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Bar Chat

03/10/2025

Last Weekend of College Hoops Regular Season

Add-on posted early Tues. a.m.

College Basketball

--New AP poll, records through Sunday....

1. Duke 28-3 (52)
2. Houston 27-4 (5)
3. Auburn 27-4 (4)
4. Florida 27-4
5. Alabama 24-7
6. St. John’s 27-4
7. Michigan State 26-5
8. Tennessee 25-6
9. Texas Tech 24-7
10. Clemson 26-5
11. Maryland 24-7
12. Iowa State 23-8
13. Louisville 25-6
14. Texas A&M 22-9...up 8
15. Kentucky 21-10
16. Memphis 26-5
17. BYU 23-8
18. Wisconsin 23-8...down 6
19. Saint Mary’s 27-4
20. Purdue 21-10
21. Missouri 21-10
22. Michigan 22-9
23. Oregon 23-8
24. Illinois 20-11
25. Marquette 22-9

Drake No. 26 if you carry out the votes.

Monday, Wofford defeated Furman for the Southern Conference title, 92-85, Wofford making the NCAA tournament field for a sixth time since 2009-10.

--They released the ACC first-team and other stuff, as voted on by the 18 coaches and 63 media members, and of course Cooper Flagg was the ACC Player of the Year.

But I was surprised Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis made the first team for a second year, together with Flagg, Maxime Raynaud (Stanford), Chucky Hepburn (Louisville), and Chase Hunter (Clemson).

Sallis just hasn’t as good as he was last season.

RJ Davis (North Carolina), and Markus Burton (Notre Dame) were right behind, along with Ian Schieffelin (Clemson) in the balloting.

Coach of the Year was Pat Kelsey, Louisville.

NBA

--The Knicks (41-23) snapped their three-game losing streak in Sacramento (33-31) last night, 133-104, shooting 22 of 40 from three!

The Nuggets (42-23) won their return game against the Thunder (53-12) in OKC, 140-127, as Nikola Jokic had 35 points and 18 rebounds.

The Nets (22-42) beat the Lakers (40-23) in Brooklyn Monday, 111-108, Luka Doncic just 8 of 26 from the field.  LeBron James is likely out for two weeks with his groin injury.

NFL

--After I posted Sunday, we learned that Davante Adams, having been released by the Jets, was signing with the Rams on a two-year, $46 deal.  So he won’t be reuniting, again, with Aaron Rodgers, if Rodgers were to sign with the Giants, as rumored.

--The Steelers acquired wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seahawks, Pittsburgh sending a second-round pick in this year’s draft, while Metcalf gets a new five-year, $150 million contract from his new club.  The teams also swapped picks in the sixth and seventh rounds of this year’s draft.

And now there is talk Aaron Rodgers could be throwing to Metcalf, as in not signing with the Giants.

--Josh Allen and the Bills agreed to a new six-year, $330 million contract that includes a record $250 million guaranteed, making it the largest guaranteed money handed to a player in NFL history, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday night.

The 28-year-old stays in Western New York through 2030.

--Monday, Sam Darnold then signed with the Seahawks, three years, $100.5 million that includes $55 million guaranteed.

And the Jets signed free agent QB Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million deal that includes $30 million guaranteed.  I love this move.  The Jets should still draft a QB, and they have Tyrod Taylor as a backup plan.

But Fields, 26, still has a lot of raw potential, and he’s got the legs, having rushed for over 1,100 yards in 2022 with the Bears.  And the Jets do have a solid offensive line.

Plus, Fields was a teammate of receiver Garrett Wilson at Ohio State, and there should be some good chemistry there.

--Philadelphia traded QB Kenny Pickett to Cleveland in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick and Browns backup QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Third-year player Tanner McKee will now back up Jalen Hurts for the Eagles.

Pickett could compete for the starting job in Cleveland.

MLB

The Yankees received the worst news possible Monday. Gerrit Cole is having Tommy John surgery today, Tuesday, after meeting with surgeon Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.

Just devastating for a team that had built a potentially spectacular pitching staff in the offseason, only to have Cole and AL reigning Rookie of the Year Luis Gil go down, Gil for at least three months, but possibly the season.

Cole is making $36 million per season through 2028.

NHL

--When I posted Sunday evening, the Capitals were tied with the Kraken at 2-2 in the third, but the Caps scored two late goals for the 4-2 win, and sure enough, Alex Ovechkin picked up another empty net goal, No. 886, nine shy of breaking Gretzky’s mark.  His 33rd goal of the season was also career point No. 1,600.

