August 8, 2020 Issue, Page 8 of 8

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Page 8 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Saturday, August 8, 2020 Merritt Outlaw Divas The Merritt Outlaw Di- vas competed in the OK Kids 10U State Tournament July 16- 18 in Weatherford, finished undefeated in the tournament and took first place to become the OK Kids 10U State Cham- pions. Pictured here are top row, left to right: Adisyn Krueger, Alexis Carnes, Keeley Touchstone, Kiptyn Dyer, Jocelyn Leek and Tayler Hust. Bot- tom row, left to right, are Claire Taylor, Lac- ey Bonner, Cali Rohr- berg, Jaeden Krueger, Addie Blackwell and Caityn Lowry. Submit- ted picture. Even without crowd’s roar, golf provides a major lift this week By Steve Hummer, The for a fairly immediate title Last month, Rory McIlroy tions at the entry gate along playing something kind of If the sensation is less Adanta Journal-Constitu- without resorting to the ge- made a good point, saying, with pairing sheets. grand than in majors past, important the next four days. tion netically mutated formats of “It’s the people and the at- Regardless of the lesser Reassuring to know that can we'll adjust. What other op- Remember when they baseball, basketball, hockey mosphere, that’s what makes vibe, recognize that they are still happen. tion is there? used to hold the occasional and soccer. a tournament. And when you golf tournament that was de- And there are plenty of don’t have that, there’s noth- monstrably bigger than all storylines to hold interest ing really for them to differ- College football is becoming impossible the rest? The golf world got through a weekend. entiate themselves. its knickers all in a bunch ‘As always, whenever he “Obviously, the courses to justify in the pandemic over such contests. Great deigns play, Woods will hog are different, setups are a players went there to author all the oxygen. This is so By Matt Baker, Tampa (football) to suit up? little different, but at the end Tf the haves think they can legacies. So big were they unfair to the other young- Bay Times of the day, it’s all sort of the The contradictions keep make it work financially, that Tiger Woods even came sters (and Phil Mickelson) same.” The mental gymnastics going, The Sunshine State then the board doesn’t want needed to justify major col- Conference is among the them to be overruled by the out of competitive witness on the playground, given Koepka, of course, was protection to swing a club in that Woods has played all of more pragmatic. lege football became even smaller leagues that sus- have-nots. harder to execute Wednes- pended fall sports last month. The cynical financial view public. four PGA Tour rounds since “It’s pretty obvious it’s a is that big-time programs These special events were February, finishing T-40 at major,” he said Tuesday via day after the latest rush of That means it’s too much for have more to lose. A fall even given a rank _ they the Memorial a couple of a Zoom news conference. concerning coronavirus up- the University of Tampa to without football would cre- were called majors, I be- weeks ago. But we will be “It’s a big-boy golf course. dates. play volleyball, but it’s OK ate an economic crisis across lieve. transfixed as his back turns Tough place. Tough setup. I Start at UConn, which be- for USF to open preseason college sports and their com- Because of the pandemic, to rebar in the damp chill of came the first Division I-A football camp across town munities. mean,I know (it’s a major), program to cancel its foot- Friday? Athletic departments it has been so long, too long, Northern California. so that’s all that matters.” ball season. The independent Some major schools, in- aren’t sympathetic entities. since a major’s been staged Koepka, who walks into Recognizing that golf will Huskies could have blamed cluding USC, Cal and Rut- - Shane Lowry won the Brit- a major like John Wayne attempt to play three of its Administrators have been their decision on scheduling gers, plan to start the fall spending excessively for ish Open nearly 13 months used to walk into a saloon, is four majors this year - the difficulties as conferences semester online or at least ago (July 21, 2019). That’s tracking history now. He'll British Open has been can- opt for league-only seasons. hold most classes virtually. years through gold-plated the longest break between attempt to win his third con- celed, the other three moved facilities, skyrocketing sala- Instead, they repeatedly cit- So studying English or en- ries and armies of analysts. such championships since a secutive PGA Champion- back - last week’s No. 1 Jon ed health concerns. gineering in a classroom to- gap from between 1942-44, ship. He’s showing signs Rahm took the grateful ap- But abandoning the sea- “The safety challenges gether during the week is too son wouldn’t only trim the Kids, go to your virtual his- of life again, after a T-2 in proach. created by COVID-19 place risky, but it’s fine for class- wasteful expenses. It would tory class to find out what Memphis last week. And big He hit it right down the our football student-athletes mates to block and tackle on cut deep into departments, was so messed up about events are kind of his thing. middle, saying, “We're very at an unacceptable level