Georgia, New Jersey take early lead at PGA Jr. League Championship

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SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – As the 6th PGA Jr. League Championship presented by National Car Rental returned to picturesque Grayhawk Golf Club, Team New Jersey (Hillsborough) and Team Georgia (Duluth) took early leads in their respective divisions, with Texas and New Hampshire knocking on the door.

Eight Regional Champion teams combined of boys and girls from across the country are vying for the national title. The 80 boys and girls represent All-Star Teams from a record 42,000 kids who played in PGA Jr. League during 2017.

At 2-0, New Jersey, which features two girls and eight boys, sits atop the Ryder Division standings, after defeating Team Illinois (Chicago) 8-4 in the morning session; and Team Arkansas (Little Rock) 10-2 in the afternoon match.

MORE: Full coverage of the 2017 PGA Jr. League Golf Championship | Photos from Grayhawk

The power pairing of 12-year-old Katie Li, who is appearing in her second PGA Jr. League Championship with Team New Jersey, and 11-year-old Megan Meng, a 2016 U.S. Kids Golf World Champion, went birdie-birdie-birdie on the final three holes to propel New Jersey to its desert hot start.

New Jersey leads Team Texas (Houston), who went 1-0-1 on the day. After tying Team Arkansas (Little Rock) 6-6 in the morning, Texas beat Illinois (Chicago) 7-5. Texas is in a must-win situation against New Jersey on Saturday to advance to Sunday’s Championship final pairing. New Jersey needs to either win or tie to clinch a chance to play for the title.

“I’m very proud of this team,” said Team New Jersey Captain Anthony Latham, PGA. “They’re scrappers. They prepared and worked hard, but we pride ourselves on being ready for anything. The third match was pivotal, because they’d lost the first two flags. Megan and Katie’s three consecutive birdies on Hole Nos. 16, 17 and 18 got us to seven , which secured the win."

“We started rough, but I think as we went on, we gained more confidence,” Li added. “Once we got a birdie, it encouraged us to keep making putts.”

In the Wanamaker Division, Team Georgia flexed its muscle early on and never looked back en route to a 10.5-1.5 win over Team Ohio (Columbia Station) to take first place by 2.5 points over Team New Hampshire after the opening stanza. The Wanamaker Division had a bye in the morning round.

Veteran Ethan Gao, 12, of Alpharetta, Georgia, who was the youngest player in the Championship last year, made an impressive return to Grayhawk, as he drilled a 25-foot eagle putt on the final hole to accentuate his team’s opening day win. Gao believes last year’s experience has given him an edge this year in a number of ways.

“Coming back, it settles my nerves a little bit more, and I can putt freely,” said Gao. “The competitors on my team have become my friends now, and everyone’s turned into my friends now, and I feel that it’s great that PGA Jr. League organized this.”

“Every single one of our kids played incredibly today,” said PGA Professional and Team Georgia Captain Patrick McCrary. “We didn’t have a weak link…the camaraderie on this team has been great to watch.”

MORE: A PGA Jr. League golfer’s journey from Rwanda to Scottsdale

Team New Hampshire (Atkinson) pulled off quite the win against Team California (San Jose) on the back nine of the Raptor Course. New Hampshire’s third and fourth twosomes each eagled Hole No. 18, their third hole of the day, and they rode this momentum to a victory over a tough California team.

“It jump started us a little bit,” said Team New Hampshire Captain Peter Doherty, PGA. “Between families, word starting getting back to the kids in the other groups. From there on, it never seemed to stop…Today’s win boosts the confidence more than anything. I hope it gets them off to a better start tomorrow, and they can just let it ride all afternoon.”

What’s a kid to do after such a great first day?

“They’re going back to the hotel to play football in the pool,” Team Georgia Assistant Coach Greg Powers answered.

Play Continues Saturday, Nov. 17 at 8:30 a.m. MT
Each team competes round-robin against the three other teams in their division Friday and Saturday (Nov. 17-18). The two teams with the best records from each division will compete for the national title; 2nd place teams from each division will compete for 3rd place; 3rd place teams from each division will compete for 5th place; and 4th place teams from each division will compete for 7th place on Sunday (Nov. 19).

Ryder Division
New Jersey (Hillsborough): 2-0-0, 18 points
Texas (Houston): 1-0-1, 13 points
Arkansas (Little Rock): 0-1-1, 8 points
Illinois (Chicago): 0-2-0, 9 points

Wanamaker Division*
Georgia (Duluth): 1-0-0, 10.5 points
New Hampshire (Atkinson): 1-0-0, 8 points
California (San Jose): 0-1-0, 4 points
Ohio (Columbia Station): 0-1-0, 1.5 points

*Teams in the Wanamaker Division each had a bye on Friday, Nov. 17, and therefore only played one match each.