Ovechkin extended his NHL record for empty-netters to 65.  You have to picture the excitement of Washington fans when they see the opponent pulling their goaltender, at which point they immediately start chanting for “Ovi! Ovi!” to get on the ice.

--The Rangers, hosting the Blue Jackets Sunday night, both teams tied in points for the final wild card slot in the East, laid an egg of epic proportions, falling 7-3. I watched the post-game with former Rangers great Henrik Lundqvist, and in showing all the replays of the Columbus goals, as King Henrik pointed out, the Rangers simply didn’t defend the middle of the ice on the defensive end...as in the Blue Jackets could pass it back and forth about 10-12 feet outside the goal crease without a Ranger intercepting, deflecting or blocking the pass...it was ‘Sports Illustrated Teaching Hockey 101’ (you know, those old instructional books for new coaches at the middle school level).  Ugh.

NASCAR

Christopher Bell did it again...winning the Cup Series Sunday at Phoenix, his third straight, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin by 0.049 to win the second-closest race in Phoenix Raceway history.

Bell is the first to win three straight since Kyle Larson in 2021.  He is the first since Kevin Harvick in 2018 to win three of the first four races of the season.  Jimmie Johnson was the last to win four straight in 2007.

Katherine Legge finished 30th.

Golf Balls

--On to The Players Championship this week, Scottie Scheffler having won the last two.  It should be fun.

The last spot in the 144-player field is Karl Vilips, winner of Sunday’s Puerto Rico Open in just his fourth PGA Tour event.  Because it was an alternate field tournament, he wasn’t rewarded with an entry to The Masters, but he gets to play in the Players, is exempt for the PGA Championship and the 2026 edition of The Sentry, a signature event.  His membership is also extended through 2027.

But going back to Bay Hill, I do agree with Eamon Lynch of Golfweek that this event was way too restrictive, just 72 players, and you saw how the field didn’t include Rickie Fowler or Jordan Spieth because they didn’t meet the qualifying requirements.

With 72 players, there just isn’t enough action on the course if you’re a spectator, which was Lynch’s point.  It’s hardly what Arnold Palmer, Mr. Everyman, would have wanted for his tournament.  It was always an invitational when he ruled it, but not this restrictive, and as a result of the lack of action on Thursday and Friday, you have empty grandstands.

--Boy, Phil Mickelson sure knows how to rile people up.  In comments the other day, he stated it would mean more to him personally to win a LIV Golf team event than a Ryder Cup for Team USA.

“I would love nothing more – one of my goals is to win a LIV event,” Mickelson said.  “The experience of sharing that with teammates, we have not yet won as a team. I’ve not ever won as a team in professional golf outside of the Ryder Cup, and even that was very few times. I think that would probably mean a little more, which is very unusual to say in a game that is such an individual sport, but that would be special for us.”

Well, good for you, Phil.  Go win a LIV team event.  But to compare it to the Ryder Cup?  What a jerk.

Speaking of the Ryder Cup, I’m telling you...not to beat a dead horse...but next September out on Bethpage, Long Island, is going to be intense...and kind of a s---show.

Next Bar Chat Sunday p.m. ...after NCAA Selection Show....

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[Posted Sunday p.m.]

Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.

PGA Tour Quiz: Aside from Tiger Woods, and not including LIV Golf regulars, name the nine  active Tour players with 10+ career wins.  Answer below.

College Basketball

--A few upsets this week, including a biggie last Tuesday, 22 Texas A&M (21-9, 10-7) defeating 1 Auburn (27-3, 15-2) in College Station, 83-72, as the Aggies held Johni Broome to just eight points and seven rebounds.  A&M also outrebounded the Tigers 24-9 off the offensive glass.

Wednesday, No. 5 Florida (26-4, 13-4) beat 7 Alabama (23-7, 12-5), 99-94, in Tuscaloosa, but Ole Miss (21-9, 10-7) upset 4 Tennessee (24-6, 11-6), 78-76.

13 Maryland (23-7, 13-6) had a nice win at 17 Michigan (22-8, 14-5), 71-65.

Thursday, Rutgers clinched a spot in the Big Ten tournament after No.  8 Michigan State defeated Iowa, a result that guarantees the Scarlet Knights a top-15 finish in the league standings.

