As powerful as positive thinking can be at the highest level of golf, even the best have a tendency to recall the worst.
Justin Thomas didn't hesitate when asked for the worst shot he ever hit. It also was fairly recent.
"The first shot I hit in the playoffs last year," Thomas said. "That was the worst shot I ever hit in my life, hands down."
In his first appearance since winning the PGA Championship, he hit a duck-hook that barely went more than 200 yards when it clanged out of the trees and into the fairway. Most players had a wedge to the green at Glen Oaks. Thomas had to smoke a 2-iron and somehow managed to make par.
That was televised. Still fresh in his mind was a shot from college when Alabama played at Isleworth.
"I get the chunks sometimes," Thomas said. "I hit a drive in college, a drop-kick off the toe on No. 8. I'll never forget it. I was talking to one of our assistant coaches. I was trying to decide if I could carry it 305 to 310 yards over a bunker because we had a helping wind. I took a huge divot. It landed like 15 yards in front of me and rolled down the hill. The coach looked over at me and was laughing. I said, 'Coach, did that cover the bunker?' "
Saving his seat
A man who stole a seat from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis after the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl has agreed to pay for its replacement.
Stadium manager SMG said it plans no further action against the Eagles fan. That seat and two other damaged seats were replaced Tuesday, according to a release.
Video of the man with a purple seat in the stadium's coat check generated more than 190,000 views on Facebook as of Wednesday afternoon. According to the Star Tribune, a traveler later snapped a photo of him at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, with the seat strapped to his carry-on suitcase.
Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority spokesman Jennifer Hathaway said the fan regrets his actions. The stadium keeps extra seats, so the estimated cost to replace it, including labor, is $125.
Hathaway said stadium officials don't believe that removal of stadium seats is a widespread problem or that the man used any sort of tool.
"The fan was exuberant and excited and he pulled the chair out," she said. "This is someone forcibly removing an item that isn't supposed to be removed."
The authority said its use agreement with the NFL stipulates that the league is responsible for any damage to the stadium.
Yanks trade for a QB
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been traded -- from the Texas Rangers to the New York Yankees.
The MLB's Rangers selected Wilson in the Class AAA portion of the Rule 5 draft during the winter meetings in December 2013, about two months before he led the Seahawks to a victory over Denver in the Super Bowl.
On Wednesday, Texas traded Wilson to the Yankees for future considerations.
"We've admired Russell's career from afar for quite some time," Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said.
Sports on 02/08/2018