Barcelona confirm initial loan signing of €25m-rated La Liga centre-back

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of centre-back Jeison Murillo, the defender joins on an initial loan deal from Valencia, Murillo will not be available to play until the transfer window opens in January.

The 26-year-old Colombian international will join the Catalan giants on an initial loan deal for the remainder of the 2018/19 season, according to Barcelona’s official website the deal includes a €25m permanent option.

According to a report from EPSN FC, Valencia were holding out for a fee in the region of €2m for the six-month loan deal.

Murillo’s signing will give Barcelona much-needed cover at centre-back. Samuel Umititi is sidelined with a knee injury whereas Thomas Vermaelen is ruled out with a calf injury.

The former Inter Milan, Granada and Las Palmas defender will offer competition to Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet.

Check out Barcelona’s announcement video:

Check out Murillo’s reaction to joining the Blaugrana:

It’s likely that Murillo will prove to be a short-term fix for Barcelona, the Evening Standard reported that the Blaugrana see Murillo as a temporary solution to their defensive problems and that the Catalan giants will wait until the summer to make a move for Ajax sensation Matthijs de Ligt.

Murillo has struggled with injury problems in the last 12 months, the Columbian returned from his injury only to find that he’d been replaced by ex-Arsenal man Gabriel and Argentine Ezequiel Garay in the Valencia starting lineup.

Murillo could be very rusty if he is called into action for Barcelona, the 26-year-old has only played in one La Liga and one Champions League game for Valencia this season.

Whilst this signing is very much a temporary fix it could also prove to be a very risky one for a club that eyeing domestic and European glory this season.

Jason Day finds his groove at BMW Championship with close friend on the bag

After Jason Day completed his Friday round at Conway Farms, a friend shouted, "Jason, my car is on its last legs!"

"Better start walking!" Day shot back with a smile.

The affable Aussie was awarded a BMW M760i sedan for what he described as a "lucky" hole-in-one, a 7-iron on the downhill, 186-yard 17th hole that landed in the rough and released perfectly to the cup.

"I kind of pushed it," he said.

Day won't be returning the Beemer. But he won't be keeping it either.

MORE: BMW Championship leaderboard | Watch PGA Tour Live

Day decided to donate the car to an Evans Scholar, a pay-it-forward gesture matching BMW's $100,000 donation to the Evans Scholars Foundation. Meaning one lucky and diligent caddie gets a college scholarship and another gets a sick ride.

"I'm in a fortunate position," Day said, "very blessed to be able to try to bless someone else."

Indeed, Day is #blessed and #humbled after a 2017 season in which he was a nonfactor in all four majors yet remains in position to cash a monster check at next week's Tour Championship.

At 13 under after two rounds of the BMW Championship, Day is tied for second with Rickie Fowler, three shots behind Marc Leishman, who followed his opening 9-under 62 with a 64.

If 62-64 (16 under) sounds like an unprecedented start, it isn't. Day opened 61-63 at Conway Farms in 2015 before finishing a victorious 22 under with a 69-69 finish.

No one knew quite what to expect from Day this week after he stunned the golf world by removing longtime caddie, coach and mentor Colin Swatton from his bag. Not since a Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge event in 2012 had Day played without Swatton by his side.

His new looper is Luke Reardon, a close friend since their junior golf days in Queensland and a school roommate.

"I feel more excited having my buddy on the bag," Day said. "I think Luke was a little nervous starting (Thursday's round). I had to tell him to get out of people's lines and stuff. He's starting to find his way.

"He's seen me hit a boatload of shots. We played pretty much every Wednesday and Saturday together throughout our high school years. Being able to put my 100 percent trust in those conversations (about clubs) is the communication that's needed."

Reardon declined to comment after the round. Day credits Reardon for giving him the Tiger Woods instruction book, "How I Play Golf," and for supercharging his practice habits.

"He was actually better than me," Day said, "And he worked harder than anyone in the school. It gets light really early in Queensland, and he'd be up practicing at 4:30, 5. That's why I changed the way I practiced when I was a kid. He's one of the reasons I am here today."

Day's 65 was bettered by his fellow Aussie Leishman, who has birdied half of his 36 holes.

"Hopefully I can keep that going," he said. "It has been a fun two days. The weather's perfect and my game feels like it's in a really good spot in all aspects."

