Shot Clock Challenge

Those spotless views of the Northern Ireland coast are done. The true Open experience starts here and now. Buckle up.

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who died Tue. at 99, was a lifelong Cubs fan who said his first two trips to Wrigley Field were for Game 1 of the 1929 World Series (a 3-1 loss to the A's) and Game 3 in ‘32 — he said he thought Babe Ruth DID call his shot on his mythical home run that day (the Yankees won 7-5 on 2 HRs each by Ruth & Lou Gehrig). In 2005, he threw a ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley that he called "the highlight of my career." And he attended a Cubs World Series game in 2016. Another sports connection: in 2001, Stevens delivered the 7-2 majority opinion that resulted in Casey Martin being allowed to use a cart in a PGA tournament, because of a disability — he said the tour's walking rule was "at best peripheral" and "not an indispensable feature" of golf at any level.

Phil Mickelson was honored for being ranked in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking every week for the last 25 years. International Golf Federation president Peter Dawson gave Mickelson a back-handed compliment of sorts: "Unfortunately, Mr. Woods was around during your time, so you never quite got to No. 1."