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British Open: Scottie Scheffler chasing claret jug, searching for what it all means

The Associated Press — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 17:30:36 +0000

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Scottie Scheffler has won more tournaments and majors than anyone over the last three years. He is the top-ranked player in the world and no one is close to him. Nothing would mean more to him than leaving Royal Portrush with the silver claret jug.

And then?

That’s where golf gets a little complicated for Scheffler, who loves his job and all the work it entails, but who found himself searching Tuesday for what it all means.

He delivered an amazing soliloquy ahead of the British Open about fulfillment. The short answer: It’s not the two Masters green jackets, the Wanamaker Trophy he won at the PGA Championship, the three Jack Nicklaus Awards as PGA Tour Player of the Year or the FedEx Cup.

“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport,” Scheffler said.

“But at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers,” he said. “I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what’s the point? This is not a fulfilling life. It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.”

His comments came in a year when Rory McIlroy fulfilled his life dream of winning the Masters, which gave him the career Grand Slam. McIlroy spoke last month about growing weary of being asked about his next set of goals, the next mountain he wants to climb.

“I probably just didn’t give myself enough time to let it all sink in. But that’s the nature of professional golf,” McIlroy said. “They do a very good job of keeping you on the hamster wheel, and you feel like it’s hard to get off at times.”

This is where Scheffler might be different. He seems to enjoy the hamster wheel. There is no next mountain to find because he’s busy scaling the one he is on.

He loves the chase. He wants the prize. He finds satisfaction in putting in the work. The thrill comes from competition. Scheffler also hates losing, no matter what’s at stake.

“Scottie don’t play games when he’s playing games,” said his caddie, Ted Scott.

They played a match at Cypress Point this year. It was Scheffler’s fourth day swinging a club since puncturing his right hand with a wine glass in a freak accident while making ravioli.

Scheffler gave him 10 shots, and the countdown began.

Scott hit his approach into 5 feet and was feeling good about his chances, right up until Scheffler’s shot spun back and hit his caddie’s golf ball. They both made birdie. Scheffler won the next hole and said loud enough for Scott to hear, “Nine.”

He won the next hole with a par and said even louder, “EIGHT.”

“He was 6 under through six,” Scott said. “I gave him the $100 and said: ‘Don’t say anything else. I want to enjoy my day.’”

This is what drives Scheffler – winning the Masters, winning a bet with his caddie, winning anything. He has won 19 times since his first title at the 2022 Phoenix Open. Strictly by his math, that would be 38 minutes worth of celebrating.

“Sometimes the feeling only lasts about two minutes,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting and fun, but it just doesn’t last that long.”

So where does fulfillment come from if it’s not winning?

Scheffler is grounded in his faith, in a simple family life with a wife he has been with since high school, a 15-month-old son, three sisters and friends that are not part of the tour community.

“I love the challenge. I love being able to play this game for a living. It’s one of the greatest joys of my life,” he said. “But does it fill the deepest wants and desires of my heart? Absolutely not.”

He often says golf doesn’t define him as a person, and he said if it reached a point where the sport ever affected life at home, “that’s going to be the last day that I play out here for a living.”

He’s had moments of appreciation, for sure.

There was one moment last summer when his wife, Meredith, was in the living room and he was in his office. He walked out with the Masters green jacket and the plaid jacket from winning Hilton Head. He had The Players Championship trophy in one hand and another trophy in his other hand.

“Wassup, Mere,” he said to his wife.

Scheffler laughed telling the story. He’s not sure why he did it, except it was fun. And then it was back to work. There’s always the next tournament.

“There’s a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and you get there – you get to No. 1 in the world – and they’re like, ‘What’s the point?’ I really do believe that because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? That’s something that I wrestle with on a daily basis.

“It’s like showing up at the Masters every year. Why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly? Why do I want to win The Open Championship so badly? I don’t know,” he said. “Because, if I win, it’s going to be awesome for two minutes.

“Then we’re going to get to the next week.”

Xander Schauffele spent time with him at the Olympics last summer. Schauffele won two majors last year, including the claret jug. What they have in common is not lingering on laurels.

“That’s why he’s been No. 1 and hasn’t even sniffed looking backwards,” Schauffele said. “If he was sitting there looking at all his trophies every day, I’m sure he’d still be playing great golf, but I don’t think he’s that guy.”

Mariners’ Cal Raleigh is 1st catcher to win Home Run Derby title

The Associated Press — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 03:10:00 +0000

Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh, left, watches with his father, Todd, who pitched and his brother, Todd Jr., who caught during the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night in Atlanta. Raleigh became the first catcher ever to win the annual event. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

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By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer

ATLANTA — Cal Raleigh approached the All-Star Home Run Derby like a day on the lawn. Dad was on the mound and baby brother was behind the plate.

Only this time, there were tens of thousands looking on at Truist Park and a $1 million prize.

“It goes all the way back to him coming home and me forcing him to throw me a ball and hit it in the backyard or in the house or something we probably shouldn’t be doing,” a beaming Cal said, flanked by Todd and Todd Jr. after defeating Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, 18-15, in the final round Monday night.

Todd Raleigh, former coach of Tennessee and Western Carolina, threw the pitches and Cal’s 15-year-old brother, Todd Raleigh Jr., did the catching. A first-time All-Star at age 28, Cal became the first switch-hitter and first catcher to win the title. He’s the second Mariners player to take the title after three-time winner Ken Griffey Jr., who was on the field, snapping photos.

“Anybody that’s ever played baseball as a kid dreams of stuff like this,” Cal’s father said. “I dreamed of it. He dreamed of it. When you’re a parent, you look at it differently because you want your kids to be happy.”

