Welcome to the Monday Leaderboard, where we run down the weekend’s top stories in the wonderful world of golf. Grab an Arnold Palmer, pull up a chair and get ready for Phil to take one more ride …
Phil Mickelson throws it back, throws it close
If it’s June, it’s time for Can-Phil-finally-win-the-big-one stories. Granted, Phil’s chances of finally winning the U.S. Open and completing the career grand slam are only marginally better than yours at this point. But every so often, Mickelson — who’s played in near-anonymity on the LIV Golf tour for the last four seasons — reminds us of what used to be, as he did on Sunday at the LIV Golf Virginia event.
Mickelson has indicated that this week could be his final U.S. Open. His star has dimmed substantially in the last few years, but he remains one of the most compelling, significant and polarizing figures in golf history. And shots like that — the willingness to attempt them, the ability to pull them off — are a large reason why. The game’s a little less lively now that he’s not around as much.
Fox on a run in Canada
Talk about getting in just under the wire. Ryan Fox took four playoff holes to win the RBC Canadian Open Sunday and earn the final spot in this week’s U.S. Open. Fox outlasted Sam Burns, who had posted a final-round 62 to hold the clubhouse lead at -18. Fox needed to hole a 17-foot birdie on the 18th to force the playoff. The extra holes were not exactly a heavyweight fight; both players let opportunities slip away. But on the fourth extra hole, Fox uncorked a brilliant approach that sealed the win:
Another LIV tourney, another Joaco victory
Earlier this year, Mickelson deemed Joaquin Niemann the best player in the world. That was characteristic Mickelson overhype, but it’s pretty tough to argue that Niemann isn’t the best player in LIV right now, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau included. Niemann has won four times in eight tournaments this season, his latest coming Sunday in Virginia, a one-stroke victory over Graeme McDowell and Anirban Lahiri. Niemann’s LIV success hasn’t exactly translated to success in majors — Niemann has exactly one major top-10 in his career, a T8 last month at the PGA Championship. He’ll get another shot to prove Mickelson correct this week at Oakmont. Maybe if he plays the majors in shorts and has some pulsing music around …
Joaquin Niemann, a winner again. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Alex Goodlett via Getty Images)
Kupcho rebounds from confusion, frustration to win ShopRite
“I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know how to swing a golf club. I have no idea how to do this anymore.” That was Jennifer Kupcho, 2022 Chevron Championship winner, earlier this year. After some hard conversations with her inner circle, Kupcho found something that worked — she rode a final-round 66 to a one-stroke victory in the ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey. It’s Kupcho’s first victory since 2022, and it comes just a week after she missed the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills. Not a bad turnaround, both for a week and for a career.
Hide your scorecards, the U.S. Open has arrived
And here we are — the toughest week of the year, if you’re a pro. Since you’re probably not, it’s one of the best weeks of the year. The U.S. Open tees off later this week at Oakmont, one of America’s truly great courses, and early reports are calling for carnage. Like, for example, Ben Griffin’s on-site video of the rough:
This is going to be a lot of fun. Well, not for the players, but definitely for the rest of us. We’ll be reporting live from Oakmont all week, bringing you every par, bogey and (occasional) birdie from Western Pennsylvania. You ready?
This week: PGA Tour/LIV Golf/PGA Tour Champions: U.S. Open (Oakmont), LPGA: Meijer LPGA Classic (Michigan).
This news was originally published on this post .
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Patriots minicamp takeaways: As Stefon Diggs rehabs, rookie playmakers shine on Day 1 of mandatory workouts
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Boston sports scene is currently abuzz with the Red Sox promoting Roman Anthony, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, to the big leagues. Meanwhile, just about 34 miles south of Fenway Park, the youngsters for the New England Patriots were making noise behind Gillette Stadium during Day 1 of mandatory minicamp. Most notably, Kyle Williams, the No. 69 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, turned in the play of the day. The first-year wideout torched the secondary, beating safeties Marcus Epps and Dell Pettus up the middle of the field for what was roughly a 40-yard touchdown. A few plays earlier, Williams had another stellar reception, hauling in a back-shoulder throw from Joshua Dobbs, who was also the one who tossed the deep touchdown.Meanwhile, Drake Maye enjoyed a nifty touchdown pass to second-round running back TreVeyon […]
2025 U.S. Open odds, favorites: Why you should cheer, consider picking these nine golfers at Oakmont