Conway Farms members view this as a tough track. So do their guests. But it's being set up to showcase the world's best players, and so far 59 of the 70 are under par.

"I don't think it's a pushover," Leishman said. "If you're spraying it a little bit and playing from the rough, there are (high) numbers to be had."

Or so he hears.


This article is written by Teddy Greenstein from Chicago Tribune and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.

Chelsea transfer news: PL rivals eye raid on Blues, star man drops big exit hint

Chelsea stalwart Gary Cahill is reportedly a January transfer target for Fulham, while Cesc Fabregas has seemingly dropped a major exit hint.

Despite the fact that the Blues continue to compete on multiple fronts this season with the Premier League, Europa League and domestic cups still on their radar, the pair have struggled to establish themselves as key figures under Maurizio Sarri.

SEE MORE: Maurizio Sarri eyes reunion with 203-goal ace to bolster Chelsea attacking options

Cahill has managed to make just seven appearances in all competitions thus far, and with the 32-year-old’s current contract with Chelsea set to expire at the end of the season, it has to be said that his long-term future at Stamford Bridge looks to be in serious doubt.

According to Sky Sports, the defensive ace could be given an opportunity to continue to play in the Premier League, as Fulham are eyeing a move for him in the New Year to help tighten up their leaky defence.

The Cottagers have conceded a staggering 40 goals in just 16 Premier League games so far this year, giving them the worst defensive record in the top flight. With that in mind, a swoop for Cahill with his experience and leadership could be a great move.

As per Calciomercato, Cahill has also been attracting attention from AC Milan, and so it remains to be seen if a possible move abroad becomes a realistic possibility.

Fabregas drops exit hint

Meanwhile, Fabregas has been limited to just 12 outings so far this season, and with Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic being preferred by Sarri alongside N’Golo Kante, the Spaniard has also struggled to secure a regular spot in the line-up.

Speaking about his future, the 31-year-old has conceded that he’s not happy with his current role at Chelsea, and so coupled with his contract also expiring in the summer, an exit could be on the cards.

“I know what my role is. Unfortunately it’s not the one I want,” he is quoted as saying by the Mirror. “It’s a difficult situation for me, obviously. I’m playing the cups and the Europa League. I don’t give up. We’ll see what happens.”

As noted by The Sun, Fabregas has been heavily linked with a move to AC Milan, with the Italian giants desperately in need of midfield reinforcements given the long-term injury blows suffered by Lucas Biglia and Giacomo Bonaventura.

With Gennaro Gattuso continuing to try and lead them to Champions League qualification this season, adding Fabregas could be a crucial signing for the second half of the campaign to help guide his young side towards their objective.

Illinois suburb opens environmentally conscious golf course where Ben Hogan once reigned

On a summer day in 2017, at a forward-thinking golf course in Chicago's western suburbs, I closed my eyes and imagined it was 1941.

A young Ben Hogan takes a drag from a Chesterfield cigarette. The Hawk is stressed. He leads the Chicago Open with three holes to play but is engaged in what the Associated Press would call a "furious final-round battle."

Elmhurst Country Club's 16th hole is atypical for the Midwest, a par-3 with an island green.

Hogan misses his downhill target, but his ball lands dry, avoiding Salt Creek. He gets up and down for par. He wins for the fifth time on tour. Afterward he poses for a picture, pointing to a leaderboard displaying his 10-under total. His arm blocks the name of the third-place finisher, Sam Snead.

"That may or may not be a coincidence," jokes Ed Stevenson, who spearheaded the project to make the golf course viable again.

The outline of the island green remains viewable from an area near the 17th tee, but the hole itself has been replaced. It was deemed too gimmicky — and not in keeping with the theme of The Preserve at Oak Meadows, a DuPage County public course that opened Aug. 7 for its "preview" season.

"We would have had to raise that green six feet to keep it," Stevenson says. "It would have looked like Abe Lincoln's hat. We wanted something more enduring."

Enduring means environmentally friendly. Sustainable.

What stands out about The Preserve at Oak Meadows, aside from its historical brush with greatness, is how government agencies worked with designers to build a golf course that doubles as a conservation project.

The result is a massive piece of land (288 acres, more than double most properties) in Addison that features woodlands, wetlands, native plants and flowers, river corridor, prairie, drought-tolerant fescue grass and — oh, yeah — 18 well-designed holes.

"People connect with nature out here in many ways," Stevenson says of the DuPage County forest preserve. "There's kayaking, hiking and biking trails, camping."

And golf.

The course was built in the 1920s as Elmhurst Country Club, and the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County took it over in 1985, invited the public and called it Oak Meadows.