Leading the major leagues with 38 home runs at the All-Star break, Cal almost didn’t make it past the first round. The Mariners’ breakout slugger nicknamed Big Dumper and the Athletics’ Brent Rooker each hit 17 homers, and Raleigh advanced on a tiebreaker for longest long ball: 470.61 feet to 470.53 – or 0.96 inches. At first, Cal wasn’t aware whether there would be a swing-off.

“An inch off, and I’m not even in the final four, which is amazing,” Cal said. “So I guess I got lucky there. One extra biscuit.”

Raleigh totaled 54 homers. He won his semifinal, 19-13, over Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, whose 513-foot first-round drive over the right-center field seats was the longest of the night.

Cal’s brother, nicknamed T, kept yelling encouragement to the brother he so admires.

“His swag, the way he plays, the way he hustles,” T said.

Hitting second in the final round, the 22-year-old Caminero closed within three dingers – MLB counted one that a fan outfielder caught with an over-the-wall grab. Using a multicolored bat and down to his last out, Caminero took three pitches and hit a liner to left.

“I didn’t think I was going to hit as many home runs or make it to the finals,” Caminero said through a translator.

Cal was just the second Derby switch-hitter after Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman in 2023. His dad was a righty and wanted both his sons to hit from both sides.

“Did it from the first day, when he was in diapers, literally,” Todd Sr. said. “I would take that big ball and he had a big red bat. I’d throw it slow and he’d hit it. Then I’d say stay there, pick him up, turn him around, switch his hands and do it again. I was a catcher. I played a little bit, and I just knew what a premium it was. I didn’t want either one of my boys to ever say, am I right-handed or left-handed?”

There was a downside.

“I don’t recommend it if you have two kids, they’re both switch-hitters, if you want to save your arm, because that’s a lot of throwing,” said dad, who had rotator cuff surgery.

Raleigh hit his first eight homers left-handed, took a timeout, then hit seven right-handed. Going back to lefty, he hit two more in the bonus round and stayed lefty for the rest of the night.

“Was grooving a little bit more lefty so we were like, since we have a chance to win, we might as well stick to the side that’s working a little better,” Cal said.

Caminero beat Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, 8-7, in the other semifinal. Atlanta’s Matt Olson, Washington’s James Wood, the New York Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Rooker were eliminated in the first round of the annual power show.

Cruz’s long drive was the hardest-hit at 118 mph.

Wood hit 16 homers, including one that landed on the roof of the Chop House behind the right field wall. Olson, disappointing his hometown fans, did not go deep on his first nine swings and finished with 15, Chisholm hit just three homers, the fewest since the timer format started in 2015.

After it was all over, the Raleighs headed out. Stephanie, the boys’ mom and Todd Sr.’s wife, is surrounded by baseball.

“We kind of leave it in the cage. We’ve got a cage at home, a building,” Todd Sr. said. “Or we leave it in the car on the rides home. There’s probably been a few times where she says, yeah, that’s enough.”

Club World Cup marked by empty seats, searing heat and Chelsea victory

The Associated Press — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 22:45:05 +0000

By RONALD BLUM and JAMES ROBSON AP Sports Writers

An expanded Club World Cup marked by empty seats, slashed ticket prices, searing heat, weather-delayed matches and a criticized field surface ended in a surprise victory by Chelsea, the fourth-place team in the Premier League.

Among the lasting lessons was FIFA’s decision to dramatically drop ticket costs as some kickoff times approached, which could impact decisions by fans thinking of attending next year’s World Cup. FIFA lowered the cost to attend the Chelsea-Fluminense semifinal at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, from $473.90 to $13.40, then dropped the Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain final from $330 to $199.60.

There will be 104 matches at next year’s expanded 48-nation World Cup and many are likely to be on weekday afternoons. FIFA has not said whether it will use dynamic pricing at the tournament and has declined to comment on discounting.

The 63 matches drew 2.49 million, about 62% of the listed capacity. FIFA didn’t disclose tournament capacities of venues, focusing on tickets sold rather than about 1.5 million unfilled seats, and would not address price cuts.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino assessed the expanded tournament he championed, saying: “It is already the most successful club competition in the world.”

Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp was less enthusiastic, telling the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag it was “the worst idea ever implemented in football” because of demands on players as a result of the extended season.

PSG played its 65th competitive match and Chelsea its 64th since starting in mid-August. Each team will have 33-35 days off before their 2025-26 openers.

“I told my players that I had the feeling that this competition will become just as important or even more important than the Champions League,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said.

Maresca described the heat as dangerous. Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač said the grass at MetLife Stadium, site of next year’s World Cup final, was so short “it’s more a golf green, so you can putt here.”

TINY U.S. TV AUDIENCE

The streaming service DAZN bought world rights and sublicensed 24 of the 63 matches to TNT Sports, which averaged 418,000 viewers for the first 23 matches with English-language commentary on TNT, TBS and truTV. Seventeen matches sublicensed to TelevisaUnivision with Spanish commentary averaged 551,000.

By comparison, NBC’s networks averaged 510,000 viewers per match window for the Premier League in 2024-25, regular-season Major League Baseball is averaging 1.841 million this year on Fox and 1.74 million on the cable network ESPN. The NFL averaged 17.5 million during the 2024 regular season.

DAZN has not yet released figures but says it will during the week.

HOT SEAT

The temperature was above 90 degrees for many matches, with humidity that made it feel like more than 100.

“Honestly, the heat is incredible,” Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez said. “Playing in this temperature is very dangerous.”

Six games were delayed by weather for a total of 8 hours, 29 minutes, raising questions over the suitability of the U.S. for next year’s World Cup during a time of global warming. Only four of the 11 U.S. World Cup venues have roofs, including one that isn’t temperature controlled.

“Players have played in these conditions before, but I think it doesn’t make it easy and it doesn’t make it as enjoyable, for sure,” said former Wales captain Gareth Bale, a DAZN commentator who attended the semifinals and final. “It’s one of those things and there’s no real way around it.”