of weekends? affecting the livelihoods those years. Chew on this stat, most cu- lucky to be playing our big- But they are going to try tisk,” athletic director David mulative strokes under par at ger events. At least it looks Benedict said. The only way to start ac- of hard-working men and cepting the contradictions is women. It would harm, if to play one again, beginning the majors over the past three like we might be playing Then the NCAA's Board to say the quiet part out loud: not wipe out, some non- Thursday on a public golf years: Koepka (-70), Rickie three of them this calen- of Governors announced It’s all about the money. revenue sports, limiting the course near San Francisco. Fowler (-34), Jordan Spieth dar year. ... At one point it that all three of the associ: ‘The generous view is that educational and Olympic For us here in a more lower (-28), Matt Kuchar (-19) and looked really ugly with how tion’s divisions have until major football programs opportunities for current and right quadrant of the map Rory Mellroy (-16). things are in California and Aug. 21 to decide individu- with deep pockets are best future athletes. this is very encouraging. Koepka’s polar opposite, New York (site of the U.S. ally whether to try to hold positioned to make practices The potential financial Because if they can stage the complicated Bryson Open). That’s the best way championships this fall. By and games as safe as pos- devastation is important to an event of this magnitude DeChambeau, remains the T can explain it. I’m just the end of the day, Division sible. South Carolina coach consider. Just not as impor- in a state that either always most intriguing character in thankful to be here.” TI and Division IIT had can- Will Muschamp told report- tant as the health of players, is on fire or in the grips of any field he’s in. What will No, this PGA Champion- celed their events, including ers Wednesday that the SEC coaches and the public. another coronavirus surge, be the next move in his quest ship won’t possess every tin- cross country regionals at plans to test three times a ‘The Big Ten seems to un- then the prospects of pulling to turn golf into applied sci- gle of a major in more nor- Saint Leo and soccer semifi- week. It’s the type of worth- derstand this point. When it off a Masters in November ence _ having Elon Musk on mal times. It can’t feel the nals/ finals at the University while expense only big pro- unveiled its updated confer- in quiet Augusta look better his bag this week, perhaps? same. Nothing much does of Tampa’s Pepin Stadium. grams can afford. ence-only schedule Wednes- by the minute. And look out for Justin right now. On its own, the news The NCAA’s Board of day morning, the league The PGA Championship _ Thomas. He is the world’s Golf, as it makes a big wasn’t startling; many D- Governors acknowledged as stressed that “issuing a schedule does not guarantee known more recently as the push the next three months No. 1, as ofthis second. That III conferences had already much Wednesday. Brooks Koepka Invitational changes like a tasting menu. that competition will occur,” will be largely fan-free bailed on the fall. But the “We understand that each if the “alarming” spread of - always has been the Fredo I think if you get out this and muted. The two play- decision creates another division's primary focus is the virus does not slow. of majors. But this week it weekend and break 80, you off events and the season- logic pretzel SEC and ACC health and safety, and some The harsh injection ofreal- is a leader among all sports can apply for the position. ending Tour Championship administrators will have to may not be similarly situ- ity into an announcement of as the first time since the vi- The big question hanging at East Lake will be played twist into if they want to optimism was a vital public ated in terms of whether its rus began its world tour that over the PGA Championship without spectators. Just last kick off next month. members and governance acknowledgment of where anyone will be playing for like the marine layer over week the announcement One division believes it’s structure have the resources college sports and the coun- something, well, major. Ev- Harding Park is: Without came that U.S. Open, Sept. too unsafe for participants available to take the neces- try stand, almost five months erything else has been chop- the buzz of a gallery to feed 17-20, would exclude a live in what the NCAA consid- sary precautions (for regu- into the pandemic. py, tentative steps back to the emotion, can this really audience. No word yet about ers a medium-contact sport lar-season competition or The idea of major college competition with the vague come across our flat screens November's Masters, but (cross country) to compete championships) given the football this fall isn’t only promise of a trophy at the with the feel of a major? it is hard to imagine “pa- for championships this fall. health data trends and the becoming hard to envision. end. This one enjoys the heft Even if CBS’ Jim Nantz is in trons” on the grounds unless Yet it’s safe enough for ath- spread of COVID-19,” the It’s becoming harder to ra- of the world’s best plaving full reverential awe mode? thev’re handing out vaccina- letes in a high-contact sport board wrote. tionalize.