UNEXPECTED LOSS:out of 64 shots only one entered the hole says golf icon John rahm as he explains sadly that …full details below
Jon Rahm of Spain fired a bogey-free, 7-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of LIV Golf Chicago on Saturday at Bolingbrook (Ill.) Golf Club.
Rahm started his round on the fourth hole and sank six birdies, including the last hole to fend off countryman Sergio Garcia, who is one shot back after a second-round 65.
“I felt like I did everything I needed to do right, committed to the shots that I needed to, and then executed really, really well,” Rahm said. “Didn’t miss a lot of fairways. That’s a great key around here. Yeah, I think it wasn’t until 1, which was my 16th, the only fairway I had missed was 14, and it was barely in the first cut.”
Brooks Koepka, who shot a sizzling 62 to lead after the first round, is alone in third — two strokes back — after shooting 73 on Saturday. Poland’s Adrian Meronk (65 on Saturday), Great Britain’s Ian Poulter (68) and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann (68) are three back in a tie for fourth.
Rahm and Niemann are duking it out for the 2024 LIV title. Rahm, in his first year with LIV, entered Chicago with a narrow 2.97-point edge on Niemann in the season standings.
“Well, he did finish very strong, so as it comes to that, it’s only a three-shot lead,” Rahm said of Niemann, whom he played with the first two rounds but won’t on Sunday. “But at the end of the day, there’s still a championship at stake this week, and I would like to get my second LIV win.
“I feel like it would have been nice to have the both of us in the third round to be together, but again, being at least temporarily in the lead right now by myself, the goal is to win the championship. If I can do that, the rest takes care of itself.”
As for Garcia, he notched five birdies on Saturday and continues to thrive on difficult and firm golf courses.
“I’ve always enjoyed those conditions,” he said. “I feel like when it’s playing tough and hopefully I can let my ball-striking do most of the work, it usually helps me.
“But don’t get me wrong, I putted nicely. I made a few really nice putts, and I hit some really good putts like here on 17 that didn’t go in. But I felt good all day.”
Crushers led by four shots in the team competition after Friday but are tied with Cleeks at 10-under through two rounds. Fireballs, led by Garcia, are four back at 6-under.
Meronk, Finland’s Kalle Samooja (66 on Saturday) and Great Britian’s Richard Bland (68) sparked Cleeks’ resurgence. Captain Bryson DeChambeau (69) and Great Britian’s Paul Casey (71) led the way for the Crushers.
Alvin Kamara and the New Orleans Saints officially put the NFL on notice this week with a dominant 44-19 win over the Cowboys in Dallas. Kamara scored four touchdowns in the rout, three on the ground and one on a 57-yard catch and run, and averaged 5.75 yards-per-carry. Dallas defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has to be sick of playing against Kamara, who put up six touchdowns in one game against Zimmer’s Vikings in 2020. There were questions about whether the Saints offensive explosion against the Carolina Panthers last week was legitimate or a product of their opponent. It sure seems legit now. Which brings us to today’s quiz. Kamara and the Saints are off to a blistering start, eclipsing 40 points twice in as many weeks and scoring on their first 16 possessions between Week 1 and Week 2. With that being said, can you name the non-QB players with the most touchdowns in a game since the 1994 season? Good luck!
NFLYou might have missed it, but WWE was forced to drop a romance angle they had for RAW General Manager Adam Pearce due to injury. While summer just ended and many are still adjusting back to normal life, WWE has been busy. They made a ton of deals and produced several shows around the world. Also, during that time, they held their draft. Several wrestlers found new homes, including names from NXT who were sent to RAW or SmackDown. During the first evening of the draft, Kiana James was sent to the RAW roster. She wrestled like one match in early June by defeating Natalya. Outside of that, she was spotted in some backstage segments with Adam Pearce. In The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it noted how James and Pearce were to have a roman angle. Fans did not see much of James, hence they probably did not even notice. Kiana James Injury Stops Romance Angle We learned James was removed from TV because of serious leg injury. No return date was disclosed, but when WWE moves you off the active roster page, it means a lengthy absence. Since she did not have big presence on the main roster, WWE nixing the angle was not too difficult. After a short stint on the Indy scene, James signed with WWE in 2022. She was part of the Breakout Tournament, but lost in the opening round to Roxanne Perez. Basically, James was presented with a businesswoman gimmick. She briefly held the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship with Fallon Henley as part of a larger angle. At 27 years old, we still have lots of questions about James. So, are you glad a romance angle between Kiana James and Adam Pearce was dropped?