At the 1994 World Cup in the U.S., just seven of 52 games had night local time starts in order to broadcast matches during the evenings for Europe television.

MISSING CHAMPIONS

While FIFA hyped the tournament as a competition of the best teams in the world, it didn’t include the current champions of England (Liverpool), Spain (Barcelona), Italy (Napoli) and Portugal (Sporting Lisbon) among the dozen European clubs in the 32-team field. Instead of inviting the latest league winners, FIFA’s rules based entry primarily on continental titles won over four years and ranking points, with some limits on clubs from the same nation.

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami got an invite even though it has never won the MLS title.

PLAYER WELFARE

For the top players, the Club World Cup meant they likely faced three consecutive years of summer tournaments, following the European Championship and Copa America last year and leading to the World Cup for national teams in 2026.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said the impact of the new tournament might not be known until midway through next season.

“I may say: ‘So listen, we are a disaster. We are exhausted. The World Cup destroyed us,’” he admitted.

Bayern Munich and Germany star Jamal Musiala likely faces months out of action after sustaining a fractured fibula and broken and dislocated ankle in his team’s quarterfinal loss to PSG.

A GLOBAL GAME

FIFA wanted the Club World Cup to help grow the sport globally and shine a light on clubs outside of Europe’s most popular leagues.

Brazilian teams excelled, with all four entrants reaching the knockout stage. Botafogo produced one of the upsets of the tournament by beating PSG in the group phase, while Fluminense reached the semifinals.

Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal advanced to the quarterfinals and ousted Manchester City.

Lionel Messi led Inter Miami to the Round of 16, including MLS’s first competitive win against European opposition, defeating Porto in the group phase.

The other U.S. teams, LAFC and the Seattle Sounders, were less impressive – with both exiting at the group stage, winless.

New Zealand’s Auckland City lost 10-0 to Bayern, while a game between South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and South Korea’s Ulsan drew just 3,412 fans.

A QUESTION OF QUALITY

Messi produced moments of magic, but a bout of acute gastroenteritis limited Kylian Mbappe’s involvement.

While many matches in the group stage, in particular, were competitive, only a few games will be remembered for iconic moments.

MLB All-Star Game: Freddie Freeman, Max Fried return to Atlanta as All-Stars

The Associated Press — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 22:25:30 +0000

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA — Four years of return visits to Atlanta has prepared Freddie Freeman for another Tuesday night, this time as the starting first baseman for the National League in the All-Star Game.

Freeman, now in his fourth season with the Dodgers, played his first 12 seasons in Atlanta. He makes no effort to hide his emotions when he returns and says he won’t be surprised if another warm reception from Atlanta fans creates another emotional response.

“Now that I’m here, I think it’s going to be special,” Freeman said before Monday night’s Home Run Derby. “For the last four years, every time I come back, the fans, they’ve given me such great big, standing ovations, so I don’t expect anything.

“I’m just happy to be back and play in front of these fans again. So if they give me one, believe me, I’ll take it all in. I think you guys know, whatever I feel on the field, I let it come out. So we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Freeman won’t be the only former Atlanta star making his return. Max Fried, who leads the American League and is tied for the MLB lead with 11 wins in his first season with the New York Yankees, returns following eight seasons with the Braves. Both players still have homes in Atlanta and get to sleep in their own beds this week.

Fried, a former Harvard-Westlake standout, won’t be able to participate in the game due to a blister on his left index finger.

Fried left Atlanta to sign an eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees in December.

Freeman said he was “so happy” Fried landed the big contract.

“I think we all know Max and how wonderful a person he is,” Freeman said. “And to see him get that contract rightfully, he deserves. He’s, you know, a big-game pitcher pitching on the biggest stage. … And it’s really hard in your first year of a new contract, new team. … And for him to go out there and have (success), it’s awesome. Especially in pinstripes in the Bronx, when there’s a lot of pressure on you.”

Fried was replaced on the All-Star roster by Yankees teammate Carlos Rodón but is still attending the festivities in Atlanta. The Yankees might start Fried in a three-game series at AL East-leading Toronto on July 21-23 after opening the second half by visiting the Braves.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it was clear how much it meant to Freeman to return to Atlanta as an All-Star.

“It’s something that I know once they announced that it was going to be held here, it was marked on his calendar,” Roberts said. “And then that was kind of his goal, was to get back here and get in front of the Braves’ faithful that cheered him on for, what, 11, 12 years. So he’s sleeping in his own bed for a couple nights.”

Freeman said he has visited with Braves manager Brian Snitker and some former teammates but spent more time relishing his relationship with the Atlanta fans.

“It’s special,” he said. “I think every time I come back, I try to portray what Atlanta means to me. Oh, it’s special every time I come back and the receptions they’ve given me the last four years. So I spent a lot of wonderful years here. … I’m excited to be back.”

MLB All-Star notes: Dave Roberts defends Jacob Misiorowski selection

The Associated Press — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 22:15:14 +0000

By CHARLES ODUM AND RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writers

ATLANTA — National League All-Star manager Dave Roberts said including Milwaukee rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski on his team was “an easy answer” despite complaints from some players over his inclusion after just five major league appearances.

“If it brings excitement, attention to our game, then I’m all about it,” Roberts said before Monday’s Home Run Derby.

“I think for me, kind of my North Star is the All-Star Game should be the game’s best players,” the Dodgers manager added before also addressing the other side of the argument by adding “It’s about the fans and what the fans want to see.”

Misiorowski has pitched in only five games, a record low for an All-Star, creating a debate between those who say the game is for the most deserving players and those who say the game is for the fans.

The 23-year-old created an instant stir when he threw a 100.5 mph fastball for his first pitch in the big leagues. Oh, and for good measure, he opened that debut on June 12 against St. Louis by throwing five no-hit innings before leaving with cramping in the Brewers’ 6-0 win.