Locals dubbed it "Soaked Meadows."

Significant rainfall left some greens and tee boxes under water, limiting revenue. The property also featured a nine-hole facility called Maple Meadows East.

"The stormwater had to go somewhere," Stevenson says.

The $16.8 million project began in July 2015 after the district received a reported $2.6 million from the county stormwater management department and $2.25 million from the DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup.

Some of the original 27 holes remain, namely Nos. 1 and 18 so the course "feels like an old friend" to regulars, Stevenson says. But by slimming down to 18 holes, moving 700,000 cubic yards of dirt and shaping new wetlands, the property can store an additional 20 million gallons of water.

Some of the fairways are raggedy but expected to improve as growing season extends into September. The greens are in spectacular shape.

"Lightning-fast," warned Greg Brend, the starter at the first tee. "The course is phenomenal. You will be on No. 4 and go, 'Wow.'"

No. 4 is the first of the new holes, a drivable par-4 that requires a 242-yard direct shot from the blue tees. Two other cleverly laid out holes are Nos. 12 and 16, also short par-4s allowing for risk/reward options.

Green fees are roughly $60 during preview season and will range next year from $55 (walking, weekday) to $89 (riding, weekend).

A fire destroyed the Oak Meadows clubhouse in 2009, and officials expect to build a new one. On display will be that picture of Hogan, who triumphed at a property he would struggle to recognize.

This article is written by Teddy Greenstein from Chicago Tribune and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.

Double exit imminent for Chelsea duo, CFC stars on verge of surprise moves

Chelsea are reportedly set to see both Cesc Fabregas and Gary Cahill move on in January with shock moves touted for the pair.

The stalwarts have struggled to secure regular playing time under Maurizio Sarri so far this season, while their respective contracts both expire at the end of the campaign.

SEE MORE: Video: Prolific 16-goal Chelsea loanee bags clinical brace, new loan talk dismissed

In turn, that has raised serious question marks over their futures at Stamford Bridge, and now it has been suggested that the pair could both be on the verge of imminent moves elsewhere.

According to the Daily Mail, Fabregas could be set for a reunion with former Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry at Monaco, but given their current plight in Ligue 1 as they face the threat of a shock relegation, it would be a surprise to see the Spaniard opt for such a risky move at this stage of his career.

Nevertheless, it’s suggested that a deal could be done this month, and so his time at Chelsea could be coming to an end with the club perhaps taking the sensible route of avoiding losing him for nothing in the summer by agreeing to a deal in January.

As noted by Calciomercato, Fabregas was heavily linked with a move to join AC Milan as they continue to chase Champions League qualification this season. However, he could opt for the shock choice of Monaco instead.

Meanwhile, The Sun add that Fulham are expected to wrap up the signing of Cahill, with the 33-year-old a potential solution to their desperate need to shore things up at the back.

Claudio Ranieri’s men sit in 19th place in the Premier League table, and a major factor in that is their possession of the worst defensive record in the top flight having conceded a whopping 47 goals in 21 games.

In turn, adding Cahill’s defensive quality, experience and leadership could be a huge deal to help them avoid the drop, and it’s another surprise move given that it’s suggested that they lead Arsenal in the battle to sign him.

Time will tell if the exits materialise in the coming weeks, but they would certainly both be a shock given the other reported options on the table for both Fabregas and Cahill.

2017 PGA Jr. League Championship presented by National Car Rental

2017 PGA Jr. League Championship presented by National Car Rental
 
When: Nov. 17-19
Where: Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona
Defending Champion: Team California
Format: Each of the eight teams will play three conference matches on Friday (Nov. 17) and Saturday (Nov. 18). The Ryder and Wanamaker Conference champion will advance to the national championship match on Sunday (Nov. 19).
For more information: www.PGAJLG.com
 
Twitter: Join the conversation with hashtag #PGAJLG and follow PGA Jr. League for updates throughout the week.
Instagram: Check out a behind-the-scenes look at the week on PGA Jr. League's Instagram story
 
PHOTOS: See all the photos from Grayhawk here
HIGHLIGHTS: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
TV: Golf Channel to air 2017 PGA Jr. League Championship primetime special on Dec. 5
 
FEATURE STORIES
Five things I learned about why PGA Jr. League is great for kids 
A PGA Jr. League golfer’s journey from Rwanda to Scottsdale
Get to know Joshua Ryan, the PGA Jr. League long drive champion
Why you should try out PGA Jr. League's team format
PGA Jr. League golfer draws guidance from Arnold Palmer letter
 
