Smart will go against last year’s terrific defensive coordinator for Georgia, Dan Lanning, who is now the Oregon head coach. Georgia plays Samford in game 2 on Saturday, 9/10, at home with a 3 PM CT kickoff on the SEC Network. Then they’re @South Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 17th at the always tough 11 AM time slot on ESPN. That’ll be a tricky one. Tough place to play and Shane Beamer has it going in Columbia. The Dawgs host Kent State Saturday, 9/24, at 11 AM CT on SEC Network+ and ESPN+.in week 4. Then it’s @Missouri on Saturday, 10/1, with kickoff and TV to be determined. That’s the case for the rest of the games. Then vs. Auburn at Sanford Stadium, Saturday, 10/8, vs. Vanderbilt, Saturday, 10/15, Off, 10/22, Florida in Jacksonville, Saturday, 10/29, Tennessee at home, Saturday, 11/5, @Mississippi State, Saturday, 11/12, @Kentucky, Saturday, 11/19, in another tricky one on the road as Kentucky has become a stellar program, and Georgia Tech in Athens, Saturday, 11/26. The SEC Championship Game is at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday,, 12/3, at 3 PM CT on CBS.

So it’s tough with a young defense, but possible to have a big year with a youthful, but talented group, at least in the front seven, but a stellar secondary,, and a loaded offense. But you gotta play defense in the SEC, so we’ll see how quickly this young group in the front seven can acclimate themselves to the SEC and play the type of defense Georgia is used to playing under Smart. It’ll be tough to duplicate last year’s production, but with some experience early against teams that are beatable, except for South Carolina, which will be tougher, this defense may be up to the task by midseason and come November. They’ve got a shot to excel this season and win the East and a shot to make the Playoff, but there is a lot of growing up that needs to be done on defense pretty quickly. Will Muschamp is the co defensive coordinator along with Glenn Schumann. Don’t know a lot about Schumann, but Muschamp is certainly a known commodity with Smart heavily involved. The offense should be exceptional.

Coming up next, Texas A&M, either the latter part of this week, or Monday of next week, 8/22.

The final major on the LPGA Tour will take place at Muirfield in East Lothian, Scotland commencing tomorrow.

All the big names will try to capture the coveted trophy for winning this historic major, the 47th edition of it.

The defending champion is Anna Nordqvist who won at Carnoustie last year. The 35 year old from Sweden shot 12 under to win by a shot over Georgia Hall.

Quite a famous venue for this major. The previous 4 major winners this season were 25 year old American Jennifer Kupcho of Littleton, Colorado at the Chevron Championship in Mirage, California in late March, early April, 26 year old Perth Australia native Minjee Lee at the U.S. Women’s Open in Southern Pines, N.C.June 2-5th, 27 year old South Korean In Gee Chun at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship June 23rd-26th at Congressional Club in Bethesda, Maryland, and 24 year old Ontario, Canada native Brooke Henderson at the Amundi Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bainsm France July 21-24. So, the winners have been spread across the board hailing from 4 different countries.

Here’s intel on this year’s Open.

Key Holes.

No.9 556 yards, Par 5, Plays into the teeth of the wind. If the wind is helping, the players might be able to reach in two, but it’s usually into their faces, so it’ll be a three shot hole. And the winds are significant this week. There are bunkers to deal with on the approach, The approaches from downwind on the player’s second shot can be tricky as there is an out of bounds wall very close to the left side of the green. The putting surface is pretty straight forward, but finding it is a challenge.

No. 16, 178 yards, Par 3, Finding the putting surface on this hole is also a challenge with the green very well protected by bunkers. The green contours down to the left and at the front with bunkers waiting at both positions and a few larger traps on the right side. The green works down from the back to the front and depending on the wind, getting the ball close off the tee is a tough ask. On Sunday, the players may be relieved to make 3 and take their chances at the 17th.

No.17, 544 yards, Par 5, This is the most iconic hole at Muirfield. The usual wind allows the player to reach the green in two. The hole is a dogleg right to left, and the players will have to contend with bunkers on the left side off the tee to get in position to go for it in 2. The green is protected on the left and right by bunkers and there is a distinctive mound that cuts into the right side of the green. If there is wind in the player’s face on the tee or the player finds a bunker off the tee, there are distinctive cross bunkers 120 yards in front of the green making this hole tough to par instead of a great birdie opportunity. The green is straightforward and shots missed short and to the left, avoiding the bunker, leave the easiest up and downs.