The 6-foot-7 rookie is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and has 33 strikeouts with only 12 hits allowed in 25⅔ innings. It’s an impressive debut, but some players still believe the right-hander hasn’t been in the game long enough to merit All-Star consideration over more established players.

Philadelphia shortstop Trea Turner was outspoken in his criticism of the decision to add Misiorowski to the team when Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, who is 8-2 with a 2.50 ERA, didn’t make the team. The Phillies also lobbied for left-hander Ranger Suárez (7-3, 1.94).

“What a joke,” Turner told reporters.

Misiorowski said Monday he wasn’t offended.

“They’re not upset with me,” he said, adding he is as surprised as anyone to find himself in Atlanta for Tuesday night’s game.

“The last five weeks have been insane,” Misiorowski said. “I thought the All-Star break would be a chance to sit down and reflect. Now we’re here.”

Turner’s teammate, All-Star Kyle Schwarber, said Monday the attempt by Phillies players to speak up for Sánchez and Suárez “was not an attack at Misiorowski by any means. It’s an honor for him that he’s here and it should be an honor for him. It’s not his fault that he’s only pitched five games and he got named.”

Schwarber said Misiorowski could be an All-Star “every year that he pitches. It’s just more of the fact of our guys were having some really good years and some pretty good every day starts and numbers. You want them to feel like they’re gonna get represented the way that they should be.”

Schwarber added that he would likely talk to Misiorowski during All-Star week and would tell him “he’s doing a great job at what he’s doing and he’s going to be a perennial All-Star for years to come.”

Roberts said he plans to bring Misiorowski into the game as early as the fifth inning. “And it’s going to be electric,” Roberts said. “So the fans, the media, you’re going to love it.”

Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, 37, is on his 11th All-Star roster, this time as a legend pick by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. When asked about the conflicting opinions about Misiorowski, Kershaw said “I don’t think it’s conflicting. I think everybody wants the best players here.”

San Francisco right-hander Robbie Ray, 33, said Misiorowski has “an electric arm. He’s a special talent and I’m excited to watch him pitch.”

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker, who is serving on Roberts’ staff and has experience selecting an All-Star roster, said there’s room for a player as inexperienced as Misiorowski to find a spot in Tuesday night’s showcase.

“You know what? It’s an exhibition game,” Snitker said. “He’s another great talent. … There are some guys that are very deserving. It is what it is.”

OHTANI, ACUÑA ATOP NL LINEUP

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will bat leadoff as the designated hitter for the NL on Tuesday night, and he will be followed in the batting order by left fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. of the host Braves.

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte will hit third in the batting order announced Monday by Roberts, followed by Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado, Dodgers catcher Will Smith, Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes will start his second straight All-Star Game, MLB announced last week. Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal will make his first All-Star start for the American League.

“I think when you’re talking about the game, where it’s at, these two guys … are guys that you can root for, are super talented, are going to be faces of this game for years to come,” Roberts said.

Detroit second baseman Gleyber Torres will lead off for the AL, followed by Tigers left fielder Riley Greene, New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh, Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr,. Baltimore designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero, Tigers center fielder Javy Báez and Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson.

Ohtani led off for the AL in the 2021 All-Star Game, when the two-way sensation also was the AL’s starting pitcher. He hit leadoff in 2022, then was the No. 2 hitter hitter for the AL in 2023 and for the NL last year after leaving the Angels for the Dodgers.

Skenes and Skubal are 1-2 in average four-seam fastball velocity among those with 1,500 or more pitches this season, Skenes at 98.2 mph and Skubal at 97.6 mph, according to MLB Statcast.

A 23-year-old right-hander who played at El Toro High, Skenes is 4-8 despite a major league-best 2.01 ERA for the Pirates, who are last in the NL Central. The 2024 NL Rookie of the Year has 131 strikeouts and 30 walks in 131 innings.

Skubal, a 28-year-old left-hander, is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. He is 10-3 with a 2.23 ERA, striking out 153 and walking 16 in 121 innings.

ROBOT UMPIRES MAKING ALL-STAR DEBUT

Skubal views the strike zone differently than robot umpires.

“I have this thing where I think everything is a strike until the umpire calls it a ball,” the Detroit star said Monday.

MLB has been experimenting with the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019 and will use it in an All-Star Game for the first time on Tuesday night. Each team gets two challenges and retains the challenge if it is successful.

“Pitchers think everything is a strike. Then you go back and look at it, and it’s two, three balls off,” Skenes said Monday. “We should not be the ones that are challenging it.”

MLB sets the top of the automated strike zone at 53.5% of a batter’s height and the bottom at 27%, basing the decision on the midpoint of the plate, 8½ inches from the front and 8½ inches from the back. That contrasts with the rule book zone called by umpires, which says the zone is a cube.

“I did a few rehabs starts with it. I’m OK with it. I think it works,” said Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner. “Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve should have different sized boxes. They’ve obviously thought about that. As long as that gets figured out, I think it’ll be fine.”

Manfred anticipates the system will be considered by the sport’s 11-man competition committee, which includes six management representatives.

Many pitchers have gravitated to letting their catchers and managers trigger ball/strike appeals. Teams won 52.2% of their challenges during the spring training test. Batters won exactly 50% of their 596 challenges and the defense 54%, with catchers successful 56% of the time and pitchers 41%.

Hall of Famer Joe Torre, an honorary AL coach, favors the system. After his managing career, he worked for MLB and helped supervised expanded video review in 2014.

“You couldn’t ignore it with all the technology out there,” he said. “You couldn’t sit and make an excuse for, ‘Look at what really happened’ the next day.”

Now 84, Torre recalled how his Yankees teams benefitted at least twice from blown calls in the postseason, including one involving the strike zone.

With the 1998 World Series opener tied and the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh inning, Tino Martinez took a 2-and-2 pitch from San Diego left-hander Mark Langston that appeared to be a strike but was called a ball by Richie Garcia. Martinez hit a grand slam on the next pitch for a 9-5 lead, and the Yankees went on to a four-game sweep.

