Brian Harman is one of the faster players on the PGA Tour, and while he doesn't have a solution for improving the pace, he has noticed how unfairly it punishes players in the first few groups of the weekday rounds. Those are the groups more likely to be timed because the course bogs down after a while.
His first two years on tour, Harman was in what he called the "rookie category," meaning he was in the final groups of each draw. He said his groups were put on the clock two times all season.
"The next year, I was in the first three groups and I was put on the clock six times," he said. "And I was the 12th-fastest guy based on ShotLink data. They sent me a letter saying, 'See what you can do to help out.' I sent them one back and said, 'What do I do? I'm your 12th-fastest player.'"
Harman won the 2014 John Deere Classic and was moved into the "winner's category," which is in the middle of the pack. Harman said his group was put on the clock once in 2½ years.
"I'm back into the first three groups," he said. "I've already been timed five times this year."
Being put on the clock can be costly. If a player is put on the clock 10 times in a season, he is fined $20,000 even if he's not the one holding up play.
Beer man
LeBron James' is in a bit of a brew-ha-ha over his beer-bottle grab.
On Monday night, James jokingly swiped a beer bottle from a surprised courtside server during the third quarter of Cleveland's playoff game against the Toronto Raptors and considered sipping it before handing it back. The exchange went viral on social media and James even kidded afterward he wasn't much of a beer drinker and would have taken a sip if it had been red wine.
James now said his agent and legal team are upset over Great Lake Brewing Company's use of his image with the bottle.
On Tuesday, the brewery posted a photo on Twitter of James holding their signature Dortmunder Gold beer with the caption: "G.O.A.T. with G.O.L.D." The first set of initials stand for the "greatest of all time."
James told Cleveland.com that the brewery "is trying to benefit off of me." James is also aware that the brewery produced and sold a bitter "Quitness" ale when he bolted Cleveland for Miami as a free agent in 2010.
A double triple?
Triple plays are by their nature interesting, and they can come in various forms. Up until Tuesday's Orioles-Red Sox game, however, no triple plays had been turned this season.
The Orioles turned one in the eighth inning, but ... well, it was immensely confusing, and it took some conversations and a few minutes of consideration for everybody to realize that yes, it was indeed a triple play of the 6-4-3 variety.
Shortstop J.J. Hardy couldn't catch a popup to short left field, but threw to second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who tagged Mitch Moreland before stepping on second to force Dustin Pedroia and throwing to first baseman Chris Davis to retire Jackie Bradley who hadn't run all the way to first.
It was Baltimore's first triple play since Sept. 1, 2000.
That triple play in 2000 was also of the 6-4-3 variety, also took place on the road (Cleveland) and was essentially the exact same play.
Then-Orioles shortstop Melvin Mora intentionally dropped a popup off the bat of Sandy Alomar Jr., but because the infield-fly rule wasn't called, he threw to second baseman Jerry Hairston Jr., who stepped on second for the force on Wil Cordero and tagged Travis Fryman for the second out before throwing to first to retire Alomar -- who hadn't run the play out.
Sports quiz
Who turned the most recent Major League Baseball unassisted triple play?
Sports answer
Eric Bruntlett of the Philadelphia Phillies against the New York Mets on Aug. 23, 2009?
Sports on 05/04/2017