As in RU (14-16, 7-12) has one last chance to salvage one of the most disappointing seasons in college basketball history.  They literally need to run the table.

On to Saturday, and I was locked in on some biggies.  6 St. John’s (27-4, 18-2) completed its stunning regular season with an exciting 86-84 overtime win at 20 Marquette (22-9, 13-7).  RJ Luis Jr. had 28 points and 11 rebounds for Rick Pitino’s Johnnies, with Kadary Richmond chipping in the first triple-double in school history since Ron Artest in 1999, 10-12-11.

Kam Jones, a future NBAer, had 32 for the Golden Eagles.

7 Alabama (24-7, 13-5) then upset 1 Auburn (27-4, 15-3) on the road, another overtime thriller, 93-91, on a Mark Sears floater at the buzzer, like Kam Jones, Sears also an NBA prospect.

But Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome (along with Cooper Flagg) had 34 points for Auburn.  The thing is, he can’t hit foul shots (2 of 5, 61% for his career).  Broome is a future NBA All-Star, but every hoops fan knows come March Madness, the teams that make the Final Four are always tested in a game once in the tournament (save for UConn recently), and Broome’s inability to hit foul shots will cost the Tigers...mark my words.

2 Duke (28-3, 19-1) completed a spectacular regular season, 82-69 over North Carolina (20-12, 13-7), which probably cost the Tar Heels an NCAA bid.

3 Houston, 4 Tennessee, 5 Florida, 9 Texas Tech and 10 Iowa State all won their contests.

11 Clemson (26-5, 18-2) beat Virginia Tech (13-18, 8-12) despite shooting only 3 of 20 from three.  Instead, the Hokies turned the ball over 23 times!

13 Maryland won again, now 24-7, 14-6, 74-61 over Northwestern.  I told you long ago that the Terps were the big sleeper team, but that was when they were unranked.  [I hope Duke wins it, but the Terps could be Final Four bound.]

14 Louisville (25-6, 18-2) won its ninth straight, 68-48 over Stanford (19-12, 11-9), but in all honesty, they didn’t beat anybody in those nine.

Which leads me to Wake Forest, the Deacs whipping an improved Georgia Tech (16-15, 10-10) 69-43, holding the Yellow Jackets to 16 of 54 shooting from the field, 29.6%, 3 of 23 from downtown, the Deacs with 13 steals, Cam Hildreth six of them.

Wake, 21-10, 13-7, is not making the Big Dance, unless they win the ACC tournament, and that task did get a step easier, as the Deacs, tied with North Carolina and SMU for fourth in the conference, got the fourth seed, the double-bye, as both the Tar Heels and Mustangs lost their finales (SMU 76-69 at Florida State), and Wake had beaten both in their only regular season contests.  So what the heck...if we play good half-court defense, as we’re capable of, and rebound, we can hang with everyone but Duke.

Sunday, 17 Michigan was at 8 Michigan State and the Spartans (26-5, 17-3) won it handily, 79-62, up 50-28 at the half, the Wolverines (22-9, 14-6) shooting 3 of 24 from three for the game.

Rutgers finishes the regular season 15-16, 8-12, defeating Minnesota (15-16, 7-13) in overtime, 75-67.

--In the Missouri Valley Conference tournament final, Drake (30-3, 17-3) defeated Bradley (26-8, 15-5) 63-48.  This was big in terms of the ‘bubble,’ as Drake would have deserved a spot if they had lost.

And High Point (N.C., 29-5, 14-2) is goin’ dancin’, beating Winthrop for the Big South final.  It is their first bid!  Huge, for a school that advertises heavily in the New York area.  They have very competitive soccer and baseball programs, too.

--Duke associate head coach Jai Lucas signed a deal to become the head men’s basketball coach at Miami.  Lucas is leaving the team after this weekend.

Lucas, 36, helped head coach Jon Scheyer land the nation’s top recruiting class in 2024, led by Cooper Flagg, and 2025, headlined by Cameron Boozer and his twin brother Cayden Boozer.

He’s also the architect of one of the country’s top defenses.

--Former Florida State point guard Luke Loucks, now 34 and an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings, is succeeding the retiring Leonard Hamilton at his alma mater.  Cool move.

--In a bit of a shocker, North Carolina State fired coach Kevin Keatts, one year after taking the Wolfpack to the Final Four, as well as an ACC championship, the team needing to win five games in five days to achieve the latter.