Asked whether he was happy there was no robot umpire then, Torre grinned and said: “Possibly.”

Then he added without a prompt: “Well, not to mention the home run that Jeter hit.”

His reference was to Derek Jeter’s home run in the 1996 AL Championship Series opener, when 12-year-old fan Jeffrey Maier reached over the wall to snatch the ball above the glove over Baltimore right fielder Tony Tarasco.

WILL YAMAMOTO BE A RED CARPET FASHION STAR?

When Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes his All-Star Game red carpet debut Tuesday, stylist Whitney Etoroma expects the Dodgers pitcher to shine just as much as he does on the mound.

“I think it will be a moment,” she told The Associated Press.

The pair are making a final decision on what he’ll wear, but Etoroma is pushing for a Thom Browne runway look that will “push the envelope.”

As part of a program created in 2019, MLB provided stylists for the red carpet to Yamamoto, Seattle catcher Raleigh, Skubal and the Cubs’ Crow-Armstrong as baseball aims to raise its fashion profile and highlight the style of some of its biggest stars.

Yamamoto won’t pitch in the All-Star Game after throwing seven scoreless innings for the Dodgers on Sunday but will participate in the festivities leading up to it. He’s in his second season in the majors after signing a 12-year, $325 million contract following a seven-year career with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan.

Etoroma, who has styled scores of professional athletes, said designers have been particularly interested in Yamamoto, which she believes is because of his cool look and international appeal.

“I’m excited because fashion actually really cares about Yoshi, which is kind of a rarity,” she said. “I will say with other players in the past, they haven’t been as excited, but with Yoshi, it’s something special, something different.”

Though she has 15 different looks for Yamamoto to choose from, she’s hoping to steer him to the Thom Browne look because of the exclusivity of the brand.

“I’ve been like look, this is gonna be incredible,” she said she told him. “If you do Thom Browne, game over, that’s actually a huge level up in fashion. They don’t say yes to anybody. It has to be a very specific person and so hopefully we do that. But I’m not gonna push too much (and) if not I’m happy to go with the classic look.”

Whatever suit he chooses, it will be accessorized with David Yurman jewelry.

Wearing a visionary designer like Thom Browne might be a bit much for Yamamoto, who calls Nike his favorite designer.

“Being honest, I’m not that into fashion, but I appreciate (being called stylish),” he said in Japanese through a translator Monday.

He did say that he’s looking forward to the red carpet, but wouldn’t give any hints as to what he’s leaning toward wearing for the event.

“That’s a secret, I’m not telling,” he said.

Melanie Boppel, who recently styled Jalen Hurts and his wife Bryonna for the Met Gala, is dressing both Raleigh and Skubal for this year’s red carpet.

Skubal, a two-time All-Star who is starting for the American League on Tuesday night, has been working with Boppel to curate a look that will make him feel confident on the red carpet.

“What’s going to be really important are accessories,” she said. “He really wants to tie in Detroit, since that’s the team he plays for and he also wants to tie in the city of Atlanta since the All-Star game will be taking place in Atlanta. So, I hope to bring out those two ideas he has through accessories. We’ll see how that pans out. It might be through his wardrobe as well.”

Boppel hopes the momentum gained from Tuesday’s red carpet style will trickle down to create more interest among fans in what they’re wearing all season like there is for basketball and football.

“The day of the red carpet, there is a lot of focus on the athletes, but it’s just the longevity of style being at the forefront of the players throughout the rest of the season that’s the hard part,” she said. “There’s so many games, they’re traveling so it’s just hard to continue that. But they do get a lot of recognition for the red carpet and All-Star and that whole weekend and I hope at some point it does continue to stick and there is consistency there.”

Raleigh, who leads the majors with a career-high 38 home runs, describes his style as “very bland,” and added: “I’m not the style guy.”

But he is looking forward to sprucing up Tuesday night.

“I like looking good,” he said at All-Star media day. “I think everybody does, right? You want to look good. Especially on the red carpet. I like looking professional and putting together a good fit.”

The catcher said working with a stylist for the event has been great for him.

“I don’t love shopping too much, so it’s nice having somebody that can just throw something on, and I just can pick it and it’s easy,” he said.

And for someone who earned the nickname “Big Dumper” for his generous backside, there’s one must-have for him when it comes to clothes.

“As long as it stretches, I like it,” he said.

AP sports writer Kristie Rieken contributed to this story.

British Open: Rory McIlroy returns home ready to embrace the love

The Associated Press — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 18:15:21 +0000

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Rory McIlroy practically had Royal Portrush all to himself Monday morning, but not for long. By the time he finished his first practice round for the British Open – his first time back on these links in 2,187 days – there was a big crowd that weathered rain and sunshine to see him finish.

The circumstances are far different now.

McIlroy remembers being ill-prepared for the wave of emotions that hit him on the first tee in 2019. He has tried to forget the opening tee shot that sailed out-of-bounds and led to a quadruple bogey. And there was thunderous support for him on that Friday when he made a furious rally only to miss the cut by one shot.

On Monday, he walked over to dozens of spectators wanting his autograph, including on one large flag of his native Northern Ireland with emblems of all four majors in each corner.

The pressure to perform has not left. But that flag was an example that he returns home to Northern Ireland to be celebrated as much as the fans want to see him end a more special year on a spectacular note.

This was different from 2019, when he wanted to treat that British Open like any other, ignoring that it was the first time golf’s oldest championship was on his home soil in 68 years.

“I think in ’19 I probably tried to isolate, and I think it’s better for everyone if I embrace it,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to accept adulation, even though I struggle with it at times. I think it’s more embrace everything that’s going to come my way this week and not try to shy away from it or hide away from it. And I think that’ll make for a better experience for everyone involved.”

