Xander secures the double

Xander Schauffele entered 2024 with a reputation for falling short in major golf championships. He dispelled this notion by winning the PGA Championship in May and solidifying his status with a victory at the British Open. Schauffele’s brilliant final round at Royal Troon Golf Club, where he shot a 65 to finish 9-under par, placed him two strokes ahead of Justin Rose and Billy Horschel. This win marked his second major of the year, making him the first player since Brooks Koepka in 2018 to win multiple majors in a single season. Schauffele's success also contributed to a historic year for U.S. golfers, as they won all four majors for the first time since 1982.

Despite a slow start at Troon, Schauffele surged during the final rounds, leveraging his skill and consistency to overcome challenging conditions and a competitive field. His final round showcased six birdies over an 11-hole stretch, securing his lead and eventual victory. Schauffele’s achievements this season have redefined his career, demonstrating his ability to win under pressure and solidifying his place among golf's elite. His consistency, marked by top-10 finishes in all four majors this season, highlights his remarkable transformation and establishes him as a premier threat in future tournaments.

With this win, Xander has now earned just under $16 million this season. The golfer also has now surpassed $50 million in career earnings. This stellar season from Schauffele is far from over. He will be heading to Paris to compete for team USA in the Olympics. What is already a historic season of golf is set to have an even better ending if he can become the first ever back to back winner of the Olympic gold in golf.

Too Many Games

On Tuesday, European soccer leagues and players' groups from major countries, including England, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy, announced a joint complaint to the European Union against FIFA’s expanded international calendar. These groups argue that FIFA’s new schedules, including the expanded Club World Cup in 2025 and the 2026 World Cup with 104 matches, overburden players and disregard the needs of national leagues and player unions.

The complaint asserts that FIFA's decisions favor its own competitions and commercial interests, neglecting its duties as a governing body and harming the economic interests of national leagues and player welfare. This legal action, now filed with the European Commission, claims that FIFA violates EU competition law by acting as both regulator and organizer of international competitions.

FIFA defended its position by stating that the current calendar was approved by representatives from all continents and accused European leagues of acting out of commercial self-interest. This conflict has intensified due to the Africa Cup of Nations being rescheduled to December 2025, disrupting the European league season.

Could we see ANOTHER game added to the NFL season?

The NFL is considering expanding its regular season from 17 to 18 games, despite only recently moving to a 17-game schedule in 2021. High-level discussions have taken place between the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), but formal negotiations have not yet started. NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell emphasized that player input and considerations of economic, health, and safety factors are crucial.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and team owners support the expansion, with Goodell proposing to reduce preseason games from three to two as a compromise. Some players, like George Kittle and Joe Burrow, have indicated support for the change if it includes an additional bye week. There is a strong momentum behind the idea, with the potential for increased revenue, especially given the NFL's media-rights deals expiring at the end of the decade. The NFLPA would be open to the change before the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires in 2030, but it would need to be collectively bargained. Goodell envisions an 18-game season culminating in a Presidents Day weekend Super Bowl. Howell sees the potential change as an opportunity to address other CBA issues, like field surface conditions, offseason schedules, and player compensation. The NFLPA previously agreed to the 17-game schedule in 2021, a controversial decision among players, and Howell acknowledges the need to address various player concerns and negotiate fair trade-offs to gain support for an 18th game.

Quick Reads

• The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game averaged a record 3.4 million viewers on ABC. Up over 300% from last year

• The Calgary Flames have broken ground on their new $880 million arena district—Scotia Place.

• TNT Sports exercised its right to match a third-party NBA rights bid from Amazon Prime Video on Monday.

• LeBron James has been named the Team USA men's flag bearer for the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony.

• Tiger Woods turned down captaining the U.S. Ryder Cup team due to the time commitment of his PGA Tour-Saudi PIF merger talks.

Jobs in Sports

• Club Marketing Strategist - USL (Hybrid: Tampa, FL)

• Graphic Design Internship - Pittsburgh Penguins (Hybrid: Pittsburgh, PA)

• Human Resources Generalist - WTA (Hybrid: St Petersburg, FL)

• Sales Consultant, Women's Athletics - St. Joe’s University (Philadelphia, PA)

• Director, Broadcast and Video Production - Philadelphia Union (Chester, PA)

Games of the Week

• France U-23 vs USMNT U-23 - Wednesday @ 3 PM EST

• UFC 304 - Saturday @ 6 PM EST

• Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday @ 9 AM EST

• Olympic Tennis First Round - Saturday

• New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox - Friday @ 7:30 PM EST