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Thailand’s 22 Year-old Ariya Jutanugarn Wins Women LPGA Open in Birmingham, Alabama

ALABAMA – In some of the bleakest moments during Ariya Jutanugarn’s back-nine collapse at the U.S. Women’s Open, the 22-year-old from Thailand would take a deep breath, smile to herself and think happy thoughts.

The mind tricks weren’t working, but she wasn’t going to stop trying.

Finally, after an excruciating few hours of golf, the positive vibes came true.

Jutanugarn lost a seven-shot lead on the back nine before prevailing on the fourth hole of a playoff to win at Shoal Creek on Sunday for her second major championship.

Ariya Jutanugarn hits out of the bunker to the 18th green at Shoal Creek on Sunday.

She made a nearly perfect bunker shot to within a foot of the cup on the tournament-clinching hole, beating South Korea’s Hyo-Joo Kim, who shot a 5-under 67 in the final round to force the playoff.

It was not an easy up-and-down for Jutanugarn, who said she didn’t have a particularly good lie in the sand. Somehow, she kept her cool.

“I felt pretty good,” Jutanugarn said about her mood before the shot. “I don’t know why.”

She felt even better when the ball rolled close enough for an easy putt. A collapse that would have gone down in U.S. Women’s Open lore was about to be averted.

Jutanugarn said support from her family and coaches helped her stay positive and come through with her ninth LPGA Tour win.

“I know everything’s going to be the same and they’re going to love me the same,” Jutanugarn said.

Jutanugarn started the day with a four-shot lead over Australia’s Sarah Jane Smith and looked like she might win easily after opening with a 4 under on the front nine to stretch her lead to seven shots.

But a triple bogey on No. 10 cut the lead to four and rocked her confidence, especially with her 3-wood. She still had a two-shot lead with two holes remaining, but closed with back-to-back bogeys to fall into a playoff after shooting 73.

Jutanugarn and Kim shot 11-under 277 in regulation.

Jutanugarn waves to spectators after knocking her bunker shot within feet of the cup on the 18th green.

In the end, Jutanugarn’s slow-motion collapse set up an emotional victory and her second major win. She also won the Women’s British Open in 2016.

The format for the playoff was a two-hole aggregate on 14 and 18, but the players were still tied after the two holes. The format then switched to sudden death, alternating between the same holes.

Kim looked like she might win the two-hole aggregate after making a long birdie putt on 14 while Jutanugarn settled for par. But Kim made bogey — her first of the day — on 18 while Jutanugarn made par again to send the format to sudden death.

On the fourth playoff hole at 18, both players went into greenside bunkers. Kim’s shot out of the bunker was decent, but Jutanugarn’s was phenomenal, rolling right next to cup and setting up an easy par putt.

Kim missed her putt for par and Jutanugarn tapped in for the win, turning toward her caddie and family for a happy, tearful embrace.

Jutanugarn looked nearly invincible during Saturday’s third round when she made her move into the lead with a 67, powering through the soggy Shoal Creek course with ease. It was more of the same for a while Sunday when she extended her lead to seven shots.

But things were about to get rough in a hurry.

Ariya Jutanugarn reacts after missing her par putt on the 17th green during the final round of the US Women’s Open

Jutanugarn hit her tee shot into the hazard on the 10th and then had a three-putt for a triple bogey. Her confidence shaken, she had another bogey on 12 and the tournament was suddenly much closer than anyone expected.

While Jutanugarn was fading, the 22-year-old Kim was rolling. She made putt after putt to put pressure on Jutanugarn, including a 50-footer on 15 that pulled her within one shot of the lead. Like everyone else, she was shocked she was still in contention.

“Honestly, I didn’t really worry too much about it because I just focused on how I was going to play,” Kim said through a translator. “It did not really enter my mind that I was going to come that close.”

She couldn’t quite complete the comeback, which would have been the biggest in the final round in U.S. Women’s Open history.

Smith, a 33-year-old from Australia, had a three-shot lead going into the weekend after back-to-back 67s, but finished the tournament with two straight disappointing rounds. She was in the final group with Jutanugarn, but had a 78 on Sunday to fall into a tie for fifth.

The Associated Press

Sports

Bo Bichette’s Injury may Permanently Sideline him, According to the Latest Update.

(CTN News) – Bo Bichette, the shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays, left the game against the Detroit Tigers on Friday after six innings due to a strained right calf.

