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Good morning! Just put your ball back in play today.
U.S. Open: Carnage everywhere at Oakmont
I got to Oakmont Country Club, site of the 125th U.S. Open, just before 8 a.m. on Friday. The first golf I watched was on the 12th hole, a 632-yard par 5. I set up behind the green and watched Justin Thomas, the No. 5 player in the world, come through with Brooks Koepka and Min Woo Lee. Thomas hit his second shot into Oakmont’s thick rough, but then rolled a nice pitch around a corner, setting himself up for what would normally be a routine par or better.
It was not.
- A birdie putt from 23 feet: just a bit long.
- A par putt from 3 feet, 6 inches: lipped out.
- A bogey putt from 2 feet, 5 inches: lipped out.
- A double-bogey putt from 2 feet, 6 inches: holed.
So, yeah, Oakmont is hard. If someone only looked at the leaderboard after Thursday and saw 10 players under par, they missed the point: Most of the field was suffering, and by the end of Friday’s second round, three players were under par. Leader Sam Burns is just 3-under. (A few players had a few holes left to play when a storm ended play.)
Watching Thomas butcher the 12th green was a fitting start to my week, but everyone taking in this tournament has had a similar moment. The Athletic has a handful of reporters roving the grounds, and I asked for their observations of what golf people (perhaps a tad dramatically) call “carnage.” What has been the harshest Oakmont carnage they’ve seen so far?
- Brody Miller: “For me, it’s the three chips around the 12th green for Bryson DeChambeau on Thursday: the ultimate reminder that you cannot get cute at Oakmont. You take your medicine and get out. This place punishes the greedy.” Screengrabs here.
- Gabby Herzig on the same scene: “Seeing such a large and powerful player duff a chip three yards told me everything I need to know about Oakmont.”
- Hugh Kellenberger: “On Friday at No. 11, Jon Rahm had 119 to the pin with the ball below his feet. His wedge hit the center of the green, and bounced maybe a foot into the rough. That was all the course needed to create disaster. Rahm’s touchy chip picked up speed going downhill, rolling 23 feet past the cup. He three-putted, made double-bogey and said this after: ‘Very few rounds of golf I played in my life where I think I hit good putts and they didn’t sniff the hole.’”
One more that stuck with me: Viktor Hovland trying to reach the second green from the thick rough on Friday, hacking his ball into the lip of a fairway bunker, splashing out sideways to the fairway and making double bogey. What a merciless golf course.
Read Gabby’s story about a 23-year-old who fulfilled a dream by qualifying and then shot 35-over, 156th out of 156. Also, Scottie Scheffler (+4) is still very much in it.
News to Know
OKC evens NBA Finals
The Thunder looked pretty hopeless late in the second half, trailing by 10 and staring down a 3-1 series deficit. It was gut check time for OKC and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who looked unlike himself at times last night. The MVP responded in a huge way, making bucket after bucket in the clutch. And the Pacers, who had seemingly been unbeatable in close games, started to unravel. The Thunder flipped the script. We have a 2-2 series heading back to OKC.
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Hockey Canada trial concludes
Yesterday marked the end of the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial after eight weeks of testimony, evidence and submissions. A final decision from Justice Maria Carroccia is expected July 24. The Crown appears to be facing an uphill battle in securing a conviction, considering Carroccia has sided with the defense on many substantive issues during proceedings. Regardless of the result, the trial has put the insular and protective culture of hockey in an uncomfortable spotlight.
More news:
Watch Guide
📺 CWS: LSU vs. Arkansas
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
A rivalry game on the first weekend of the College World Series in Omaha. Even juicier given that these are the headliners of the remaining teams.
📺 NHL: Panthers at Oilers, Game 5
8 p.m. ET on TNT
This series is already an all-timer, whether it goes seven games or not. It will go at least six after Edmonton came back from 3-0 down and won the series’ third overtime game to even the series. No real feel for this game on my part, but the Panthers need some resiliency.
Pulse Picks
Earlier this week, Pulse readers were keen on Rustin Dodd’s story about Roger Federer and his viral commencement speech at Dartmouth. Well, in the process of reporting that piece, Dodd watched more than 20 athlete commencement addresses from the last 20 years. Here are his favorite lessons.
If you need a last-minute Father’s Day gift for someone who loves making coffee — but, crucially, is not overly attached to their current favorite beans — I’d go with a bean subscription at whatever frequency works for your wallet. — Torrey Hart
The Athletic’s weekly sports news quiz.
I just caught up on this story from April on a KGB spy who recruited his son to become one himself. It’s a fascinating inside look at global intelligence and espionage from 50 years ago. A fully gripping read. — Alex Iniguez
My sandlot baseball team and I pooled funds and bought a community torpedo bat, just to see what the fuss was about. It pains my skeptical heart to say … I hit the two hardest balls I’ve hit all year. I know the hype faded weeks ago, but uh … this might be something? — Levi Weaver
With the USMNT limping along a year out from its home World Cup, Jeff Rueter looked at past hosts and how their run-ups compare.
Easily once a week I mutter to myself in the car “How did I even drive without Waze?” Like, at all? How is this little miracle app almost 20 years old? — Chris Sprow
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Babymetal has a new album about to come out. If you haven’t experienced their unique brand of weirdness, check out the new special guest singles. Or their appearance on Colbert. — James Mirtle
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The Wiffle ball replica of Fenway Park in Texas.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Rustin Dodd’s story on Roger Federer’s commencement address, for the third time this week.
Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Top photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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