But they failed to make the 15-team field for this year’s ACC tournament, in an 18-team league at 5-15, 12-19 overall.  [One of those five wins against Wake Forest, which was a killer for our NCAA hopes.]

Keatts was 153-113 overall at State after a successful run at UNC Wilmington.

Keatts posted on X: “As we enter this new era of college sports, I wholeheartedly believe that I am leaving the program in a better position to succeed than when I started.  The basketball program will continue to thrive when supported to the level necessary to compete.”

--Last Tuesday, the ACC and member schools Clemson and Florida State dropped their lawsuits against each other as anticipated, but it marks a dramatic reversal.

There was a time not long ago when it was not if, but when, FSU and Clemson would leave the ACC.

Instead, the two are saying after a new revenue distribution system was hatched, FSU and Clemson expected to receive a bigger cut of the revenues moving forward.

But for smaller ACC schools, like Wake Forest, it’s a hit.  That said, there is stability in the conference, for at least a few years.

And if Wake, for example, returned to football glory, the Deacs, or Syracuse, or BC if they did the same, would reap the rewards.

Miami and North Carolina are among the other winners.

Otherwise, all the talk of massive TV rights deals makes my head spin and I’m like, yeah, it’s a new era, constant roster turnovers, the NIL dollars...but just play the games.  It’s what’s on the uniform that counts.

NBA

--Not a good week for Knicks fans...not good at all.

Going back to Tuesday, New York fell to Golden State (34-28) at home, 114-102, Steph Curry with 28 points, the Knicks without Karl-Anthony Towns, out for a personal reason, which we would learn was the death of a good family friend.

The Knicks then traveled out to Los Angeles and on Thursday, fell to the Lakers in a crusher in overtime, 113-109, losing Jalen Brunson to a badly sprained ankle that looked far worse.

Brunson had 39 points and 10 rebounds when he came down on an opponent’s ankle in OT.  The Knicks have declared him out for two weeks, the playoffs starting in about four.

For the Lakers, it was their eighth straight win, Luka Doncic with 32 points, 12 assists, LeBron James with 31 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists.

Friday night, the Knicks then took on the Clippers (34-29) and New York (40-23) lost their third straight, 105-95, collapsing in the fourth quarter.  Miles McBride, starting in place of Brunson, was just 2 of 13 from the field.

But I have to note the amazing Josh Hart, who had a career-high 20 rebounds!

New York plays at Sacramento, Monday.

As for the Lakers, their winning streak ended at 8, falling Saturday night to the Celtics in Boston, 111-101, Jayson Tatum with 40 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, the Celts 46-18.

LeBron left with a groin injury, though he said after he didn’t think it was too serious.  We’ll see.

With the Lakers resurgence, and the addition of Luka, the NBA is desperately hoping that L.A. at least makes it to the conference finals for television purposes.

--What a brutal stretch for Dallas following the Luka Doncic trade.  In a 122-98 loss to Sacramento on Monday night, Kyrie Irving tore the ACL in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season.  This comes after the Mavs lost Anthony Davis to a groin injury in his Dallas debut, coming over from the Lakers for Doncic.

I honestly didn’t think this was an awful deal at the time, because I, like many others, looked at Doncic’s injury history, and the looming max deal that he’ll command.

But I do see why Dallas fans are incredibly upset...and then they lose Kyrie, who has a $44 million player option for next season.  He earned his ninth All-Star appearance this season, averaging 24.7 points and was shooting 40% from three.

--Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the favorite to win MVP, scored 51 points in a 137-128 win over the Rockets last Monday, his fourth 50-point game this season, most in the NBA, with all four in his last 19 games.

Gilgeous-Alexander then had 41 in a 120-103 win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday; marking 57 straight with at least 20 points.

He then sat out Friday’s 107-89 win over the Trail Blazers for rest; OKC now 52-11.

--Cleveland moved to 53-10 with its 13th straight (its second 13-game winning streak on the season, having started out 15-0, plus they have a 12-game streak), eking out a 118-117 road win at 14-48 Charlotte.

--Denver superstar Nikola Jokic showed Friday night why he’s a three-time MVP.

Jokic put up an unprecedented triple-double of 31 points, 21 rebounds and 22 assists in the Nuggets’ 149-141 overtime victory over Phoenix.  No NBA player had ever put up a 30-20-20 stat line.

Jokic was helped by the OT, where he had five assists and six points.

