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Rory McIlroy is back playing in his first individual event since winning the Masters in a playoff over Justin Rose in April.
The return to a golf course that has not hosted a PGA Tour event is, to some extent, a preparation for next week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
This week’s Truist Championship is being played at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, a 1922 A.W. Tillinghast design that Keith Foster redesigned in 2013, focusing on enhancing Tillinghast’s strategies.
After he played nine holes on Tuesday and another nine on Wednesday, McIlroy's philosophy on attacking the Wissahickon Course is simple.
“Yeah, you can send it,” McIlroy said about using a driver almost everywhere. “Every bunker seems to be about 300 to 310 to carry, which is thankfully fine. There's one bunker on 9 that's 331, but it's down like 10, so it's 320 equivalent. That's the longest one to try to get over. In good conditions, I can, if it's calm or a little bit of help.”
McIlroy considers this week’s course similar to Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York, where Andrew Green made changes to the Donald Ross masterpiece.
“I go back to Oak Hill a couple years ago at the PGA, and I tried to play the golf course strategically over the first couple of days,” McIlroy said. “And I just realized that these new renovated old-school courses, like the strategy is just hit driver everywhere and then figure it out from there. That's sort of the strategy of this place this week.”
With a "send-it" philosophy, McIlroy would seem right at home with this week’s tuneup for next week at Quail Hollow and the PGA Championship, and using a philosophy that seems to have worked well at Augusta.
“I think, when it was renovated, it probably would have held up to the distances that were being hit, but even now, 10 years on, I feel like every par-4 out there is like 430, 440,” McIlroy said of the renovated Philly cricket course. “They sort of feel like they're 40 or 50 yards than what they need to be. Still, it's a cool track to play.”
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Keegan Bradley considers using Ryder Cup team captain's pick on himself
In what could be a first for a pre-tournament press conference, Keegan Bradley was asked only briefly on Wednesday about being defending champion of the BMW Championship, and about the course, Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. Mostly, Bradley talked about his role as captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, the September event's course, Bethpage Black, and if he would use a captain's pick on the current No. 10 player in the Ryder Cup standings. That player is Bradley, making for a compelling narrative and much speculation as the FedEx Cup playoffs continue this week and lead to the Tour Championship. The top six players in the Ryder Cup points standings after this week's tournament will automatically qualify for the squad that faces Team Europe on Sept. 26-28 in Farmingdale, N.Y. Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun and Xander Schaufele have locked up three spots. Justin Thomas at No. 7, Collin Morikawa and Ben Griffin currently have more points than Bradley, who if he doesn't automatically qualify, could use one of six captain's picks on himself after the Tour Championship. "I've been saying all year, you can't expect to be on the team unless you're in the top six," said Bradley, 39. "My goal is to go out there, whether I was Ryder Cup captain or not this week, and play well and play well next week at the Tour Championship as well. "There's definitely a lot more on my plate here these next couple of weeks. The Ryder Cup has always been so far away, and now it's right there. Things are definitely amping up. I still have a lot to prove just as well as everyone around me on the list." It's not common for the team captain to also play. Arnold Palmer was the last playing captain in the biennial contest -- in 1963. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, the No. 2 player in the world, said Wednesday that he considers Bradley one of the United States' 12 best players. But McIlroy also believes there's too much on the plate -- as Bradley might say -- of a Ryder Cup team captain during the event to add playing duties. "(McIlroy) might be right," Bradley said. "We don't know. No one knows. Yeah, like everybody's telling me to start the year that a player can't be captain and have a good year. For me, I feel like this is one of my best years that I've ever had." Bradley is currently No. 14 in the FedEx Cup standings and No. 12 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He has eight career wins on the PGA Tour, including the 2024 BMW Championship and this year at the Travelers Championship on June 22. He also had five top-10 finishes and made 17 of 19 cuts. He has made a habit in his career of asking others for advice who have gone through an experience such as playing in a major, playing the last tee time on Sunday or facing the media. But for this question, no one has personal experience. "I certainly have a lot of concerns, as well as everybody else, but I have the most incredible vice captains, including Jim Furyk, who's been on these teams and been captain a bunch of times," Bradley said. "Quite frankly, I've been leaning on them more than any other captain ever anyways, even if I'm not playing. "We're ready for this if it happens. I'm not sure it's going to. I can truly sit here right now and say I don't know what's going to happen. I have to look at myself just like any other player trying to make the team. I'm 10th in points right now, and that's not sixth." He has gratitude for his peers' support no matter his decision, including McIlroy and World No. 1 Scheffler, who said on Wednesday, "I think he's a guy we'd all love to have on the team. The intensity that he's brought as a captain -- I mean, he has definitely exceeded my expectations as far as a captain. He's done a great job." Rickie Fowler and Patrick Cantlay also joined the chorus of supporting Bradley as a playing captain. "I can tell you, honestly, it means the world to me to hear that. I haven't ever really felt that in my career," Bradley said. "It's really touching. It really means a lot. I really have -- the thing I've enjoyed most is getting to know these guys better. I was really a closed-off player for most of my career. "Getting to know the guys more and getting to learn who they are, and then I think as a golfer, or as an athlete or a businessman, whatever it is, when you feel the respect of your peers, that's the ultimate. To hear that from two players of that caliber really means a lot."
