/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72584387/1643186820.5.jpg)
Today marks the final Monday before college football really gets going. I know, we had a couple of games this weekend, but those were more like exhibition matches than actual games. This week, almost every school across the nation will step onto the field to play their first games in what for some has been over nine months. One of those schools that’s had to wait nine long months are my CU Boulder Buffaloes, so expect some more content later this week centered around predictions going into this season. For now though, let’s dive into everything that went down in the sports world this past weekend.
HOVLAND WINS PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
One week after winning the BMW Championship, Victor Hovland took home the FedEx Cup, making him the first Norwegian player to ever do so. This victory came with a cool 18 million dollar bonus, the largest of the season, and when combined with his winnings from the BMW Championship, Victor has earned $21.6 million in the past two weeks. Now who says you need to go to LIV to make it big?
Hovland was dominant all weekend, entering the final round with a six stroke lead over second place Xander Schauffele. Xander fought his hardest on Sunday though, shooting a season low 62 (eight under), including a five-under front nine. Hovland, who planned to play it safe in the final round and just aim for the middle of each green, was forced to play aggressively because of Xander’s efforts. And that’s exactly what he did, shooting his lowest round of the tournament with a 63 (seven under), and fending off the surging Schauffele. The 62 and 63 shot by the final pairing were the lowest scores on Sunday, which was fitting for the two players at the top of the leaderboard.
With the PGA season coming to a close, we won’t be seeing many of the world’s top golfers until the Ryder Cup in late September at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club just outside of Rome. United States captain Zach Johnson will make his six captains picks this Tuesday, but here are the six who have already locked in positions, and those who are hoping to be added to the squad:
MAX VERSTAPPEN TIES SEBASTIAN VETTEL’S WIN STREAK RECORD
With a win on Sunday at his home track in Zandvoort, Netherlands, Max Verstappen has tied Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine Formula 1 wins in a row. Next week, Max looks to get his unprecedented 10th straight win at the temple of speed in Monza. While it may seem like the dumbest bet in sports to go against Verstappen, that wager is even more brainless when you realize that Max is the defending champion of Monza’s Italian Grand Prix. A win next week would make him the first person to go back-to-back since Sir Lewis Hamilton in 2017/18.
Now, many F1 fans have been rather pissy about RedBull’s dominance these past two seasons, but Monza has been known to produce some spectacular wins in recent memory. Looking back to two seasons ago in 2021, Daniel Ricciardo got Mclaren their most recent win in team history, something that the team’s star Lando Norris has yet to do. This win by Ricciardo was capped off by his all time quote after crossing the finish line: “For those who thought I left. I never left”
Another driver who pulled out an unthinkable victory at monza is Pierre Gasly, who was driving for Alpha Tauri in 2020. He started the race in 10th, but after a few crashes and some elite driving, Gasly proved to the world that his talent is among the best in the sport. Similar to Ricciardo and Mclaren, this was the latest win for Alpha Tauri as a team.
https://youtu.be/dZ64tx8Bi0k?si=OCJ7Alar1g4UQt0V
My favorite recent Monza win belongs to Charles Leclerc in 2019. Winning for Ferrari at their home track while in your first season driving for them is stuff of dreams, yet Charles turned that dream into reality. At the time, he was driving behind Sebastian Vettel, but this monstrous win changed people’s perspective of who was the real star. He is quoted saying “it was probably the best day of my life”, and that makes complete sense. As I’ve said before, I got into F1 through the Netflix series, and the episode that showcased this win and the driver drama, “Seeing Red”, was undeniably one of my favorites from the series.
TREY LANCE TRADED TO THE COWBOYS
Right as I saw this trade, I could hear Stephen A. Smith maniacally laughing in the faces of all Cowboys fans across the country. As if enough pressure wasn’t already on Dak Prescott’s shoulders, the Dallas front office goes and does this.
This year, “The Nation’s Team” is in the best position in my memory to make a run for a Super Bowl. Their defense is stacked, with the rush defense led by Micah Parsons and the air defense dually coordinated by star DBs Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore. They have offensive weapons out the wazoo, and they trimmed the literal and figurative fat of Ezekiel Elliott in the offseason, giving the reins of the run game fully to Tony Pollard. It seemed that this year was going to be the year that Dak could bring the Boys to the championship, but will Trey Lance take over, or will this quarterback struggle combust Dallas from the inside out? Time will only tell and the season is only one week away, so strap in ladies and gentlemen.