Jack Nicklaus once pointed out that rivalries in golf don't always require going head-to-head as much as trading off victories in the majors. Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer had that 18-hole playoff at Oakmont that Nicklaus won in the 1962 U.S. Open, but they rarely battled each other on the back nine.
That's been the case with Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, though it's very early in their rivalry. Spieth is just 21.
They were paired together in the opening two rounds of the 2013 Masters (Spieth tied for second) and the 2014 British Open (McIlroy won). They have played in the same event only five times this year, and only 13 times in the past year.
But they own all the majors -- the last two for McIlroy in 2014, the first two for Spieth in 2015.
The last time four consecutive majors were split by two players was in 1971-1972. Lee Trevino won the U.S. Open and British Open at the end of 1971 (the PGA Championship was in February that year), while Nicklaus won the Masters and U.S. Open in 1972.
That's happened only three other times since the PGA Championship began in 1916:
• Bobby Jones won the British Open and U.S. Open in 1930, and Tommy Armour won the PGA Championship and the 1931 British Open (the first major of the year).
• Walter Hagen won the PGA Championship in 1925, Jones won the British Open and U.S. Open in 1926, and Hagen added the bookend with another PGA title in 1926.
• Hagen won the 1921 PGA and the 1922 British Open, followed by Gene Sarazen winning the U.S. Open and PGA Championship.
Coach James
From Reggie Hayes, a columnist with The News-Sentinel of Fort Wayne, Ind.:
"Reports have surfaced that Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James and Coach David Blatt butted heads multiple times during the NBA Finals. Apparently, James was upset by Blatt's repeated attempts to undermine James' coaching decisions.
"James has confided that he would be fine with Blatt continuing as coach as long as Blatt limits his input to whether or not LeBron should wear his headband."
17 and counting
Cleveland Indians Manager Terry Francona revealed he devoured 17 Popsicles in one night.
"No, that's not a lie," said Francona in an interview with Ryan Lewis of Ohio.com. "They're healthy, so if one's good, 17's got to be real good."
Oops!
From Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com:
"Russell Athletic apparently accidentally produced some maroon and white jerseys with both Mississippi State and Texas A&M logos on them. Were they counting on fans at each school not being able to read?"
Sports quiz
Name the only two players since World War II to win at least four times on the PGA Tour before turning 22.
Sports answer
Tiger Woods (six victories and a major) and Jordan Spieth (four victories and two majors).
Sports on 06/25/2015