Bears make big decision amid concerning Caleb Williams reports
Second-year Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and other starters were spectators for Chicago's preseason opener versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed things will be different when his club hosts the Buffalo Bills for an exhibition matchup this coming Sunday evening. "Everyone's going to play," Johnson said, as shared by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Johnson added that how many snaps Williams will take versus the Bills is "to be determined." The Bears will first host the Bills for a joint practice on Friday. Johnson came to this decision following multiple reports detailing the supposed struggles that Williams has endured throughout training camp. Most recently, Monday’s practice was allegedly "a low point for" Chicago's first-team offense and featured "Williams and receiver Rome Odunze both looking frustrated" after some failed connections. "I've been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get [Williams] up to speed," Johnson explained. "And by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would've been able to do had he played in the game. This week, it's a different schedule. Different length of time in terms of in between games and all that. And so, our plan right now is the guys that sat out last week, they will be playing this week." Those running the Bears hope that the hiring of Johnson, an advertised offensive guru, will help Williams become a top-tier quarterback after the 23-year-old won only five of 17 starts during his rookie season. However, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic is among those who have mentioned that Williams has been responsible for a noteworthy number of inaccurate passes this summer. "I think the trust that we've been talking about from the get-go, that's really where that comes into play," Johnson added about risking the health of his starters by playing them against Buffalo. "We haven't been here with this group as a coaching staff. That trust has been earning, and we've been developing that amongst each other. It's not a one-way street. It goes both ways. And so I think that's just another step in the progression, you know?" The Bears will wrap up the preseason with a game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22. It's unclear if Williams or other Chicago starters will see any action that Friday night.
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders could be losing valuable opportunity after injury update
Just when it seemed everything was going right for Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback caught an unlucky break on Wednesday. The 23-year-old QB was sidelined during Wednesday's joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering an oblique injury. Per Kelsey Russo of the team website, the 2025 fifth-round pick won't practice Thursday and is considered day-to-day. He is deemed unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason game against Philadelphia, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Before Wednesday's practice, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed rookie QB Dillon Gabriel will start against Philadelphia as long as he's healthy enough to play. The 2025 third-rounder missed Cleveland's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers because of a hamstring issue. However, Stefanski previously said Sanders would get more reps this week after a solid preseason debut. The former Colorado Buffaloes star received the start in the 30-10 win over Carolina, going 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdown passes. Not playing against Philadelphia could disrupt Sanders' momentum. More importantly, it may eliminate another opportunity for him to overtake Gabriel in Cleveland's four-way QB competition. Sanders is listed as the Browns QB4 behind Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco on the team's unofficial depth chart. Despite questions about Gabriel's size (5-foot-11, 205 pounds), the coaching staff seems to favor him over Sanders. Earlier this offseason, Gabriel's processing speed reportedly impressed Browns coaches, giving him an edge over Sanders. The former Oregon Ducks star also received reps with the first-team offense during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, while his fellow rookie didn't. If Gabriel plays well against the Eagles, that would continue to affirm the coaching staff's confidence in the 24-year-old QB. Neither Sanders nor Gabriel is expected to be the Week 1 starter for the Browns. It's likely going to be Flacco, who helped Cleveland make the playoffs in 2023 when he went 4-1 during a late-season stretch. Still, another solid preseason showing could help Sanders position himself to replace 40-year-old Flacco in the future. With the setback, it may take more time to climb the depth chart.
Troubling news emerges on Bears QB Caleb Williams’ workout with HC Ben Johnson
It might have been a good thing the Chicago Bears didn’t play Caleb Williams on Sunday. The Bears might need to hide their second-year quarterback as he irons out his wrinkles in the pre-snap process and with accuracy issues. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft struggled with timing and accuracy during the Bears’ joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Friday. Caleb Williams was inaccurate in the red zone against no defenders On Sunday, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson chose not to play second-year quarterback Caleb Williams against the Dolphins in their first preseason game. Instead, Johnson led a workout with Williams and wide receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore before the game. Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears ran a total of 87 plays during the workout. All of the plays were routes in the air with no defenders on the field for the scripted practice. Despite going against no defenders bringing pressure or guarding his receivers, Williams struggled to hit his targets in the red zone. "Williams would stand next to Johnson, who would give him the play," Biggs wrote. "Then, the quarterback simulated a huddle with the player (only one ran a route on each snap) and gave the play call. They’d break the huddle, go to the line of scrimmage, Williams would simulate pre-snap actions and then the play would be run… "Before ending the session with eight deep balls, there was a 25-play set of snaps in the red zone. One thing Williams struggled to connect on was out routes to Moore and Odunze near the goal line. Those throws were not close and Williams consistently led the receivers too much." A closed-door problem for the Chicago Bears The throws weren’t close during routes on air… in the red zone? Williams wasn’t ready to take the field for the preseason game. For all of the flak he’s been getting from practice reports, the quarterback would have been relentlessly mocked for having these issues shown during an NFL Network broadcast. Biggs’ report is troubling, with a month to go before the season. Williams has much to improve upon, and the Bears are very much trying to do so without cameras present for a reason.
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