A group of seven Americans (and two fiancees) are sharing a house again at the British Open, a "tradition" that began at Royal Troon a few years ago. And apparently, they now have World Cup fever.
Kevin Kisner is among the group and said they spend part of their evenings playing soccer. Jason Dufner is the goalkeeper.
"I just try to smash Duf in the face," Kisner said.
The others are Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson. Spieth is said to have some ability.
"Until he sends it over the goal four houses over, and we've got to go knock on neighbors' doors for the soccer ball," Kisner said.
Johnson said he was a left forward when he played in high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and had a good left foot.
"There was no one on the team that had a left foot," he said. "I was a set piece guy, corner kicks, because I was not very tall and couldn't jump. So I just throw it in there and let the guys do the work. It was my favorite game as a kid."
He also confirmed that Jordan Pickford, England's goalie, is not under any threat.
"Duf has some bruises," Johnson said.
Magic talk
Adding LeBron James to your team does a lot to help everyone's confidence.
Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson said he isn't scared of the Golden State Warriors during an interview Wednesday on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
While he didn't guarantee a victory over the two-time defending champions, Johnson was focused on his own team.
"I think that we'll look forward to that challenge. Everybody expects Golden State to win again, but I would love to have the challenge to play them in the Western Conference Finals if we can get to that position," Johnson said. "I'm a competitor, so I'm not scared of Golden State. I'm not worried about Golden State. They don't keep me up at night. I know that we have a really solid team, a good team, and a tough-minded team. And we got guys now who are winners."
He also noted the addition of James, Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee bring in a "championship mentality" after those players won titles with various teams in the past.
Still the champ
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles was the top-ranking player in the NFL in all merchandise sales from March to May, according to the quarterly sales ranking released by the NFL Players Association on Thursday.
The Super Bowl-winning MVP beat New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and the player Foles replaced, Carson Wentz, to top the list across all product categories.
New York Giants draft pick Saquon Barkley finished fourth, and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott rounded out the top five.
Those experiencing a big leap from the first-quarter merchandise sales a year ago were Kirk Cousins, whose move to the Minnesota Vikings saw him jump to No. 16 from No. 48 a year ago.
Those who saw their rankings fall drastically from a year ago include Giants quarterback Eli Manning (from No. 36 to No. 48) and Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (from No. 27 to No. 50).
QUIZ
How many NBA titles did Magic Johnson win as a player?
ANSWER
Johnson won five NBA titles as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988).
Sports on 07/21/2018