--So Sunday, the Nuggets (41-23) faced the Thunder in OKC, and the Thunder are 53-11....127-103, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with another 40 points, Jokic an ineffective 24-13-9 line.

--Wednesday, the Celtics (44-18) defeated the Trail Blazers (28-35) in Boston, 128-118, which wouldn’t be worth a mention except Derrick White and Payton Pritchard became the first Celtics duo to both score 40 points in a game, combining for 19 3-pointers, most by any duo in NBA history.

White had 41 points, 9 of 17 from three, while Pritchard had 43 points (10 of 16 from downtown), plus 10 rebounds. 

--Back to LeBron, in a game on Tuesday night against New Orleans, he became the first player to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and postseason, James finishing with 34 in a 136-115 win.

--Stephen A. Smith agreed to a new contract with ESPN worth at least $100 million for five years, an agreement that will result in Smith continuing to star on “First Take” on ESPN while scaling back some of his other required appearances on the network.

You can be sure Smith will be on networks talking politics, which he loves to do.  There is talk he could run for the Democratic nomination in 2028, which he blows off but it is not as far-fetched as you might think.

I like the guy.  He cracks me up.  Ditto Charles Barkley.

NFL

--The Minnesota Vikings declined to use their franchise player tag on quarterback Sam Darnold, leaving him eligible for unrestricted free agency next week.

The team and Darnold remain interested in attempting to negotiate a contract that would keep him with the Vikings.  But lots of teams will be interested in his services.

--The Las Vegas Raiders acquired quarterback Geno Smith for a 2025 third-round draft pick to reunite him with former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, according to multiple reports.

Smith, 34, threw for a career-high 4,320 yards with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions last season.

So now there is talk of Seattle going after Darnold.

--The Eagles rewarded running back Saquon Barkley with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension, the first-ever $20 million-plus player at his position.

The record-breaking contract includes $36 million fully guaranteed and up to $15 million in incentives and escalators.

--The Chargers released defensive end Joey Bosa on Wednesday, after nine years with the team.  Bosa, 29, a former AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award winner, carried a cap hit of over $36 million for 2025, and the Chargers will save $25.36 million despite a $11.11 million dead money charge this year.

Injuries have hampered his play the last few years.

--The Jets released wide receiver Davante Adams, saving more than $29.8 million in salary-cap space.

Once the team parted ways with Aaron Rodgers, this was inevitable; Allen Lazard another salary-cap casualty for sure.

[The rumors about Rodgers signing with the Giants are growing.]

Everything heats up Wednesday, the start of the ‘league year.’

--This afternoon we learned the Browns, kind of out of nowhere, and Myles Garrett agreed on a record contract extension that averages $40 million per year and includes $123.5 million in guaranteed money, making the future Hall of Fame defensive end the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, according to ESPN.

The extension runs through the 2030 season.

Garrett, 29, not only has seven consecutive seasons of 10+ sacks, but he’s a four-time first-team All-Pro, the honor you want (two times second team) as well as an AP Defensive Player of the Year.

I’m shocked because he had said he doesn’t want to go through another rebuild, and the Browns suck!  This ain’t no rebuild...they should be relegated, replaced by Ohio State, Cleveland joining the Big Ten, or maybe the Mid-American Conference, with rivalries inside the state with the likes of Ohio, Miami of Ohio, Akron, Toledo....this makes too much sense....

Garrett would dominate. It would be like Godzilla going through Tokyo.  I’d pay for that.

--Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson formally announced his retirement from Fox Sports, where he’s been an integral part of its NFL Sunday pregame shows for decades.  He’s 81...he deserves to relax down in Key West, Fla.  During the Super Bowl pregame, Fox aired a tribute to Johnson, anticipating this move.

MLB

--Yankees fans learned Friday night that ace Gerrit Cole is undergoing tests on his right elbow after experiencing some discomfort.

Cole made his second start of the spring on Thursday afternoon, giving up six runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Twins while building up his pitch count to 54.

He said after the outing he was pleased with his fastball velocity – which averaged 95.7 mph and topped out at 97.6 mph – but struggled with his command.

Last March, Cole was diagnosed with elbow nerve inflammation and edema after making just one spring start, which sidelined him until June before he came back to make 17 starts.

The Yanks are already without last year’s AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, who was diagnosed this week with a high-grade lat strain that could keep him out until at least June, if not the whole season.

