Fitzpatrick wins U.S. Open

I got lucky again in terms of predicting who might win the U.S. Open golf tournament. Before the Open, the Golf Channel reminded me that Matt Fitzpatrick had won the 2013 U.S. Amateur at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass. Very few players in the field had any past experience on the course. The Country Club course definitely held up to the modern player. Fitzpatrick won the  tournament at six-under par, and fewer than 10 players finished under par for the tournament. It was an entertaining finish. Four players had a legitimate chance to win over the last few holes. Fitzpatrick, Will Zalatoris, Jon Rahm and world No. 1 Scotty Scheffler. In the end, Zalatoris had a putt on the last hole to force a playoff with Fitzpatrick but his putt missed by an inch over the edge of the hole. This tournament was great to watch unfold right up to the end.

If you want to learn more about the history of the Country Club course, there is a really good book you can read, “The Greatest Game Ever Played” by Mark Frost. There is also a movie based upon the book by the same name.

I think it is bizarre that the NBA Draft is held only a week after the last NBA Finals game. The Golden State Warriors overwhelmed the young Boston Celtics in six games to win their fourth NBA championship in the last eight years. Stephen Curry won his first finals MVP, cementing his legacy as one of the best players in NBA history. He is probably in the top 25 players of all time. In terms of the draft, there were no obvious superstars in this draft class, but it is supposed to be very deep. For example, no one in the media had a clue who was going to be the first pick from the top three prospects, which almost never happens in the NFL. Paolo Banchero from Duke turned out to be the first pick. In a somewhat odd turn of events, the 76ers did not draft a player this year, which is only possible in the NBA, because there are only two rounds of the draft and only 60 players drafted. NBA free agency starts July 1, so there will be a lot more information to talk about then.

Wimbledon starts next week. I will be able to watch the whole thing on ESPN or ESPN+. I am looking forward to seeing if Serena Williams comes back after almost a year off from competitive tennis.Unfortunately, Roger Federer is going to be out at least until next year. I hope he can come back at some point so that he can go out on his own terms for retiring from an amazing career. I also heard this year is the 100th year of the Centre Court at Wimbledon, which is pretty cool.

The Phillies just continue to frustrate me with their inconsistency. I'm sure this is bittersweet for Joe Girardi, but there's always a scapegoat and hopefully he is enjoying some family time as he waits to see what opportunity comes next.