He is rarely home these days, living in Florida, preparing to move to London, traveling the world for golf. There was never a reason to be at Royal Portrush – caddie Harry Diamond came over a few weeks ago on a scouting trip – but it felt good to be home.

“When I was looking at the calendar for 2025, this was the tournament that was probably circled, even more so than the Masters for different reasons,” he said. “It’s lovely to be coming in here already with a major and everything else that’s happened this year.”

That “everything else” was the Masters, the major that teased him for so many years and then brought him so much joy when he won in a playoff to complete the career Grand Slam.

The next two months were a struggle, from listless play to so much fatigue from questions of “What now?” and how to reset goals. He went six straight rounds at majors without talking to the media. He didn’t seriously contend in any of his six tournaments.

“I think everyone could see over the last couple of months how I struggled with that. I’ve done something that I’ve told everyone that I wanted to do, but then it’s like I still feel like I have a lot more to give,” McIlroy said.

“I probably just didn’t give myself enough time to let it all sink in. But that’s the nature of professional golf. They do a very good job of keeping you on the hamster wheel, and you feel like it’s hard to get off at times.”

Rory McIlroy speaks to reporters during a press conference ahead of the British Open on Monday at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

But coming back to these parts has recharged him. He nearly won the Scottish Open last week, losing on the back nine to Chris Gotterup, flew straight over to Portrush on Sunday night and checked into his hotel at 1 a.m. He was on the first tee six hours later.

“By the time I got to the back nine today, there was a nice crowd out there,” McIlroy said. “After the 18th and seeing all the kids and signing autographs, it’s really, really nice, and I’m sure that’ll just build as the week goes on.”

It was a smart move. Play was suspended a couple of times because of severe weather, the occasional pounding rain and possibly lightning. Turns out not all of the electricity in the air was about McIlroy.

“I don’t know if that rain will have a massive effect on the course, depending on how heavy it is. I don’t really plan to approach the course any differently,” said Shane Lowry, the champion golfer of the year at Royal Portrush in 2019.

“I forgot how well-bunkered it is. There’s a lot of options off tees. You just have to go with what you feel. You’re going to see a lot of people hitting different clubs off different tees, playing the golf course differently,” Lowry said.

Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked player, was in his rookie year on the PGA Tour in 2019 and now is making his first trip to Royal Portrush. Jordan Spieth was a Monday arrival, home in Dallas last week as his wife gave birth to a boy, Sully, their third child.

The town already is hopping, with throaty singing at the Harbour Bar late Sunday night, Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley engaging with spectators, everyone buzzing about how the 153rd Open will unfold, most interest on McIlroy.

“I still feel like there’s a lot left in there,” McIlroy said. “The story certainly isn’t over.”

Rory McIlroy signs a replica Northern Ireland flag on the 18th green following a practice round ahead of the British Open on Monday at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

William Mouw shoots 9-under 61 to win ISCO Championship and 1st PGA Tour title

The Associated Press — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 23:26:36 +0000

William Mouw hits a tee shot on the 17th hole in the final round of the ISCO Championship 2025 at Hurstbourne Country Club on July 13, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — William Mouw overcame a seven-stroke deficit on Sunday to win the ISCO Championship for his first PGA Tour title, shooting a 9-under 61 and waiting nearly two hours to see if his 10-under 270 total would hold up.

Mouw won when third-round leader Paul Peterson – who was playing the 10th hole at Hurstbourne Country Club when Mouw finished – missed a 55-foot birdie try from the front fringe on the par-4 18th.

“I was mentally ready for a playoff, and if it came to that, I was ready,” Mouw said. “But that wasn’t the case and I’m just blessed to be the winner.”

Mouw won in his 20th start on the PGA Tour. The 24-year-old former Ontario Christian High and Pepperdine player received a two-year exemption and a PGA Championship spot next year, but not a spot in the Masters.

“I have job status for two more years and I get to use that to play some really good golf and try to win another golf tournament,” Mouw said. “But as my life, it doesn’t change my life very much.”

Peterson shot a 69 to finish a stroke back in the opposite-field PGA Tour event also sanctioned by the European tour.

Mouw birdied the first three holes and added two more on Nos. 7-8 in a front-nine 30. He birdied Nos. 10, 11, 13 and 17 on the back nine in the lowest score in his brief PGA Tour career. He’s the third rookie to win this season, following Karl Vilips in the Puerto Rico Open and Aldrich Potgieter at the Rocket Classic.

“I knew that if everything clicked and I did the right things, I could go pretty low. I’m just thrilled that it happened.”

The 37-year-old Peterson, also making his 20th career PGA Tour start, made a 24-foot birdie putt on 14 and a 30-footer on 16, then parred the final two holes.

“It’s tough to come up one short, but I played some good golf this week,” Peterson said. “Thought that was a pretty fiery, good test and I felt like I handled myself and my emotions really well.”

European tour player Manuel Elvira was third at 7 under at 66, and Kentucky native Vince Whaley (70) and David Skinns (70) followed at 6 under.

Auburn junior Jackson Koivun had a 68 to tie for sixth at 5 under. He tied for 11th last week in the John Deere Classic.

Chan Kim, five strokes ahead after opening rounds of 61 and 68, had weekend rounds of 75 and 73 to tie for 14th at 3 under.

Peterson and Kim were among the 12 players who finished the suspended third round Sunday morning,

Tour de France: Merlier sprints to victory in Stage 9 after Van der Poel’s breakaway is thwarted

The Associated Press — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 19:21:14 +0000

CHATEAUROUX, France — Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier won the ninth stage of the Tour de France in a mass sprint after Mathieu van der Poel spent the whole day at the front before being caught by the chasing pack less than a kilometer from the finish.

There was no significant change in the overall standings and three-time Tour champion Tadej Pogačar kept the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Sunday’s stage headed into central France on a 174-kilometer (108-mile) flat stretch for sprinters.