And today, GM Brian Cashman said he was “prepared for the worst,” with regards to Cole, who is seeking other opinions, which doesn’t sound good at all.  If it’s Tommy John, he’d be out until midseason 2026.

--Also today, Mets fans learned that catcher Francisco Alvarez broke the hamate bone in his left hand on a swing and he will be out two months, minimum.  This sucks.  Baseball fans know what a brutal injury this can be in the sport.  Last season he was limited to 100 games due to an  injured thumb that required surgery, suffered while baserunning.

Luis Torrens will get the starting nod now.  He at least is good at throwing out base stealers and handling a pitching staff.

--The Athletics rewarded outfielder Lawrence Butler for his breakout performance last season by agreeing to a seven-year, $65.5 million extension.

Butler, 24, is coming off a stunning second half of 2024, when he hit 20 home runs in 84 games once the club recalled him from the minors in June.

Great move.  The guy is exciting.

The A’s also locked up Brent Rooker for five years, $60 million back in January, after Rooker exploded for 39 home runs, 112 RBIs and a .907 OPS last season.

But this should be for the Oakland A’s, not Sacramento/Las Vegas.

--In College Baseball, going back to Tuesday, George Mason scored 23 runs in the second inning against Holy Cross, two more than the previous record for most runs scored in an inning held by Penn State (1984) and Wichita State (1983).

And the Patriots actually grounded out to start the inning.  They collected 11 hits, eight walks and were – somehow – hit by a pitch five times.  The Patriots racked up the 23 runs without a home run.

The final score, by the way, was 26-6 in seven innings.

--Wake Forest opened their ACC schedule with three games against Notre Dame in Winston-Salem, and on Friday, the Deacs won 19-5, as junior shortstop Marek Houston had a program-tying 10 RBIs, giving him 32 in the first 15 games.  Houston should be a first-round draft pick.

Saturday, Houston homered, 33 RBIs in 16, as the Deacs (13-3) beat the Irish 6-5.

And Sunday, he picked up another ribby, Deacs winning 11-1 for the sweep.

NHL

--Alex Ovechkin did not score in the Capitals’ 5-2 win over the Red Wings Friday night, leaving him at 885 goals in his quest to break Wayne Gretzky’s 894 this season.

The Caps then hosted the Kraken Sunday in Washington....and as I go to post late third period, Ovechkin hasn’t scored.

--What a frustrating season for Rangers fans.  Management has made a flurry of moves, virtually all considered smart ones by the fan base, but we have suffered a ton of crushing losses, including Friday’s 4-3 overtime loss at Ottawa, Brady Tkachuk with two goals, including the game-winner, for the Senators.

Entering Sunday’s play, New York was tied with Columbus for the final wild card spot in points, and faced the Blue Jackets tonight.

Golf Balls

--We had a signature event this week, Arnie’s tournament at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla.

Through three rounds....

Collin Morikawa -10
Russell Henley -9
Corey Conners -8
Jason Day -7

Shane Lowry, -4, held the second-round lead, but blew up to a 4-over 76 on Saturday.

Morikawa is seeking win No. 7 on Tour, having two majors in his first six.

Rory McIlroy, -3, and Scottie Scheffler, -2, failed on Saturday to make a move on the field after being in a position to do so.

And heading to the par-4 No. 18, in an entertaining final round, Russell Henley was one up on Morikawa, -11 to -10...both on the green, but neither seemingly with a makeable birdie...

Henley 3 ½ feet for the win...drains it...win No. 5, best of his career.  

--In the alternate field event, the Puerto Rico Open, Karl Vilips, in just his fourth start on the tour, won it! He’s 23, born in Indonesia, settles in Australia, goes to Stanford...and here he is, an official PGA Tour winner.

As Larry David would say, ‘pretty, pretty good...’

--The PGA Tour’s ratings are up 17% from last year thus far in the season.  But more impressive, Commissioner Jay Monahan said “we have seen $400 million in revenue committed through 14 deals, which is 2 ½ times what we achieved at this point last year, or year over year.”

The $400 million is part of nearly $4 billion in sponsorship commitments secured through 2035.

So, some ask, does the PGA Tour really need to cut a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and LIV Golf?

Speaking of which, Rory McIlroy was asked this week what is preventing a deal from being cemented.  “It takes two to tango,” Rory said Wednesday.  “So if one party is willing and ready and the other isn’t, it sort of makes it tough.”

