Good Morning,
We\’re teeing off from Southern Hills for the PGA Championship, and there\’s a dream grouping you won\’t want to miss. More playoff action steals the highlights, and a historic moment for equal pay in U.S. Soccer becomes official. Let\’s head to Tulsa for golf\’s second major of the year…
Letter Rip!
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Snapshot for Southern Hills
Tiger Woods, A Dream Grouping & Everything to Know for the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills
Golf’s second major on the 2022 calendar tees off this morning from Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the storylines are endless. Tiger Woods — on his “majors only” comeback tour — returns to the course stronger than he was at The Masters. And he’ll join one of the all-time iconic groups in golf history. Meanwhile, defending champion Phil Mickelson’s absence has been the buzz throughout practice rounds while Lefty stays away from the PGA Tour. Let’s head to Southern Hills!
Southern Hills History: The 104th PGA Championship may run through Sunday, but history says the champion will be decided by Friday’s end. In all seven major championships hosted at Southern Hills throughout history, the winner was the 36-hole leader. The same was true for the course’s two Tour Championships and the Senior PGA Championship. Keep an eye on the player who starts hot.
Players to Watch: Four players top the favorites list, and those four — Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth — are paired together in two separate groups on Thursday and Friday. But who was the last player to win a major at Southern Hills? You guessed it. Tiger Woods (2007 PGA Championship). Few tournaments in Tulsa have ended in blowouts, though. Expect things to be close on Sunday.
The Favorites: Scottie Scheffler (+1200), Rory McIlroy (+1200), Jon Rahm (+1400), Jordan Spieth (+1400), Justin Thomas (+1800), Viktor Hovland (+1800), Xander Schauffele (+2000), Hideki Matsuyama (+2000), Collin Morikawa (+2000) | All Betting Odds
Tee Times (Featured Groups)
8:38 AM: H. Matsuyama, X. Schauffele, T. Finau
8:49 AM: T. Hatton, B. DeChambeau, M. Homa
9:00 AM: V. Hovland, W. Zalatoris, C. Smith
9:11 AM: T. Woods, R. McIlroy, J. Spieth
9:22 AM: P. Reed, J. Rose, B. Watson
2:03 PM: S. Lowry, B. Koepka, A. Scott
2:14 PM: D. Johnson, P. Cantlay, J. Thomas
2:25 PM: J. Day, R. Fowler, H. Varner III
2:36 PM: J. Rahm, C. Morikawa, S. Scheffler
*All Times ET
Additional Storylines
CBS Sports: Ranking the Top 22 Favorites at Southern Hills
Yahoo! Sports: Dream Pairing? Tiger Woods to Play With Rory McIlroy & Justin Spieth
ESPN: PGA Championship 2022: Southern Hills to Sleepers & Everything You Need to Know
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NBA PLAYOFFS
Dubs Demoralize Doncic
Warriors Bury Luka Doncic & The Mavericks in Game 1 (112-87)
The Western Conference finals tipped off Wednesday night in San Francisco, and it was all Warriors in Game 1. The Dubs look poised to roll Dallas, but the Mavs have proven their fight-back mentality through the first two rounds. Golden State’s defense locked down Luka Doncic (20 points) in Game 1, holding him to just 6-for-18 shooting while the Mavs shot just 22.9 percent from 3 as a whole (11-for-48). Andrew Wiggins was the primary defender on Doncic to keep him in check. The Warriors had seven players in double figures, including 21 points and 12 boards from Steph Curry to lead the charge. If Game 1 was any indication, things will be over quick in the West.
Watch: Warriors Whack Mavs in Game 1 (112-87)
Tonight’s Schedule
Gm 2: Celtics at Heat (8:30 pm ET)
Additional Storylines
SI: The Warriors Dynasty Is Not Over Yet
USA Today: Warriors Stifle Doncic, Mavericks in Game 1 Rout
NBC Sports: Luka Doncic Wears Massive Scar from Wiggins Scratch in Game 1
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NHL PLAYOFFS
Flames of Fury
Tkachuk Hat Trick Leads Flames Past Oilers in Goal-Scoring Frenzy (9-6); Hurricanes Rally Past Rangers (2-1, OT)
Another night of playoff hockey saw two very different scoreboards on Wednesday night. First, the Hurricanes rallied from the 1-0 deficit with a late goal in the third period from Sebastian Aho to force overtime before Ian Cole won it in the OT. In the nightcap, the Flames hung nine goals on the Oilers in the Battle of Alberta, including two lamps in the first minute of the game. Edmonton came back from a 5-1 deficit to tie the game at 6-all, but the Flames caught fire again in the third. Matthew Tkachuk tallied a hat trick by night’s end in a 15-goal thriller packed with action. The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue tonight.
Stanley Cup Playoff Highlights
Gm 1: Hurricanes def. Rangers (2-1, OT)
CAR Leads Series (1-0)
Gm 1: Flames def. Oilers (9-6)
CGY Leads Series (1-0)
Tonight’s Schedule
Gm 2: Lightning at Panthers (7:00 pm ET) | TBL Leads (1-0)
Gm 2: Blues at Avalanche (9:30 pm ET) | COL Leads (1-0)
Additional Storylines
NHL: Ian Cole Unlikely OT Hero for ‘Canes in Game 1
ESPN: Guide to the Battle of Alberta Between Calgary & Edmonton
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THE STORYLINES
U.S. Soccer announced a historic CBA agreement to provide equal pay between USMNT and USWNT. The landmark deal runs through 2028 and equalizes World Cup prize money from FIFA, which had been a big sticking point for the U.S. women in their negotiations. (Sports Illustrated)
Losing a lot can actually be a good thing in the NBA. On Tuesday night, the Magic were reminded of this fact when the reward for their 22-60 record was a lucky break in the lottery that gave them the right to select first in the 2022 NBA Draft. (CBS Sports)
It’s the 2022 Roland-Garros preview… Will this become the most impactful and significant French Open in recent memory? We’re taking stock of the top storylines heading into the second major of the season. (TENNIS.com)
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THE HEADLINES
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