July 21, 2023 News and Notes

• 22-year-old South African Christo Lamprecht, a senior at Georgia Tech, has become only the second amateur in 50 years to have at least a share of the lead after the first round of The Open Championship.  Seven birdies and two bogeys give him a 5-under 66, tied with England's Tommy Fleetwood and Argentina's Emiliano Grillo at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
• The big story of the week at Royal Liverpool appears to be the 120ish-yard 17th hole.  
• Lucas Herbert was three-under and in the lead when he made it to 17.
• Tee shot went short and right into the junk.
• His pitch didn't find the right level of the infinite green, and, as such, fed straight into one of the two pot bunkers.
• An awkward attempt at getting out failed.
• A more solid attempt succeeded.
• Two putts and a par on 18 put him even par and tied for 32nd instead of at least tied for 7th.
• Most other players made no real effort to do anything but take their 3 and be good with it -- over 100 pars.  It is expected, later in the weekend, for that to change.
• Many times, it is an eagle-able hole (like, say, a couple at Augusta) to allow people to go forward at the end of the tournament.  It appears, at Royal Liverpool, it may be a 6 or so on the par 3 17th which determines the winner of the Claret Jug and the title Golfer of the Year.
• Of course, that's nothing compared to Taichi Kho, who will be done after the second round after shooting 83 in the first round.
• One of the few birdies on 17 was wasted on him...
• Especially after THIS was his 18th hole, actually one-under for the back nine after eight-over on the front:
• Tee shot went well, avoiding one out-of-bounds problem
• His second avoided that, for the good news.  Bad news:  He found a greenside pot-bunker on the par-5.
• Hack one, no good
• Hack two, no good.
• Decides to turn around and hit it intentionally into the junk
• Puts it right back in the same bunker.
• Rejunks the ball, but finds the grandstand and is lucky for a free drop
• Green to 9 feet
• Two putts
• That's TEN.
• In the Blood Money Dickheads:  Two are 4 out of the lead:  Saudi whores Brooks Koepka and Thomas Pieters both shot 70.  A former LIV golfer, Adrian Otaeugi of Spain, is one out of the lead.
• The Diamondbacks have joined the Padres in having MLB take over their broadcasts after the failing of the Regional Sports Network doing so beforehand.
• Kevin Maxen of the Jaguars is the first NFL assistant coach to come out as gay.
• Entering the final three days of the July sumo tournament:
• Maegashira 1 Nishikigi and Maegashira 9 Hokutofuji are 10-2, and lead the field.
• At 9-3:  Sekiwake Hoshoryu and Maegashira 17 Hakuoho.
• Ozeki Run Watch:
• Hoshoryu is 9-3 and one out of the lead.  That's 30.  So he's close.  Win out, that's 33.
• Daiesho is 8-4 after two straight losses.  That's also 30.
• Wakamotoharu is also 8-4, and can't make 33.
• And the remaining competing Ozeki, Kirishima, is two wins from actually avoiding kadoban.