But Van der Poel, a one-day classics specialist with a flamboyant style of riding, almost foiled their plans.

The Dutch rider joined his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Jonas Rickaert in an early breakaway and produced a tremendous effort over 173 kilometers at a speed of about 30 mph (48 kph) but could not go all the way and was swallowed less than a kilometer from the line.

“It’s hard not to be able to finish it off,” Van der Poel said.

Merlier won the sprint ahead of Jonathan Milan, the winner of Saturday’s stage, with Arnaud De Lie completing the podium. It was Merlier’s second stage win of this year’s Tour.

“I got boxed in a bit but then I managed to go all in and I was able to do my sprint like I wanted to and I’m happy to win my second stage here,” Merlier said. “It’s the second time I manage to beat Milan but he’s a really strong sprinter. It’s just nice we can show a nice battle between the two of us.”

In the overall standings, double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel remained 54 seconds behind Pogačar in second place. Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin was third at 1 minutes, 11 seconds, and two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard sat 1:17 behind in fourth spot.

Ealier in the stage, João Almeida, a key teammate of Pogačar, abandoned the race. Almeida, who fractured a rib during Stage 7, was dropped early and the UAE Team Emirates-XRG later announced over the race radio that the Portuguese rider had retired.

Almeida was caught in a high-speed crash earlier this week as riders scrambled for position at the front, 4 miles from the finish line. Almeida escaped without a concussion but his rib fracture finally proved to be too painful to carry on in the three-week race.

Almeida finished fourth at the 2024 Tour de France and started this year’s edition on the back of strong results elsewhere, having won the Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie and Itzulia Basque Country.

Monday’s stage

The mountainous stage on Bastille Day from Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore features seven second-category hills or passes. The final climb has an 8% gradient.

“We expect a very hot, hard stage tomorrow,” Pogačar said. “There will be a huge fight for the break, as it’s the French national day and all French riders will want to put on a great show. It will be hard to control, but we will be up there paying attention to the other team’s moves. It’s not the hardest course, but it offers a lot of possibilities.”

Grace Kim, with a stunning finish, wins Evian Championship for her first major

The Associated Press — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 19:14:04 +0000

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Grace Kim always dreamed of winning a major on the LPGA Tour. What happened Sunday in a wild final hour at the Evian Championship was beyond her imagination.

“I don’t know how it happened, really,” Kim said after an eagle-birdie-eagle finish to win on the second playoff hole against Jeeno Thitikul.

A final round at Evian Resort that nearly saw Lottie Woad become the first amateur to win a major in 58 years ended with Kim standing upright after her 12-foot eagle putt dropped, with her hand over her mouth, motionless as she tried to digest what had transpired.

Two shots behind on the final hole, Kim hit a 4-hybrid so perfectly that it slowed at the top of a slope behind the flag and rolled back to 2 feet for an eagle and a 4-under 67 to force a playoff with Thitikul.

Her approach to the par-5 18th in a playoff bounced off a cart path, over rocks and into the water, while Thitikul was in good position to make birdie. Tournament over? Not quite. Kim pitched over the pond and across the green and into the cup for birdie to stay alive.

“I was pretty bummed to find out that my ball was in the middle of the water. But, again, it’s not quite finished until the very end,” Kim said. “Just wanted to make sure I got it there. Yeah, just happened to have chipped it in. I don’t know if I can do it again.”

Back to the 18th for a third time — twice in the playoff — the Australian again hit 4-hybrid to 12 feet. Thitikul, who missed an 8-foot birdie putt in regulation for the win, missed the green to the left and chipped to 5 feet. She never had to putt.

Kim holed the eagle putt to capture her first major, and second LPGA title.

She is a four-time winner of Karrie Webb’s scholarship, which entails spending time with Australia’s greatest golf champion. She was at Hazeltine in 2021 when Hannah Green won the Women’s PGA. She is the second straight Aussie to win a major, following Minjee Lee.

“It’s a huge achievement for me,” Kim said. “I’ve had a lot of doubts early this year. I was kind of losing motivation. I kind of had to get some hard conversations done with the team. Yeah, kind of had to wake up a little bit. So to be sitting here next to this trophy is definitely surreal.”

It was a big setback for Thitikul, who along with Ai Miyazato is the only woman to have reached No. 1 in the world ranking without winning a major.

Thitikul’s biggest challenge had been Woad, the No. 1 amateur who was coming off a win in the Irish Women’s Open and at one point had the lead on the back nine of Evian Resort. She closed with 64 and then waited to see if that would be enough.

Woad was bidding to become the first amateur to win a major since Catherine Lacoste at the 1967 U.S. Women’s Open.

Thitikul birdied the 17th to take the lead, and the Thai player was on the verge of her first major when she laid up short of the pond and hit wedge into 8 feet on the final hole.

But then Kim appeared with the sublime 4-hybrid to 2 feet for eagle. Thitikul’s birdie putt for the win just missed to the right and she shot 67 to join Kim at 14-under 270.

“I think I’m so proud of myself on battling out there today,” Thitikul said.

Woad tied for third with Lee (68) and now has secured an LPGA card for the rest of this year and all of next year if the senior-to-be at Florida State chooses to turn pro. Woad already is in the Ladies Scottish Open and Women’s British Open.

She had mixed emotions at the end, happy about her opportunity to play the LPGA, bummed about not getting birdie on the 455-yard closing hole.

“I’m going to be thinking about one shot probably for a while, but I’m very happy how I played today,” said Woad, who won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2024. “Great week.”

Kim’s victory extended what already is a record streak in the LPGA Tour’s 75-year history, the 18th consecutive tournament to start a season with a different winner. It also makes 13 different winners in the last 13 majors.

