U.S. Senior Challenge: Louisiana on top after second-round leaderboard shuffle
After a second-round leaderboard shuffle at the U.S. Senior Challenge, there's a lot to be said for consistency. That's how the four-man squad from Louisiana found itself at the top of the team leaderboard with 18 holes left to play at Hobe Sound (Florida) Golf Club.
On a day when scores rose across the board, Louisiana players managed to match their 6-over effort from the first day to not only climb from the third-place spot into the top spot, but build a six-shot cushion over the next-closest team.
In the play-four-count-three team format, Louisiana used rounds of 1-over 73 from Claud Cooper, 2-over 74 from Stan Humphries and 3-over 75 from team captain Grady Brame on Tuesday.
Scores: U.S. Senior Challenge
While one team champion is crowned at the U.S. Senior Challenge, individual champions will be named in each of the four age divisions: senior, super senior, legends and super legends. World Amateur Golf Ranking points are also awarded.
Humphries, at 1 over for the tournament (71-74), is tied for first in the Senior division with Michael Arasin, who is captaining an Alabama-Georgia team that, entering the final round, is closest on Louisiana's heels. Cooper is another two shots back in a tie for third with Charlie Stevens, a member of the fifth-place Kansas team.
The day began with the Florida team captained by William Boockford, the reigning Legends champion of the Golfweek Senior Tournament of Champions, in the lead. Hobe Sound native Rich Buckner helped greatly in that team effort with an opening 70, but Buckner fell to 82 in the second round as the team slipped to fifth.
Boockford, for his part, is 4 over individually (73-75) and trailing by only two shots in the Legends division.
Donny Phillips, at 5 over, leads the Super Senior division. His Ohio-Georgia team is in a tie for eighth on the team leaderboard. Gary Jeffreys, a member of the Texas team also in a share of eighth, is 9 over and at the top of the Super Legends division.
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USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Mirabel Ting, college golf's No. 1 player, will make pro debut at Evian Championship
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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
MLB Draft 2025: Who will the Nationals take with the No. 1 pick on July 13?
For the third time in franchise history, the Washington Nationals hold the No. 1 overall selection in the MLB Draft. In the previous two instances, the top pick was a flat-out no-brainer. In 2009, the Nats took San Diego State University right-hander Stephen Strasburg, a man considered by many to be the greatest college pitching prospect in MLB history. A year later, they selected power-hitting phenom Bryce Harper, who by then had already been on the cover of Sports Illustrated. This time around, the decision for general manager Mike Rizzo and his front office is much, much trickier. That's because this draft lacks an obvious, no-doubt, generational prospect in the mold of a Harper or a Strasburg. Advertisement With the draft just two weeks away, industry experts are generally unsure about whom Rizzo and Brad Ciolek, the team's director of amateur scouting, will take. So let's do our best to handicap their situation and summarize the players who have a chance to be the first name called on July 13. The favorites Kade Anderson, LHP, Louisiana State University His background: A draft-eligible sophomore, Anderson just put together a sensational season as the ace of the national champion LSU Tigers. The Louisiana native tossed a 3.18 ERA in 119 innings while leading the country with 180 punchouts. His final start in purple and gold was a doozy, a 130-pitch, complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the College World Series finals. Advertisement Anderson's fastball sits in the 93-95 mph range, but he can reach back for 97, which he did more than a few times in Omaha. His slider is a new offering, and it was supremely effective against righties and lefties. The changeup is phenomenal; expect him to throw it more in pro ball and make it his main weapon against righties. 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He has the frame and name of an All-Star. The timing issues that led to an underwhelming showcase performance last summer appear to have been ironed out already. His hands and athleticism should let him be at least average at third base. Even if his value is more power over average, there's enough power here to make that work. Holliday has the potential and star power of a No. 1 overall pick in a way that no one else in this draft class has. Why they won't: Holliday's cathedral ceiling is marred by a few red flags. Last summer on the showcase circuit, he didn't barrel a single fastball to the pull side. He also ran a concerningly high 37% in-zone whiff rate on heaters. Because so much of his profile depends on the bat, the floor here could be scary to more risk-averse teams. That said, the Nats, who took iffy-hit-tooled high school bats in 2021 and 2022, are not one of those teams. Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb Broxton High School (OK) His background: Eli's dad, Reggie, was a six-year big-league outfielder for the Angels and has since become the associate head baseball coach at the University of Oklahoma. It's not quite Holliday-level bloodlines, but it's probably better than whatever your family has. Willits is a versatile, projectable shortstop prospect with an impressive feel to hit. He was originally part of the 2026 class before he reclassified to this year, which is why he'll still be 17 years old on draft day. That's something model-over-scout teams will care about. Advertisement Why the Nats will take him: He's the best prospect. At least, we think he is here at Yahoo. Willits lacks Holliday's power and overall offensive potential, but otherwise, his profile is incredibly enticing. Evaluators believe he's a strong bet to stick at shortstop, with a good chance to be above average there. He's also a switch-hitter with a track record of performance against high-level competition. That includes fall ball games at the University of Oklahoma, where Willits filled in and held his own against college arms years older than him. He reminds me of a slightly taller version of Francisco Lindor before Lindor bucked expectations by growing into plus power. Why they won't: Willits probably won't be Francisco Lindor. He doesn't do anything at an elite level; he's more of a sum-of-the-parts type of player. There's value there, not to mention a relatively high floor for a high schooler, but it's tough to see a world in which Willits becomes a top-10 player in MLB. That's something teams like to be able to dream on when picking first overall. The Nats will be on the clock with the No. 1 pick at 6 p.m. July 13. Which player will they