DAY 1 RECAP: Georgia, New Jersey take early lead at PGA Jr. League Championship
DAY 2 RECAP: Georgia, New Jersey to compete for PGA Jr. League Championship title
DAY 3 RECAP: Georgia defeats New Jersey to capture PGA Jr. League Championship title
SKILLS CHALLENGE RECAP: High Math, a Hole-In-One and 300-Yard Drives On Display at the PGA Jr. League Championship
 
 
2016 RECAP
Photos from the 2016 championship
Team California captures 2016 PGA Junior League Golf Championship
 

Jose Mourinho confident of finally securing dream £40m Man United transfer after months trying

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly said to be confident of securing the transfer of Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld for around £40million.

The Spurs centre-back has been linked with United for some time now, with CaughtOffside understanding he was one of a number of defensive targets Mourinho and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward struggled to agree on in the summer.

MORE: Unsettled Manchester United star drops major transfer hint amid links with four clubs

Mourinho may finally get his man now, however, as Alderweireld’s Tottenham contract due to expire at the end of this season.

This puts United in a good position, with the Sun claiming Mourinho is now confident he can get his man as he gets the green light from the Red Devils to sign a new defender this January.

The report links MUFC with some other defensive targets, though Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly is mentioned as one who’d most likely be too expensive.

Toby Alderweireld could finally be on his way to Manchester United

Toby Alderweireld is one of the finest centre-backs in Europe

Chelsea tipped to land £45m summer signing, fend off Liverpool and PL rivals

Chelsea will reportedly win the transfer race to secure the signing of Borussia Dortmund starlet Christian Pulisic this summer.

The 20-year-old has made quite the impression already in his career, making 114 appearances for the Bundesliga giants while bagging 15 goals.

SEE MORE: Eden Hazard to leave, trophyless season, youth players exodus: Five Chelsea predictions for 2019

Further, he’s scored nine goals in 23 caps for the USA, which in turn suggests that he has a bright future ahead for club and country.

However, he could be set to take the next step in his career in the summer, as The Express report that he will complete a £45m move to Chelsea, who have won the race for his signature with Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd all specifically mentioned in the report as interested parties.

It’s an important move from the Blues, as it will give coach Maurizio Sarri a different dynamic in the final third to boost his attacking options.

Albeit the likes of Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud haven’t been able to provide a regular source of goals which in turn would suggest that a new frontman should be the priority, Pulisic will add quality and depth in and around the main striker to give Chelsea a different look to the likes of Willian and Pedro.

Time will tell if the deal materialises as touted in the report above, but the USA international could be set for an important new challenge.

It’s arguably somewhat of a surprise if he has indeed picked the Blues over Liverpool though, given his previous ties with Jurgen Klopp from their time together at Dortmund and the fact that the Merseyside giants look on course to win major honours this season.

Nevertheless, Chelsea have been tipped to secure his signing in the summer as they hope to hold on for a top-four finish this season and build on that moving forward by allowing Sarri to continue to stamp his mark on the squad.

Agreement touted: Pep Guardiola secures first Man City signing for January

Man City have reportedly all-but sealed the signing of Zack Steffen from Columbus Crew as Pep Guardiola looks to have bolstered his goalkeeping options in January.

The reigning Premier League champions have Ederson as first-choice currently, but beyond the Brazilian international, Claudio Bravo is their only experienced alternative in that department.

SEE MORE: Man City in pole position to beat Arsenal & Chelsea to £62m star as soon as January transfer window opens

With that in mind, it seems like a sensible decision from Guardiola and the club to bolster that area of the squad, and according to Goal.com, it’s Steffen who is seen as a long-term solution as a £6m move in January is said to be done while he’ll be sent out on loan immediately.

It’s a smart move from City if that’s the case, as although it’s noted that UK work permit issues could force them into that decision, it will also give Steffen an opportunity to continue to play regularly and adapt to moving to Europe.

While it’s difficult to see anyone displacing Ederson in Guardiola’s starting line-up in the more immediate future, Steffen could be knocking on the door and pushing the 25-year-old in the future.

For now though, it seems as though he will be snapped up and loaned out, but given his shot-stopping abilities as well as his composure and quality in distributing out from the back, he seems like a good fit for Guardiola’s style of play and so evidently they’ve done their homework.

In turn, he’ll undoubtedly relish the opportunity to work with the Spanish tactician, but ultimately his first priority will be to impress on loan to ensure that Man City decide to eventually keep him at the Etihad, provided that he is officially unveiled in the coming weeks.