The game was played against the Tigers. In the end, the Blue Jays were defeated by a score of 5-4 by the opposing team.

Bo Bichette hit a line drive to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning, and it appeared that he injured his calf when he was sprinting to first base. The damage appeared to be caused by the line drive.

The calf that is causing the problem is the same one that Bo Bichette has been experiencing issues with throughout the entire season. After suffering a strain to his right calf fascia on July 10 while playing against the San Francisco Giants, he was forced to sit out the last four games before the All-Star break from the National Football League.

Because of the discomfort in his right calf, he has been out for nine games since then, and he did not return to action until the 24th of June.

Before the trade deadline on July 30, it is very clear that the Blue Jays will be deconstructed for pieces. It is fairly obvious that the Blue Jays have lost any possibility of winning in the American League East, which is a highly competitive division. Additionally, it is pretty certain that they will be disfigured for pieces.

Bo Bichette’s injuries could prevent him from being traded in the future.

However, it is probable that this injury will preclude him from participating in any further trade conversations. Recent trade rumors have stated that Bo Bichette could be a contender for a trade;

However, it is possible that this scenario will not occur. After an MRI was finished on Friday, Bo Bichette was placed on the injured list for a period of ten days. This list will remain in effect until that time.

Bichette will almost definitely be placed on the disabled list for a period of time that is longer than the minimum of ten days, even if the findings of the MRI come back negative. This is because of the recent spate of calf problems that have been occurring.

There is a lack of clarity on whether or not the Blue Jays would have been willing to trade Bo Bichette regardless of the ailment that he was suffering from.

It has been reported that Toronto has informed other clubs that they are not prepared to trade any players who are under their control beyond the year 2024.

Bo Bichette’s contract with the organization ends in 2025.

Additionally, Toronto has informed other teams for this reason. At the beginning of June, it seemed as though the general manager of the Blue Jays, Ross Atkins, was opposed to the concept of trading Bo Bichette while he was still on the team.

Bichette claimed in a recent comment that he would not be “surprised at all” if he were to be traded to a different team. He said this in reference to the possibility of being traded.

His batting average is even worse than it has ever been in his whole career.He has participated in 79 games so far this season, and he has a batting average of 223 and an on-base percentage of.597 to his name.

The two-time winner Despite the fact that the All-Star is having a challenging season, he would have a far higher chance of having a good season if he were to play for a team that was involved in a more intense level of competition.

On the other hand, it would appear that Bichette will not be participating in a game for a substantial amount of time, regardless of whether he is playing for the Blue Jays or for another team.

SOURCE: FS

Sports

Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau started disastrously at the British Open.

(CTN News) – Forget about Rory McIlroy’s final opportunity to compete in a major tournament this year; the British Open may have been his final opportunity.

At present, his most promising prospect is to endure for an additional day. Bryson DeChambeau, the US Open champion, is also present.

On Thursday, Pinehurst No. 2 protagonists encountered Rory McIlroy’s additional complications as a result of an opposing wind that arrived at Royal Troon. McIlroy required two strokes to emerge from a deep hazard located just to the right of the 123-yard eighth hole, which is referred to as the “Postage Stamp.”

Rory McIlroy’s mallet sailed over the rails after three holes.

It culminated in a 7-over 78, which was his lowest major opening round in five years. “I just didn’t do a good enough job on that back nine, and the conditions were tough,” according to him.

DeChambeau was not significantly superior. He encountered difficulties in making par shots at the outset; on the fourth hole, a par-5, he even missed one from three feet.

The par-5 seventh hole resulted in a double bogey for him as he attempted to strike a 7-iron through dense grass, but the ball was only moved a short distance.

Following his 76, he proceeded to the range to evaluate his equipment and determine the reason for his ball’s failure to connect with the driver as anticipated.

He observed, “That day was unusual.” It is highly unlikely that either of them will forget their involvement in the morning wave or their role as the primary attraction following the U.S. Open.

Rory McIlroy was in complete control of his destiny and was leading by two strokes on the back nine before missing a 30-inch par putt on the 16th hole and another par putt from just within 4 feet on the 18th hole, which prolonged his 10-year major drought.

Making a putt from a bunker 55 yards away, DeChambeau secured his second U.S. Open victory. Rory McIlroy’s finale was so challenging that he departed Pinehurst No. 2 without expressing his gratitude to DeChambeau or expressing any sentiments.