First-year LIV CEO Scott O’Neil has continued to make the case for the breakaway’s tour future, which stands in direct contrast to Monahan’s repeated push for reunification.

“I continue to see LIV Golf growing,” Bryson DeChambeau told reporters at LIV Hong Kong Wednesday.  “It’s going to grow at an exponentiating pace for years to come, and we aren’t going anywhere.”

Bulls---.

Rory said: “I think the narrative around golf would welcome a deal in terms of just having all the best players together again. But I don’t think the PGA Tour needs a deal.  I think the momentum is pretty strong.”

[Sergio Garcia won this week’s LIV Golf Hong Kong event, bolstering his attempt to be selected for the Ryder Cup team.  Dean Burmester and Phil Mickelson followed, Phil’s best performance in LIV play that I can remember.   Dustin Johnson finished last out of 54, 19 shots back...in just three rounds.  Yup, those saying DJ wants to retire could be right.  I’m guessing he does, if he doesn’t perform in the majors this year.]

NASCAR

--Katherine Legge, a 44-year-old Englishwoman who has driven in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and raced last year in the Indy 500, took the wheel for a Cup Series event at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday.

Legge becomes the eighth female Cup Series driver since NASCAR’s modern era began in the early 1970s,with Danica Patrick and Janet Guthrie the only ones to have made double-digit starts on the top-tier circuit.  Legge is one of nine women to have raced in the Indy 500.

Patrick last competed in the 2018 Daytona 500.

And as I go to post, Legge, who started last out of 37, avoided a crash that took out 7 cars, but she won’t be top ten, or 20, I imagine.

Premier League

Saturday, Nottingham Forest had a huge win over Manchester City at home, 1-0, while Liverpool beat cellar-dweller Southampton 3-1.

Sunday, Chelsea moved into the final Champions League slot with a 1-0 win over Leicester.  Tottenham and Bournemouth tied, 2-2, and Arsenal managed only a 1-1 draw at Manchester United.

Incredibly, City is back under the CL line.  Liverpool can start celebrating.

The Table, 27/29 played out of 38...played – points

1. Liverpool...29 – 70
2. Arsenal...28 – 55
3. Nottingham Forest...28 – 51
4. Chelsea...28 – 49  
5. Man City...28 – 47
6. Brighton...28 – 46
7. Aston Villa...29 – 45
8. Bournemouth...28 – 44
9. Newcastle...27 – 44 ...at West Ham tomorrow

Stuff

--Mikaela Shiffrin finished third in the slalom at Are, Sweden, today, in her next-to-last slalom event of the FIS Alpine World Cup season.  One more end of the month in Sun Valley, Idaho.

--We learned Saturday that actor Gene Hackman died from heart disease at his home in New Mexico, most likely a week after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from the effects of hantavirus, a disease linked to rodents that can cause respiratory failure in rare cases, authorities said.

We also learned Hackman had severe Alzheimer’s, and it’s very possible he was walking around the large compound not knowing his wife was dead. [Or seeing her and not knowing what to do.]

Just all very sad.

Top 3 songs for the week 3/13/76:  #1 “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)” (The Four Seasons)  #2 “All By Myself” (Eric Carmen)  #3 “Love Machines” (The Miracles)...and...#4 “Take It To The Limit” (Eagles)  #5 “Dream Weaver” (Gary Wright) #6 “Lonely Night (Angel Face)” (Captain & Tennille)  #7 “Theme From S.W.A.T.” (Rhythm Heritage)  #8 “Love Hurts” (Nazareth) #9 “Sweet Thing” (Rufus featuring Chaka Khan)  #10 “Junk Food Junkie” (Larry Groce...B- week...)

PGA Tour Quiz Answer: Ex-Tiger, and LIV Golf regulars, the nine active PGA Tour players with ten or more wins....

Rory McIlroy 27
Justin Thomas 15
Adam Scott 14
Scottie Scheffler 13
Jordan Spieth 13
Jason Day 13
Zach Johnson 12
Justin Rose 11
Hideki Matsuyama 11

Matt Kuchar and Xander Schauffele have 9.
Patrick Cantlay and Billy Horschel have 8.

Among the LIV players, in terms of PGA Tour wins....

Phil Mickelson 45
Dustin Johnson 24
Bubba Watson 12
Jon Rahm 11
Sergio Garcia 11

Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed all have 9.

Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.

 

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