Jannik Sinner tops Carlos Alcaraz for 1st Wimbledon title

The Associated Press — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 18:14:42 +0000

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during the men’s singles final match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday, July 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

LONDON — Jannik Sinner insisted early on at Wimbledon that he put an excruciating loss to Carlos Alcaraz in their epic French Open final behind him. Sinner was sure that one defeat wouldn’t haunt him, wouldn’t prevent a quick recalibration and certainly wouldn’t mean a thing at the All England Club.

Sure was right about all of that.

Exactly five weeks after the devastating defeat at Roland-Garros against his rival, Sinner reversed the result, beating two-time defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, on Sunday to win his first championship at the grass-court major.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how you win or you lose the important tournaments. You just have to understand what you did wrong. Trying to work on that – that’s exactly what we did. We tried to accept the loss and then just kept working,” Sinner said Sunday, his shiny gold hardware in his hands. “And this is, for sure, why I’m holding this trophy here.”

The top-ranked Sinner earned his fourth Grand Slam title overall, moving him one away from No. 2 Alcaraz’s total as the two no-longer-rising-but-firmly-established stars of the game separate themselves from the rest of the pack in men’s tennis.

Sinner, a 23-year-old Italian, put an end to several streaks for Alcaraz, a 22-year-old Spaniard, who had been 5-0 in Grand Slam finals.

Alcaraz had won their last five matches, most famously across five sets and nearly 5½ hours on the red clay of the French Open on June 8. Sinner took a two-set lead, then held a trio of match points, but couldn’t close the deal.

“Today was important not just because it was a Grand Slam final, not just because it was Wimbledon, and not just because Carlos had won the last five matches against him,” said Darren Cahill, one of Sinner’s two coaches, who had planned to leave the team at the end of 2025 but now might stick around. “He needed that win today. So he knew the importance of closing this one out when he had the opportunities.”

Asked during Week 1 at Wimbledon whether what happened in Paris created lingering doubts, Sinner immediately replied: “Why negative feelings? Because I lost in (that) final?”

Then he continued: “No. Look, it’s a new tournament, new Grand Slam, new surface. I’m not concerned about my level I can play. … I’m not concerned that one loss can influence you for so long a time. I believe that here is a new chance that I can do something good.”

Great, even.

This time, he didn’t waver, asserting himself in a match that featured moments of terrific play by both men, but also the occasional lapses – and one memorable, brief, interruption right before a Sinner serve when a Champagne cork came flying out of the stands and settled on the turf.

With Prince William and Princess Kate in the Royal Box, along with King Felipe VI of Spain, Alcaraz stepped into the sunlight bathing Centre Court with a career-best 24-match unbeaten run. He had won 20 matches in a row at the All England Club.

“It’s difficult to lose,” Alcaraz said. “It’s always difficult to lose.”

The last man to beat him at Wimbledon? Sinner, in the fourth round in 2022.

So this served as a bookend win for Sinner, who would be forgiven for at least thinking a bit about his collapse in their last match – especially when facing two break points while serving at 4-3, 15-40 in the fourth set Sunday.

But he calmly took the next four points to take that game, then soon was serving out the win after a chorus of “Car-los! Car-los!” rang out from spectators.

“The things that went his way in Paris,” Sinner said, “went my way this time.”

When it ended, he put both hands on his white hat. After embracing Alcaraz, Sinner crouched with his head bowed, then pounded his right palm on the grass.

He has participated in four consecutive major finals, including triumphs at the U.S. Open – shortly after the world learned about a doping case that eventually led to a three-month ban – and the Australian Open.

Wearing the same tape job and white arm sleeve to protect his right elbow that he has been using since falling in the fourth round, Sinner never showed any issues, just as he hadn’t while eliminating Novak Djokovic on Friday.

In the final, Sinner and Alcaraz produced scintillating points, with few, if any, half-measures. They sprinted at top speed and swung away with full force, rarely bending to the other’s will.

From 4-2 down, Alcaraz took four games in a row. That spurt included a 140 mph ace that sprayed the air with a cloud of white chalk dust and a set-capping, flick-of-a-backhand winner at an impossible angle after barely getting his racket on the ball.

As fans rose and roared, Alcaraz pointed to his ear and spun around, then pumped his right fist overhead.

Sinner was undaunted, quickly breaking to lead the second set. He returned exceptionally, even as Alcaraz served aggressively, which did lead to 15 aces – but also to a 53% first-serve percentage and seven double-faults.

Much like at the French Open, there was often an unrelenting intensity to these three-plus hours, and any slight misstep created problems. It was Alcaraz who had more of those, although Sinner might have had the most memorable, blowing an overhead right after coming up with a behind-the-back, through-the-legs half-volley in the third set.

In all, these guys showed why they combined to win the past seven Grand Slam trophies, and nine of the last 12.

Fittingly, this marked the first time the same two men faced off in the title matches at the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year since Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal did it in 2006, 2007 and 2008. It hadn’t happened for more than a half-century before that trilogy.

“I’m just really, really happy about having this rivalry with him,” Alcaraz said about Sinner. “It’s great for us, and it is great for tennis.”

WOMEN’S DOUBLES

Veronika Kudermetova secured her first Grand Slam title by teaming up with Elise Mertens to win the women’s doubles final on Sunday, rallying to beat Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, on Centre Court.

Kudermetova and Mertens were on opposite sides in the final in 2021 but were playing at Wimbledon together for the first time this year. They trailed 4-2 in the third set but won the last four games to seal the comeback.

It is Mertens’ fifth Grand Slam doubles title, and second at Wimbledon. In 2021, she teamed up with Hsieh to win a marathon final where they saved two match points against Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina.

“I lost that final and it was so painful,” Kudermetova said. “Today I said to myself, I really want it. And it’s mine now.”

Hsieh has won the Wimbledon doubles title four times with three different partners.

Ostapenko won the 2017 French Open singles title and was looking for a second major doubles title after winning the U.S. Open last year with Lyudmyla Kichenok.