Scottie Shines, His Sidekick Slips (Just a Little) šļøāāļøš¶
It was a day for trophiesā¦ and one toddler-sized tumble on the 18th green.
Letās get into three things you need to know!
1ļøā£ Three Down, One to Go šššš
On Thursday, Scottie Scheffler started The Open one shot behind the leaders.
On Friday, he zoomed ahead with a 64.
On Saturday, he built a four-shot lead.
And on Sunday? He never looked back, closing with a 68 at Royal Portrush to win the tournament by four shots. šļøāāļø
Scottie started his final round strong, but ran into a double bogey on the tricky 8th hole. No sweatā¦ he then bounced right back with a birdie on 9.
From there, he played calm, clean, mistake-free golf. Just what he needed to keep everyone else competing for second place.
With this win, Scottie made history in a few ways.
First, he became just the fourth golfer ever to shoot 68 or better in all four rounds of The Open. Thatās a really high bar!
Second, he grabbed his third leg of the career Grand Slam (thatās winning three of the four biggest golf tournaments in the world: the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open. Only the U.S. Open remains.)
Finally, he joined a really rare club: Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player are the only other players in history to win the Masters, PGA Championship, and The Open before turning 30. Thatās a very short list of all-time legends.
Hereās Rory McIlroy, who finished tied for seventh at -10, on how incredible Scottie is right now:
āIn a historical context, you could argue that thereās only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run like the one that Scottieās been on here for the last 24 to 36 months. Incredibly impressive.ā
Oh, and get this: heās now won 11 out of his last 11 tournaments when heās led after three rounds. Thatās like being up in a basketball game at the end of the third quarterā¦ and always finishing the job.
Think he can finish the career Grand Slam?
Heāll have to wait almost a year for his shot: The 2026 U.S. Open isnāt until next June! But youād better believe Scottieās going for it.
2ļøā£ Did We Forget to Show You Something? š„
You didnāt really think weād skip the highlights, did you? Smallball apologizes for the delayā¦ costume changes take time!
Sunday at Royal Portrush was Scottie at his best.
But the final round had plenty of other wow moments, too.
š„ This is what golf greatness looks likeā¦ with a tiny, tumbling sidekick stealing the show at the very end.
3ļøā£ Summer League Sendoff š
NBA Summer League might not be the real playoffsā¦ but it does still matter.
Itās the leagueās sneak peek for next year. A chance for rookies and rising stars to prove they belong. Coaches experiment. Fans get their first look at the future.
And this summer? The future looked pretty exciting.
š Cooper Flagg, the #1 overall pick, had strong moments in just a few games, including a 31-point explosion before the Mavericks shut him down to rest.
š„ Bronny James, son of LeBron, showed flashes too. Smart defense and confident shooting give Lakers fans reasons to hope.
The action finished up last night with two undefeated teams: the Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Hornets. Both 5ā0, now battling for the Summer League crown.
And the winner isā¦
The Hornets, who held off a late Kings push to win 83ā78 and finish a perfect 6ā0. š
(The game finished late, but ask your grown-up to help you find the highlights on YouTube! Itās the last chance to watch NBA players until preseason tips off in October. š„)
So long, Summer League. See you again in the fall, basketball. šš
The Open is closed. (See what we did there?)
Summer League is done.
But sports never sleepā¦ and weāll be back tomorrow with more stories to keep you in the game.
Smallball is just for fun.
All trademarks, images, and videos are used for educational and fair use purposes only.
If you have any questions or concerns, please just email us.