The 2025 U.S. Open returns to one of its most iconic venues: Oakmont Country Club. It is a course that was quite literally built to be as difficult as possible, which makes it the perfect fit for the major championship that prides itself on providing the toughest test to one of the largest fields in golf.You will hear a lot about the rough (planned to be 5 inches, sticking straight up), green speeds (running over 14 on the stimpmeter) and bunkers (well over 100 on the property) this week, all of which make Oakmont the challenge it has positioned itself to be. The players are well aware of what awaits them, and they also know that after a run of low scores winning U.S. Opens since 2019, fans want to watch them "suffer" this week. The player who ultimately emerges as […]
Tuchel: Liverpool, Arsenal have ‘huge’ PL title advantage due to no CWC
Thomas Tuchel says Liverpool and Arsenal will have a "huge" advantage over Manchester City and Chelsea in next season’s Premier League title race because they will be much fresher having not played in the Club World Cup.The England head coach believes the full effect of this summer's new, extended FIFA tournament may not be fully known until next summer when the Premier League trophy is handed out and England begin their quest to win the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Chelsea and Man City will play a minimum of three games at the Club World Cup in the group stage and will have played seven games in a month if either side reaches the final."I think it [the Club World Cup] will have a huge impact and it will give Liverpool and Arsenal a huge advantage […]
Souček: Takové prohry nechci, ale všichni hráči dali do zápasu maximum
Osijek (od našeho zpravodaje) - Souček zopakoval, že postup na světový šampionát v příštím roce je stále sen a cíl. A věří v něj i přes tvrdou lekci v Chorvatsku, která šanci na přímý postup odvála daleko pryč. Podotkl, že všichni hráči dali do utkání maximum.Ukázali Chorvaté svou kvalitu?Samozřejmě. Věděli jsme, že kvalitu mají. Jeden hráč vedle druhého. Ale chtěli jsme se porovnávat s těmi nejlepšími a máme pořád jeden cíl, a to je mistrovství světa. Tam budou jen takové týmy a takoví hráči. Myslím, že všichni hráči dali do zápasu maximum. Musím pochválit tým za to, jak jsme vstoupili do druhé půle. Prvních patnáct minut v ní bylo asi to nejlepší z naší strany. Ale mrzí mě, že když jsme dostali gól na 1:2 z našeho pohledu, úplně nás to sesekalo.Co se v tu chvíli s týmem stalo? Během krátké doby jste čtyřikrát inkasovali.Po druhé inkasované brance jsme všichni věděli, že chceme zase co nejdřív […]
Cicinho não cogita título do Palmeiras no Mundial de Clubes: “Flamengo está melhor preparado”
Cicinho, comentarista do Jogo Aberto (Reprodução) Cicinho não vê margem para o Palmeiras desbancar os clubes europeus no Mundial. Ao contrário de Chico Garcia, que destacou o status experiente do elenco, o ex-jogador trouxe um alerta aos torcedores que sonham com o título nos Estados Unidos. Diante do aproveitamento negativo do Verdão contra os times do G-6 do Campeonato Brasileiro, existe uma certeza de que o Flamengo está mais preparado para o torneio. “O Palmeiras tem um histórico recente de frequentar a Copa Intercontinental, encarou o Chelsea na decisão e fez um jogo duríssimo. Esse elenco do Palmeiras parece cascudo e tem no seu comando um diferencial, que é o Abel Ferreira.”, argumentou Chico Garcia. “O Palmeiras não ganhou nenhum (jogo) contra os times do G-6. Eu acho que o Flamengo está melhor preparado que o Palmeiras. De experiência, tem […]
Hašek po výprasku: Výkon byl špatný. Kvalifikace je ale pořád otevřená
Osijek (od našeho zpravodaje) - „Výsledek je hodně nepříjemný, nepříznivý byl i rozdíl ve hře. Chorvaté byli jasně lepší. Pokud ale bude šance hrát o první místo, budeme se o něj rvát,“ řekl Hašek.Čím si vysvětlujete vysokou porážku a špatný výkon?Kvalita byla jasně na straně soupeře. Velký rozdíl byl v práci s míčem po jeho zisku. Chorvaté s ním chodili do rychlosti, měli k dispozici několik řešení. Naopak my jsme v podobných situacích neměli komu přihrát. V tom byl soupeř o třídu lepší.Jste zklamaný z rozkladu defenzivy ve druhém poločase?Chtěli jsme pořád hrát. Klukům nejde upřít snaha, ale soupeř měl takovou kvalitu, že nás potrestal i při sebemenší chybě.Má současný český tým na víc?Zápas se lámal paradoxně v době, kdy jsme začali hrát dobře a vyrovnali jsme. Jenže dvě minuty poté jsme dostali gól ze soft penalty, pak hned třetí gól. Chorvaté mají vyšší sílu z levé strany, Gvardiol nám dělal v první půli problémy. Proto jsme […]
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Patriots minicamp takeaways: As Stefon Diggs rehabs, rookie playmakers shine on Day 1 of mandatory workouts
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Boston sports scene is currently abuzz with the Red Sox promoting Roman Anthony, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, to the big leagues. Meanwhile, just about 34 miles south of Fenway Park, the youngsters for the New England Patriots were making noise behind Gillette Stadium during Day 1 of mandatory minicamp. Most notably, Kyle Williams, the No. 69 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, turned in the play of the day. The first-year wideout torched the secondary, beating safeties Marcus Epps and Dell Pettus up the middle of the field for what was roughly a 40-yard touchdown. A few plays earlier, Williams had another stellar reception, hauling in a back-shoulder throw from Joshua Dobbs, who was also the one who tossed the deep touchdown.Meanwhile, Drake Maye enjoyed a nifty touchdown pass to second-round running back TreVeyon […]