choose? (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) The dark horses Liam Doyle, LHP, University of Tennessee His background: Doyle took full advantage of college baseball's relatively new transfer portal, playing one season at three different schools (Coastal Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee). And during his junior year in Knoxville, the hard-throwing lefty was a revelation. Doyle delivered a 3.20 ERA in 95 2/3 innings for the Vols while striking out 15.4 batters per nine. On the mound, Doyle moves like an attack dog, teetering the line between emotional and demonstrative. Advertisement Why the Nats will take him: The four-seam fastball is downright special. Doyle threw it a preposterous 63% of the time in 2025, getting a 40% swing-and-miss rate. For context, Brewers ace Freddy Peralta currently leads MLB starters in four-seam rate at 57.8%, and Mariners ace Brian Woo tops the league in four-seam whiff rate at 33.1%. Doyle's is a unicorn offering, one that gives him a Cy Young ceiling. Why they won't: Because he threw the fastball so much, the rest of Doyle's mix is kind of a mystery. He doesn't really have a secondary weapon against righties at the moment, meaning the team that drafts him will need to help him develop one. Overall, Doyle is relatively unpolished for someone coming off such a fantastic season in the SEC. Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona High School (CA) His background: A right-handed high school pitcher has never been taken No. 1 overall. Hernandez has a shot to change that. Advertisement Why the Nats will take him: The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Californian is as impressive as a high school pitcher can be. He has a prototypical ace's build and real-deal athleticism. His heater sits comfortably in the high-90s and is complemented by a changeup that most evaluators grade out as plus or better. Hernandez has two different breaking balls, both of which have gotten better over the past calendar year. He performed against the best possible competition while playing for the best high school team in the country. It's everything you could possibly want from this type of player. Why they won't: There's a reason teams don't often use top picks on right-handed high school hurlers. It's a supremely risky demographic as far as translating to big-league success. Of the 100 players selected in the top 10 over the past 10 years, only seven were high school righties. And since 2019, just two high school righties — Jackson Jobe of the Tigers and Noble Meyer of the Marlins — have been taken in the top 10. The only no-doubt success story from this group so far has been Hunter Greene, who went second overall in 2018. It's not Hernandez's fault, but the burden of history is heavy. The long shot Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State University His background: Built like an NBA wing at a gangly 6-foot-5, Arquette was one of the best hitters in college baseball this season. Because of his size, some evaluators believe he'll end up at the hot corner as a pro. For the record, I disagree. I think Arquette is a freak whose unique athleticism will let him stick at shortstop. Either way, he's the top college bat on the majority of boards. Advertisement Why the Nats will take him: No other college position player in this draft has Arquette's ceiling. He's a physical marvel; the only legitimate body comparison is Cal Ripken Jr. And some teams are put off by the high school ranks, preferring to select players who are closer to being finished products. Why they won't: Arquette has some big chase issues, particularly on breaking balls. Players with long levers like this tend to take more time to adjust to pro pitching, even coming from college. Plus, Arquette's defensive future is far from a given. In all, there are probably too many questions here for the Nats to take him first.


USA Today
16 hours ago
- USA Today
Red numbers abound on opening day of Golfweek Pacific Northwest Senior Amateur
On a picturesque, if warm, day in Washington's wine country, players had to score to contend at the Golfweek Pacific Northwest Senior Amateur. Perhaps no one embodied that better than Scott Masingill, the Payette, Idaho, native who is co-leading the Super Senior division. Masingill's card prompts a double-take. In the opening round at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Washington, Masingill started his day with nine 3s – birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie. In fact, he made 3 on half the holes he played for his 4-under 68. This is unsurprising from Masingill, whose golf life in the Pacific Northwest has been highlighted by a stout junior and college career, including the 1971 Pac-8 individual title while playing for Oregon State. He made a quick foray into professional senior golf but has since returned to the amateur game. Masingill was inducted into the Idaho Golf Association's Hall of Fame inaugural class in 2024. In 2019, the IGA named the state amateur trophy after him. He has won that event nine times in his life. At Wine Valley, Masingill shares the Super Senior lead with another PNW legend, however. Pat O'Donnell, a Pacific Northwest Golf Association Hall of Famer, also fired an opening 68. Last year, O'Donnell opened this event with 67 for the lead. O'Donnell is familiar with Wine Valley through his good friend Jim Pliska, the course owner. Pliska, who is also in the field, is third in the Super Senior division after a 2-under 70. He had only one bogey for the day. Pliska runs Space Age Fuel, one of the largest independent fuel marketers in Oregon, and in addition to Wine Valley also owns Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Oregon. The latter course is home to the University of Oregon golf teams. Despite his busy work schedule, Pliska competes six or seven times a year and is constantly working on his game as he splits his time between the Pacific Northwest, Southern California and Las Vegas. 'My game, I can feel it's getting better but getting it consistently better,' Pliska told Golfweek this spring, 'it's still got work to be done.' Scores were also low in the Senior division, as co-leaders Donald Bidinger of Bainbridge Island, Washington, and Chris Brauner of Middleton, Wisconsin, used rounds of 3-under 69 to climb to the top of the leaderboard. They lead Juan Angel, of Colombia, by a shot. Angel is the No. 2-ranked player in the 55-and-over category according to the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He has competed in the Latin America Amateur Championship the past three years and won several senior events in Colombia. Behind Angel, four players are tied for fourth at 1 under: Greg Chianello, Craig Larson, Kevin VandenBerg and Trent Gregory. Dan Parkinson of Lehi, Utah, and Gerry Graham of Mesa, Arizona, are tied atop the Legends division after rounds of 2-over 74. Parkinson is ranked No. 6 in Golfweek's National Senior Amateur Ranking for Legends players.