Good Morning! Today is Monday, July 21. Here’s what happened over the last week in the world of sports.

GOLF

The Open Championship gave us a stacked top of the leaderboard– twelve players finished within three strokes of each other. It was a stellar group that included major winners like Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele, plus up-and-coming talents like Chris Gotterup and Robert MacIntyre. But four strokes ahead of all of them was the undisputed best player on tour, Scottie Scheffler. 

Scheffler won The Open with a score of -17, shooting in the 60s each of the four days in Northern Ireland. Leading up the tournament, Scheffler’s remarkably honest and existential press conference dominated the news cycle. Once the competition began, however, it was business as usual. Scottie Scheffler wins his fourth career major– he’ll have a shot at the career Grand Slam at next year’s US Open, where there is no doubt he’ll be the favorite once again.

It’s also worth mentioning that Rory McIlroy hit one of the strangest golf shots in the history of the game…

MLB

Regular season action started up again on Friday– I think we’re all due for a standings check-in within the next week. But first, I’ve got three highlights from the last three days:

• Pay attention to Eugenio Suarez. The Diamondbacks third baseman came out of the break and mashed four homers in Arizona’s sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. Suarez now leads the NL with 35 dingers on the year. Although the slugging third baseman is the top bat on the trade market, he might just hit the Diamondbacks back into playoff contention. If that were to happen, there’s no chance Eugenio is going anywhere.

• Tarik Skubal gave up a run and three hits when he started the all-star game on Tuesday. But when the games started counting again, the Detroit ace was back in top form. Skubal struck out 11 last night and the Tigers beat the Rangers 2-1. Detroit is the first team to 60 wins this year and has the best record in the big leagues.

• Finally, I’m proud to present two of the best throws from right field that we’ve seen in recent memory. If you watch only one, you have to check out the bullet delivered by Ronald Acuña Jr.

ALL-STAR FESTIVITIES

The stars still showed out, even during the slowest week on the US sports calendar:

• Way back, back, back, back on last Monday was the Home Run Derby. Oneil Cruz hit a missile disguised as a baseball, but Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh took home the trophy.

• Then in the actual all-star game, we saw the first-ever Swing Off to determine a winner. With the score tied 6-6 after nine innings, the players began a sudden-death home run derby. Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber took home the MVP honors after securing a rare win for the National League.

• Over in the WNBA, all-star weekend in Indianapolis was overshadowed by an injury that held Caitlin Clark out of all competition. Sabrina Ionescu won her second three-point title in three seasons. The big story, however, was the pre-game statement made by the players. The W is facing a critical negotiation with the player’s union this offseason:

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

A trio of veteran guards joined new teams this past week. Most notably, nine-time all-star Damian Lillard is returning to Portland on a three-year deal. That’s right– Dame Time is going back to where it all began. I don’t know how Portland will be next season when Lillard is healthy, but it feels right to have him back in that uniform. Bradley Beal finally reached a buyout agreement with the Suns and will join the Clippers, forming an intriguing veteran trio with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. It’s an unceremonious end to Phoenix’s failed super-team. And Marcus Smart, best known for his time in Boston, is now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Over to the NFL, where eight-year veteran WR Mike Williams announced his retirement. Later in the week, the Steelers reached an agreement with defensive end TJ Watt on a three-year, $123 million contract. The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year will be the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history. And I don’t really know the full depths of this story, but there's a lot of trouble over at the NFL Player’s Association. Take a listen to the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast– that’s where this story broke, and it’s likely where you’ll find the most factual updates.

Former world number two Ons Jabeur announced she’s temporarily stepping away from professional tennis. A player loved by all on tour, Jabeur has struggled recently to find consistent form. You can read her statement here.

And congratulations to David Wright– the Mets retired their former captain’s number five jersey on Saturday and enshrined Wright into the team hall of fame.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

MLB:

• Red Sox @ Phillies, 6:45 PM

• Yankees @ Blue Jays, 7:07 PM

• Twins @ Dodgers, 10:10 PM

“I’m not motivated, I’m disciplined. Motivation comes and goes,” –Mets all-star Francisco Lindor