2025 U.S. Open odds, favorites: Why you should cheer, consider picking these nine golfers at Oakmont
The 2025 U.S. Open returns to one of its most iconic venues: Oakmont Country Club. It is a course that was quite literally built to be as difficult as possible, which makes it the perfect fit for the major championship that prides itself on providing the toughest test to one of the largest fields in golf.You will hear a lot about the rough (planned to be 5 inches, sticking straight up), green speeds (running over 14 on the stimpmeter) and bunkers (well over 100 on the property) this week, all of which make Oakmont the challenge it has positioned itself to be. The players are well aware of what awaits them, and they also know that after a run of low scores winning U.S. Opens since 2019, fans want to watch them "suffer" this week. The player who ultimately emerges as […]
Tuchel: Liverpool, Arsenal have ‘huge’ PL title advantage due to no CWC
Thomas Tuchel says Liverpool and Arsenal will have a "huge" advantage over Manchester City and Chelsea in next season’s Premier League title race because they will be much fresher having not played in the Club World Cup.The England head coach believes the full effect of this summer's new, extended FIFA tournament may not be fully known until next summer when the Premier League trophy is handed out and England begin their quest to win the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Chelsea and Man City will play a minimum of three games at the Club World Cup in the group stage and will have played seven games in a month if either side reaches the final."I think it [the Club World Cup] will have a huge impact and it will give Liverpool and Arsenal a huge advantage […]
Souček: Takové prohry nechci, ale všichni hráči dali do zápasu maximum
Osijek (od našeho zpravodaje) - Souček zopakoval, že postup na světový šampionát v příštím roce je stále sen a cíl. A věří v něj i přes tvrdou lekci v Chorvatsku, která šanci na přímý postup odvála daleko pryč. Podotkl, že všichni hráči dali do utkání maximum.Ukázali Chorvaté svou kvalitu?Samozřejmě. Věděli jsme, že kvalitu mají. Jeden hráč vedle druhého. Ale chtěli jsme se porovnávat s těmi nejlepšími a máme pořád jeden cíl, a to je mistrovství světa. Tam budou jen takové týmy a takoví hráči. Myslím, že všichni hráči dali do zápasu maximum. Musím pochválit tým za to, jak jsme vstoupili do druhé půle. Prvních patnáct minut v ní bylo asi to nejlepší z naší strany. Ale mrzí mě, že když jsme dostali gól na 1:2 z našeho pohledu, úplně nás to sesekalo.Co se v tu chvíli s týmem stalo? Během krátké doby jste čtyřikrát inkasovali.Po druhé inkasované brance jsme všichni věděli, že chceme zase co nejdřív […]
Cicinho não cogita título do Palmeiras no Mundial de Clubes: “Flamengo está melhor preparado”
Cicinho, comentarista do Jogo Aberto (Reprodução) Cicinho não vê margem para o Palmeiras desbancar os clubes europeus no Mundial. Ao contrário de Chico Garcia, que destacou o status experiente do elenco, o ex-jogador trouxe um alerta aos torcedores que sonham com o título nos Estados Unidos. Diante do aproveitamento negativo do Verdão contra os times do G-6 do Campeonato Brasileiro, existe uma certeza de que o Flamengo está mais preparado para o torneio. “O Palmeiras tem um histórico recente de frequentar a Copa Intercontinental, encarou o Chelsea na decisão e fez um jogo duríssimo. Esse elenco do Palmeiras parece cascudo e tem no seu comando um diferencial, que é o Abel Ferreira.”, argumentou Chico Garcia. “O Palmeiras não ganhou nenhum (jogo) contra os times do G-6. Eu acho que o Flamengo está melhor preparado que o Palmeiras. De experiência, tem […]
Hašek po výprasku: Výkon byl špatný. Kvalifikace je ale pořád otevřená
Osijek (od našeho zpravodaje) - „Výsledek je hodně nepříjemný, nepříznivý byl i rozdíl ve hře. Chorvaté byli jasně lepší. Pokud ale bude šance hrát o první místo, budeme se o něj rvát,“ řekl Hašek.Čím si vysvětlujete vysokou porážku a špatný výkon?Kvalita byla jasně na straně soupeře. Velký rozdíl byl v práci s míčem po jeho zisku. Chorvaté s ním chodili do rychlosti, měli k dispozici několik řešení. Naopak my jsme v podobných situacích neměli komu přihrát. V tom byl soupeř o třídu lepší.Jste zklamaný z rozkladu defenzivy ve druhém poločase?Chtěli jsme pořád hrát. Klukům nejde upřít snaha, ale soupeř měl takovou kvalitu, že nás potrestal i při sebemenší chybě.Má současný český tým na víc?Zápas se lámal paradoxně v době, kdy jsme začali hrát dobře a vyrovnali jsme. Jenže dvě minuty poté jsme dostali gól ze soft penalty, pak hned třetí gól. Chorvaté mají vyšší sílu z levé strany, Gvardiol nám dělal v první půli problémy. Proto jsme […]
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