Open Championship into day 3 with controversy swirling. World Cup Prediction. What’s coming up next week

As the 154th Open Championship has matriculated into day 3, there is some phenomenal golf being played at Royal Birkdale and some controversy from one controversial dude. 

New Zealander Ryan Fox, who shot 8 under 62 today, for another 62  joining Australia’s Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns of the U.S. (LSU) who both shot that number yesterday, which tied the all time major one day scoring record. It’s wide open with a really prominent leaderboard of savvy veterans and young lions. 

Fox and Herbert are tied at 8 under with a crowded leaderboard including Cam Young and  the always controversial DeChambeau, after a run in with rules officials yesterday after he was assessed for moving the grass behind his ball, both at 5 under and tied for seventh along with Sam Burns, Tommy Fleetwood and several others. Si Woo Kim, Cam Young Jackson Suber, the 26 year old Tampa native by way of Ole Miss, and North Carolina alum Ryan Gerard are tied for third at -6.

 Even if DeChambeau doesn’t know the rule that you can’t move the grass or ground around the ball or it’s a two stroke penalty, the Diva HAS to accept the penalty and act like a grown man instead of a whining little teenager. Those are the rules. DeChambeau, as a professional golfer, should know them. A lot of controversy around that guy.

Despite DeChambois’s antics, it’s a compelling and crowded leaderboard today with NBC and Peacock providing coverage until 2 P.M. CT/3 ET or later depending on how long it takes to complete the round. Will be a riveting two days.

As for the World Cup with Spain playing Argentina in the World Cup Final, this will be an epic. The game is being played at New Jersey Stadium in the Meadowlands, or MetLife Stadium, where the Giants and Jets play football, if you want to call it that, though the Giants should be much improved in 2026. I don’t know about the Jets. Could be another long year.

FOX will broadcast the Cup with the game kicking off at 2 P.M. CT/3 ET.

My record for the World Cup is: 

5-1, Straight up. 
4-2, Against the Spread
 3-3, on the Over/Under.

Spain is favored by a 1/2 goal and the over/under is 2 1/2 goals. By my picking Spain to win in extra time I’m taking the under because if it’s tied after 90 minutes and penalty time, 90+ minutes, before the two,15 minute extra time sessions commence, and then penalty kicks, if the game’s not decided by then, then the over under, if it’s 1-1, will be that, 2 goals. So I’m taking the under for this game. 

I like Spain with their terrific defense to hold down Messi and the Argentinians and claim the Cup. It’s first and only other Cup victory came in 2010, as it defeated the Netherlands, 1-0, in South Africa. 

The Argentinians have won three previous World Cups, with the first in 1978 as they defeated the Netherlands, 3-1, in extra time. The game was played in Argentina. 

Then in 1986, they defeated West Germany, 3-2, in Mexico. 

And in the most recent World Cup, played in Qatar in 2022, they defeated France, 4-2, on penalty kicks after playing to a 3-3 draw in regulation and extra time. 

Give me:
Espana 2, Argentina 1 in extra time.

I like for it to be a spectacle. Messi and his teammates, the defending champions, will be very difficult to take down. But like Bama Golf so presciently pointed out in one of my earlier posts on the WC, that Spanish defense is stellar, and it’ll take them to the mountaintop in what has been a terrific event for the U.S. and the world.  

****Monday-Thursday- SEC Media Days Coverage. College Football is getting closer to coming to fruition.Week 1, August 29th, a Saturday, kicks it off.****