Scottie Shines, His Sidekick Slips (Just a Little) 🏌️♂️👶
It was a day for trophies… and one toddler-sized tumble on the 18th green.
Let’s get into three things you need to know!
1️⃣ Three Down, One to Go 🏆🏆🏆🔜
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. 🏌️♂️
Scottie started his final round strong, but ran into a double bogey on the tricky 8th hole. No sweat… 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. That’s a really high bar!
Second, he grabbed his third leg of the career Grand Slam (that’s 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. That’s a very short list of all-time legends.
Here’s Rory McIlroy, who finished tied for seventh at -10, on how incredible Scottie is right now:
“In a historical context, you could argue that there’s only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run like the one that Scottie’s been on here for the last 24 to 36 months. Incredibly impressive.”
Oh, and get this: he’s now won 11 out of his last 11 tournaments when he’s led after three rounds. That’s like being up in a basketball game at the end of the third quarter… and always finishing the job.
Think he can finish the career Grand Slam?
He’ll have to wait almost a year for his shot: The 2026 U.S. Open isn’t until next June! But you’d better believe Scottie’s going for it.
2️⃣ Did We Forget to Show You Something? 🎥
You didn’t really think we’d skip the highlights, did you? Smallball apologizes for the delay… costume changes take time!
Sunday at Royal Portrush was Scottie at his best.
But the final round had plenty of other wow moments, too.
🎥 This is what golf greatness looks like… with a tiny, tumbling sidekick stealing the show at the very end.
3️⃣ Summer League Sendoff 🏀
NBA Summer League might not be the real playoffs… but it does still matter.
It’s the league’s 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.
👀 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.
🔥 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 5–0, now battling for the Summer League crown.
And the winner is…
The Hornets, who held off a late Kings push to win 83–78 and finish a perfect 6–0. 🏆
(The game finished late, but ask your grown-up to help you find the highlights on YouTube! It’s the last chance to watch NBA players until preseason tips off in October. 🎥)
So long, Summer League. See you again in the fall, basketball. 🍁🏀
The Open is closed. (See what we did there?)
Summer League is done.
But sports never sleep… and we’ll be back tomorrow with more stories to keep you in the game.
Smallball is just for fun.
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