McIlroy was optimistic about his form as he approached the final major of the year, following his tie for fourth at the Rory McIlroy Scottish Open last week. Conversely, the wind came from the opposite direction, disrupting the plans of both him and his colleagues.

On the shortened front nine, where high scores are possible, it was directly in their faces. Assistance was provided from the left on the longer back nine, which is challenging in any conditions. McIlroy was taken aback by the difficulty of the back nine, as Rory McIlroy had anticipated that it would be less difficult.

“The course was exceedingly challenging.” The circumstances are exceedingly difficult due to the wind that has yet to be observed this week. McIlroy stated that the wind dictated his strategy during the practice sessions.

However, according to him, “it starts to present different options and you start to think about maybe hitting a few clubs that you haven’t hit in practice when you get a wind you haven’t played in.”

“Just one of those days where I didn’t adjust to the circumstances well enough.” It was not a satisfactory conclusion to the round. Following his decision to play a driver off the 18th.

On the left, Rory McIlroy fired sideways due to a pot bunker.

He drove the wedge to a distance of Rory McIlroy approximately eight feet, made one final bogie, and missed one additional putt, indicating that there was still a significant amount of work to be done.

In order to survive the weekend, he declared, “I must improve my performance under those circumstances.” If not, I should endeavor to advance further on the leaderboard and feel as though I have a reasonable chance. McIlroy was ten strokes behind the lead when he finished, but he had hoped for a smaller margin.

Until he reached the par-5 16th, DeChambeau did not complete a hole below par. It is more accurate to describe him as a sluggish bleeding individual. That was the only positive aspect of the day. An eagle putt of 55 feet was executed on the 565-yard hole by him.

“I am satisfied with the way in which I maintained my composure today,” stated DeChambeau. It would have been so easy for me to give up at nine o’clock and declare, ‘I’m going home’.” No, sir. There will be an additional opportunity for me tomorrow. As I anticipate the assignment, I am eager to begin.

“I will be fine if I am able to make a few putts, hit a few shots, and figure out how to use the equipment.”

SOURCE: CT

Sports

France Reaches Euro 2024 Quarter-Finals with Late Own Goal Against Belgium

(CTN News) – Jan Vertonghen’s late own goal advanced France to the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 at Belgium’s expense. A game that lacked quality and excitement for long stretches appeared destined for extra time, but a shot by replacement Randal Kolo Muani rebounded off Vertonghen with five minutes left to win the victory at Dusseldorf Arena.

France had previously missed multiple chances due to a lack of a cutting edge, and even captain Kylian Mbappe made efforts that would typically go wide.

Belgium could have seized the lead before France’s late goal when Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne sprinted into space through the middle, but Mike Maignan blocked his effort.

That was the only real opportunity for the underperforming Belgians, as France closed out the final few minutes to advance to the last eight, where they will meet Portugal or Slovenia.

Didier Deschamps’ team deserved to win, but the 2018 world champions will be relieved more than anything else after struggling to convert chances into goals once more.

They dominated play for long stretches but only had one effort on goal in the first half, Antoine Griezmann’s low strike from distance, which was well saved.

Mbappe is one of the world’s top forwards, but even he struggled when given a shooting opportunity, curling over in the second half after doing well to create space for himself.

France is through but still needs to improve.

In the end, they had 19 shots on goal, but only two were on target, and they are still waiting for their first goal from open play in Germany.

In a theme common to all of the bigger teams remaining in Euro 2024, France is struggling to play at the level they are capable of, but for the time being, they will relish being one step closer to the final.

Belgium was booed off the pitch by some fans after only drawing with Ukraine in their last group game, but their supporters were hopeful that they would improve their performance against the French.

However, they were once again overly cautious for extended periods, and their threatening moments were fleeting.

However, they should have punished France for their carelessness with De Bruyne’s effort in the dying moments, while Romelu Lukaku, who is leaving Euro 2024 without a goal, also saw a low shot saved in the second half.

Like Croatia, this has seemed like one last chance for Belgium’s ‘golden generation’, with players like De Bruyne and Lukaku in their 30s.

And, like Croatia, they will leave the tournament wondering whether this was a squandered chance to achieve what could have been with this set of players.

Source: BBC Sports