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Xander Schauffele has transformed himself into a major championship killer
For years, Xander Schauffele was widely considered the best golfer in the world who didn't possess the killer mentality to win the big one. After firing a bogey-free 65 in the final round of the British Open to win his second major championship of the year, the American has officially shown that narrative the door.
Schauffele entered the final round at Royal Troon Golf Club one stroke back of leader Billy Horschel. It took him six holes to record his first birdie of the day on the gettable front 9, and he entered the brutally tough back 9 two shots back of the lead.
This was the point in Schauffele's past when he would press too hard and let the pressure affect his game. Coming up short on the back 9 was a theme during his 0-for-27 start to his major championship career.
But this time — with the invaluable experience of winning a major now in his back pocket — Schauffele went into killer mode.
After a near-birdie at the 10th hole, Schauffele stuck his approach to three feet on the intimidating par-4 11th and sank the birdie look. He was the only man to birdie 11 all day. He followed it up with back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 to seize the outright lead.
Our new leader.
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2024
Xander Schauffele birdies the 13th. pic.twitter.com/4srLdWkYtq
On the par-5 16th, when he could've played it safe to hold his lead, Schauffele pulled his 3-wood from 298 yards out and blasted his second shot just short of the green. A nifty up and down over a pot bunker gave him full control of the tournament.
Schauffele recorded stress-free pars on 17 and 18 to close out a 6-under 65, the lowest score from any player in the final round. In Round 4, the menacing back 9 played to an average score of 2-over par with the wind blowing into the players' faces. Schauffele shot a 4-under 31 and barely broke a sweat doing it.
We're witnessing a stunning transformation from a player who struggled for so long to calm his nerves while in contention at a major championship. Schauffele looked as calm on Sunday as a weekend warrior playing his weekly round with his buddies.
The greatest walk in golf for Xander Schauffele. pic.twitter.com/xYY9yv5D1B
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2024
Schauffele's refinement in majors is reminiscent of a basketball player searching for his shot. Sometimes all you need is to see one go in to kickstart a run, and Schauffele's run is just beginning.
More must-reads:
- Xander Schauffele rides strong finish to win Open Championship
- Watch: Xander Schauffele shares awesome moment with his dad after The Open
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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."
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.
Browns HC confirms Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders whispers
A previous report suggested that the Cleveland Browns want to start 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel at quarterback for this coming Saturday's preseason game at the Philadelphia Eagles over 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders as long as Gabriel is healthy enough to play at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. While speaking with reporters ahead of Wednesday's joint practice involving the clubs, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that Gabriel began the day on track to start Saturday's contest. "The plan was always to give both of those guys a start in the preseason, so we’ll see how it shakes out," Stefanski explained, as shared by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Neither Gabriel nor backup Kenny Pickett played in Cleveland's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday as they continued to recover from lingering hamstring injuries. Sanders received the bulk of the meaningful reps in that game and completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-10 win over Carolina. While Gabriel is doing 11-on-11 work during joint practices this week, Pickett remained relegated to 7-on-7 drills as of Wednesday. That said, FanDuel Sportsbook continued to list 40-year-old Joe Flacco as the betting favorite at -310 odds to be the Browns' starting quarterback for their Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals as of Wednesday. Pickett was at +360 odds, followed by Sanders at +1060. Gabriel was a +1800 underdog to get the nod for the Cincinnati matchup at that time. Gabriel began Wednesday as the Browns' unofficial QB3 ahead of Sanders. Meanwhile, Sanders did not get any reps in the opening few periods of the Browns' joint practice with the Eagles on Wednesday morning after suffering an oblique injury. Earlier in the month, the former Colorado star missed some practice time due to arm soreness. Per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Stefanski added that he wants "to get through" Thursday before he finalizes his plans for the Philadelphia game. Unless Gabriel experiences a setback ahead of the weekend, it seems he will receive an opportunity to silence critics while serving as Cleveland's temporary QB1 against the Eagles.
Yankees Announce Paul Goldschmidt News After Loss to Twins
The New York Yankees won their first series of August in a three-game set against the Minnesota Twins from Monday to Wednesday, but they're still in trouble. They're only one game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for the third and final AL Wild Card spot with six weeks left in the regular season. The Yankees beat the Twins 6-2 on Monday and 9-1 on Tuesday before losing 4-1 on Wednesday, but Tuesday's victory came at a price. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt left early and didn't play on Wednesday, a night in which New York especially needed his bat. The Yankees released an update on Goldschmidt after Wednesday night's game, via MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. The 37-year-old has a low-grade knee sprain with inflammation. He's slashing .276/.331/.422 with 10 homers and 40 RBI over 112 games. Fellow first baseman Ben Rice went 1-for-4 in Goldshmidt's stead on Wednesday. The 26-year-old is slashing .233/.326/.456 with 17 homers and 38 RBI over 101 contests. Paul Goldschmidt comments on injury Goldschmidt said that he hopes he can avoid the IL with a "short-term" absence, via Hoch. While Rice is a high-upside player in his second year, the seven-time All-Star is still a more dependable contact hitter at this point. Goldschmidt is third on the squad with 110 hits, although his younger counterpart's OPS is 30 points higher. The Yankees need the veteran back as soon as possible to help them maintain their Wild Card spot. His presence allows Rice to play catcher, which is optimal given Austin Wells's struggles. The 26-year-old is slashing just .206/.264/.408 with 15 homers and 56 RBI over 94 games. Up next for New York is a road series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Goldschmidt's former team.
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