Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Thursday, July 18.

GOLF

Round one at The Open was rainy and windy and everything golf fans love about a links course in Scotland. There were a few key storylines from yesterday’s action:

• The leader at six under is Daniel Brown, who’s playing in his first ever major championship. The Englishman is the first player in the history of men’s professional golf to shoot a bogey-free round of 65 or better in his debut major championship round.

• Right behind the unlikely leader is 2019 Open winner Shane Lowry. Justin Thomas is in solo third place at three under.

• Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau were first and second at the last major championship a few weeks ago. Neither is within ten shots of the lead after day one. Golf is a tough game, isn’t it?

• Whether you like the sport or not, we can all appreciate the par three 8th hole at The Royal Troon. Only 123 yards long, the hole is called “Postage Stamp” because of the tiny size of the green where players try to land their ball. Every time a new golfer steps up to the eighth tee, you could see a hole-in-one or a triple bogey. There’s truly nothing like it.

MLB

Our MLB midseason check-in is officially over– if you want to go back, you can read part one,part two, and part three at these links. Or as always, check out theremix.beehiiv.com to view any issues in the archive.

With the second half starting again today, I thought it would be helpful to make one last visual in order to understand the playoff race– here are the division standings (playoff teams marked with an asterisk):

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

After 11 long years, EA Sports has officially released a College Football video game. While many excited gamers bought early access to the game this week, today is the first day that the entire world is “in the game.” If you notice a little less traffic or meetings ending early, it’s because everyone is focused on winning a national championship with their alma mater.

The Boston Celtics may have won the NBA championship, but a new challenge is being brought forth. Ergin Ataman, head coach of the EuroLeague champions Panathanaikos, believes the Celtics should take on his team if they truly want to be the champions of the world. At first I was skeptical of Ergin, but then I realized something– no matter the outcome, a Celtics-Panathanaikos game would be wildly entertaining. Let’s make it happen.

Russell Westbrook is now a member of the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers traded the former MVP to Utah. Utah waived Westbrook, who then signed with Denver. I’ve always been a fan of Westbrook, so hopefully this ends up a good fit for him.

Chase Burns, the 2nd overall pick in last week’s MLB Draft, has signed a record deal with the Cincinnati Reds. Burns breaks last year’s record, set by Paul Skenes. After paying him, the Reds will be hoping that their new pitcher breaks some of Skenes’ on-field records, too.

Major League Baseball has released the 2025 schedule. I’m not sure why it was announced so early, but I guess you can start planning your road trips today! The best thing that came from the announcement was this video produced by the Chicago Cubs, celebrating the opportunity to play the Dodgers in the Japan Series to open the season.

PLAY OF THE DAY

There were quite a few impressive shots at The Open yesterday, but nothing tops this eagle from amateur Jaime Montojo on the very first hole:

I might have stopped my round right there– going to be tough to beat that shot.

THIS WEEKEND’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

GOLF: The Open, USA/Peacock/NBC all weekend

• I know it’s a weekend, but it’s worth waking up early to watch this golf tournament. There will be drama on Sunday, I can guarantee you that.

MLB: Cardinals @ Braves, Red Sox @ Dodgers all weekend

• Four playoff teams and four of the most prestigious franchises in the sport. Each looking to start the second half on a win streak. Welcome back, baseball.

WNBA: Team USA vs WNBA All-Stars, Saturday at 8:30 PM on ESPN

• Team USA will bring their A-game as they prepare for the Olympics. The WNBA all-stars include first-time teammates Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, who will no doubt want to prove they were snubbed by their opponents. Unlike most professional all-star games, this one might be very competitive.

As we celebrate one month of The Remix, I want to say thank you. This would not be what it is without your incredible support, and I’m excited at our potential to get even better. Go tell a friend and keep growing our community! See you on Monday!