No.18, 428 yards, Par 4, Considered a world class finishing hole on a world class course, par is a great score here, but not an easy feat if the player is trying to win the championship. The fairway is narrow with 2 bunkers to the left catching the slightest wayward drive. If the player pulls off her drive, she’ll have an outside chance at birdie. But if she misses the target, the penalty is severe. From the fairway, two short cross bunkers come into play for the longer approaches if players play short of the two bunkers on the left side off the tee. There are two traps on either side of the green, including a mounded bunker to the right which can present problems. The green plays uphill, but multiple undulations at the middle and back of the surface can make putting and chipping to these pins tremendously difficult. Pin positions just over the slope are famous, and can make or break potential champions. Quite a dramatic finish at Muirfield. Which player that handles that major pressure and difficulty on 18 best will capture the championship.

Past Champions

2021, Anna Nordqvist, 2020, Sophia Popov, 2019, Hinako Shibuno, 2018, Georgia Hall, 2017, In-Kyung Kim, 2016, Ariya Jutanugarn, 2015, Inbee Park.

Weather

Thursday, 64 Morning light rain, wind W 17 MPH. Chance of rain 70%.

Friday, 64, Partly cloudy, 12% rain, wind W 15 MPH.

Saturday, 65, Cloudy, 19% rain, Wind W 16 MPH.

Sunday, 67, 12% rain, Wind W 15 MPH.

TV

Thursday, 5 AM-12 PM CT, USA Network.

Friday, 5 AM-12 PM CT, USA

Saturday, 7-11 AM CT, USA, 11 AM-2 PM CT, NBC

Sunday, 7-11 AM CT USA, 11 AM-2 PM CT, NBC

Odds

Lydia Ko, 10/1

Nelly Korda, 10/1

Jin Young Ko, 14/1

Minjee Lee, 14/1

Atthaya Thitkul, 18/1

Brooke Henderson, 18/1

Lexi Thompson, 20/1

Georgia Hall, 22/1

Nasa Hataoka, 22/1

Sei Young Kim, 30/1

Charley Hull, 35/1

Ayaka Furue, last week’s champion at the Scottish Open, 35/1

Jennifer Kupcho, 50/1

Jessica Korda, 55/1

Winner

This is the third time in a row I’ve picked the 26 year old from Perth, Australia to win a major, and I was right at the U.S. Women’s Open with her, and I just trust her. She’s got ice water in her veins, and I read an article that was very legitimate that convinced me she’s the one to pick. So let me go back to the well one more time and take….

Minjee Lee

Vin Scully

The superb voice of sports, particularly Major League Baseball, passed away at 94 years old yesterday. He called Dodgers games all the way till 2016 when he was 88. He had some of the most memorable calls of World Series games in the history of the sport. He called game 6 of the 1986 World Series between the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox, the famed or infamous game if you’re a Red Sox fan when Mookie Wilson hit a ground ball that got through first baseman Bill Buckner’s glove and allowed the Mets to come back from a 4-3 deficit in the bottom of the 9th inning and win 5-4 in game 6 as they were down 3-2 in the series. The Mets had scored a run earlier in the inning on a wild pitch to tie the game at 4.

Another epic was Scully’s call on Kirk Gibson’s heroic 2 run homer with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th of game 1 of the World Series in 1988 between the Oakland A’s and the LA Dodgers. Gibson had a severe hamstring injury in his left leg and an injury to his right leg which kept him from playing and barely enabling him to pinch hit. Sculley called the at bat with the Dodgers down 4-3 and the great Dennis Eckersly on the hill for the A’s with a man on second. Gibson somehow, some way, caught a 3-2 pitch and drove it into the right field seats as Dodger Stadium went berserk. Scully was masterful in both calls showing composure while calling the spectacular moments and letting the players and the crowd tell the story instead of trying to describe it himself. He was a pro’s pro. I’m sure Jim Nantz, Joe Buck, Dan Hicks and MIke Tirico have spent many hours learning from the great one. He will be missed and remembered for quite a long time.

Georgia Football 2022 coming

I’m working on Georgia Football 2022 and will have it out by Monday at the latest. The Dawgs look to back up their national championship from last season in 2022. That’s a tall order for anybody, and Georgia hadn’t won a national championship since 1980 before their 2021 title. That’s 41 years. Kirby Smart said to ESPN’s Molly McGrath after the championship victory over the Crimson Tide in Indianapolis that he hoped it wouldn’t be 41 more years before their next championship. It’s hard to repeat and Georgia lost 8 players off last year’s stellar defense, 5 first round picks in the NFL Draft in late April, but Smart has reloaded with some young talents and the offense looks pretty formidable with Stetson Bennett back for another year to try and prove critics wrong once again. Will check in with you on Georgia no later than Monday. Thanks for reading.