In need of a quarterback addition, the Dolphins have found a passer capable of stepping into the backup role. Miami is set to sign Tyler Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during the Dolphins’ Week 2 loss, and given his history of head injuries, a long absence would not come as a surprise. In the wake of that development, head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed the team would be in the market for a signal-caller. Huntley — who spent the offseason with Cleveland before returning to Baltimore — will serve as Miami’s backup while Skylar Thompson handles starting duties. Thompson started the final two games of the 2022 regular season as well as Miami’s wild-card loss that season while filling in for Tagovailoa. The former seventh-rounder did not see any game action last year, but he managed to win the backup competition over Mike White during the 2024 offseason. Thompson is thus positioned to lead the team’s offense for the foreseeable future, but the Dolphins have elected against promoting Tim Boyle from the practice squad for the QB2 spot. Instead, Huntley will be brought in from outside the organization. The former UDFA spent much of his Ravens tenure as Lamar Jackson‘s backup, and he totaled 10 regular-season and postseason starts when Jackson missed time over the past three years. Huntley, 26, has amassed 509 rushing yards in his career (along with another 86 in the playoffs) while operating as a dual-threat quarterback. His passing totals — eight touchdowns, seven interceptions, 5.7 yards per attempt — leave plenty of room for improvement, though. Baltimore chose to keep Josh Johnson in second on the quarterback depth chart this spring, which paved the way for Huntley’s departure. The Utah alum took a league-minimum pact with the Browns as they sorted out their depth options without Joe Flacco in place as QB2. To no surprise, veteran Jameis Winston earned the backup gig, and Cleveland also has Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the fold. That allowed Huntley to be released as part of the team’s final roster cuts, something which was quickly followed up by his Ravens reunion. That has proven to be short-lived, as Huntley will now turn his attention to learning Miami’s offense. The progress Tagovailoa makes over the coming weeks will be a central storyline for the Dolphins, as will Thompson’s performances under center. The team will have a new backup option moving forward, though. For Baltimore, meanwhile, Huntley’s departure will leave the team with sixth-round rookie Devin Leary as the lone signal-caller on the taxi squad.
An injury to star running back Isiah Pacheco may expose one of the Kansas City Chiefs’ biggest roster holes. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pacheco fractured his fibula in the Chiefs’ 26-25 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2 and is expected to land on injured reserve, meaning he should miss at least four games. Schefter added he’s scheduled to have an MRI on Monday to determine if there is a fracture and or ligament damage to his ankle. The third-year back plays a pivotal role in Kansas City’s offense. Through two games, he has rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries. He has also caught seven passes for 54 yards. Last season, he tallied career highs in rushing yards (935) and rushing TDs (seven) in 14 regular-season games, helping the Chiefs repeat as Super Bowl champions. “The Chiefs’ depth at the running back position has been a concern since the start of training camp,” wrote The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, Dianna Russini and Larry Holder. “With this being the first significant injury in Pacheco’s career, the Chiefs will likely have to rely on rookie fullback Carson Steele and seven-year veteran Samaje Perine, who joined the team just two weeks ago.” Steele has served as the RB2 through the Chiefs’ first two games, running for the team’s third-most yards (27) on nine rushing attempts. Perine has yet to record a carry, but has logged two receptions for three yards. The Chiefs placed RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a former first-round pick, on the non-football illness list before the season opener and is expected to miss at least two more games. In July, Edwards-Helaire revealed he has recently experienced post-traumatic stress disorder. The Chiefs should consider signing a free-agent RB, perhaps Jerick McKinnon, who helped the club capture two Super Bowls over the past three seasons. Regardless, the Chiefs must find a viable replacement for Pacheco. Although they have QB Patrick Mahomes, he needs a strong ground atetack to thrive.