The Sportsletter - Valhalla, Videos & Victories

BY JEFF YODER & MARISSA KASCH

MAY 16, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

We warned you about the spring sports whirlwind. Anchor down. Winds are blowing. In today’s edition, we’re golfing at Valhalla, hyping the NFL schedule reveals, and watching the Celtics return to the East Finals.

Tonight: It’s Caitlin Clark’s home debut. Her season-opener on Tuesday was the most-watched WNBA game in 23 years. We’re also cooking up a Friday Underdog special for tomorrow’s edition. Don't miss it.

Letter Rip!

GOLF

Major #2 — The Test of Valhalla ⛳️

Photo: David Cannon / Getty Images

The 2024 PGA Championship Tees Off This Morning in Louisville With Lots at Stake (By Marissa Kasch)

It’s time to tee up golf’s second major at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. The field is stacked, and storylines abound. Rory McIlroy has his sights set on his first major win in a decade after winning by five strokes at the Wells Fargo Championship last weekend. Coincidentally, the last major he won was the PGA Championship at Valhalla in 2014. Xander Schauffele also put together a good outing at Quail Hollow, finishing 12-under. Scottie Scheffler elected not to play last weekend due to the birth of his first child, but the World No. 1 is still in prime form to take on another major after earning his second green jacket last month. Here’s what to expect at Valhalla, one of golf’s true tests.

Firm Fairways at Valhalla

If the rain stays away from Louisville this weekend, golfers can expect plenty of roll on the fairways. In 2021, the club replaced its bentgrass fairways with Zeon Zoysiagrass. As a result, the fairways are firmer than ever, requiring less water and providing more roll. Additionally, the bluegrass rough between the fairways and fairway bunkers was removed, putting more trouble into play. Valhalla’s triple threat of thick bluegrass rough, quick fairways and small greens demands accurate ball-striking for successful outcomes. Tee-shot placement will undoubtedly be the top priority for golfers this weekend.

Mother Nature always has the power to change expectations and strategies completely, and the weekend forecast isn’t exactly promising. Friday is expected to bring more scattered showers and thunderstorms.

The Favorites

After Rory’s spectacular outing last weekend, he’s ready to prove himself in a major. What better place to do it than the course where he emerged victorious 10 years ago? There’s only one problem. Scottie Scheffler wasn’t in his way last weekend. Scheffler’s return presents a new challenge (and level of intimidation) for every other player in the field as he looks to bolster his World No. 1 status. Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg are other players worth watching, and keep an eye out for two LIV players on their revenge tour: Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm. Both golfers finished +9 and tied for 45th in this year’s Masters. They’ll be hungry.

Best Odds: S. Scheffler (+350), R. McIlroy (+700), B. Koepka (+1200), X. Schauffele (+1300), J. Rahm (+1800), L. Aberg (+1800), B. DeChambeau (+2500) | Full Odds

Round 1 Tee Times (Featured Groups)

7:53 AM: L. Aberg, X. Schauffele, J. Thomas

8:04 AM: T. Woods, A. Scott, K. Bradley

8:15 AM: R. McIlroy, D. Johnson, J. Rose

8:26 AM: C. Smith, H. Matsuyama, V. Hovland

8:37 AM: B. Koepka, M. Homa, J. Spieth

8:48 AM: T. Finau, T. Hatton, S. Theegala

8:59 AM: A. Bhatia, T. Fleetwood, B. DeChambeau

1:51 PM: C. Morikawa, P. Mickelson, M. Fitzpatrick

2:02 PM: R. Fowler, J. Rahm, C. Young

2:13 PM: W. Clark, B. Harman, S. Scheffler

2:24 PM: P. Cantlay, C. Villegas, W. Zalatoris

*All times ET

Golf Digest: PGA Championship: Power Rankings for the Field at Valhalla

ESPN: PGA Championship Storylines: Scheffler, McIlroy or Koepka? Can Tiger’s Body Hold Up?

NFL

Schedule Reveal: Content Creators Let Loose

Photo: SOPA Images / Getty Images

Teams Reveal Their Schedules With Social Media Hype Videos (Good & Bad) as NFL Announces Full 272-Game 2024 Season

Call it what you want. I’ll call it a ploy for NFL excitement in May. Free agency and the draft have passed and there’s nothing but a lengthy 90-day wait for training camp, so this annual tradition has taken on a life of its own. The full 272-game schedule for next year’s NFL season was revealed yesterday. All 32 teams have made it customary to reveal their slate with witty, cringy, and comical videos. Some were winners, and some were not. We found them all (below) for your viewing pleasure.

As for the schedule itself, three teams were gifted a whopping six primetime games (Cowboys, Jets, and 49ers) while the Panthers were the only team without a primetime matchup. Here are some of the most important games to circle on your calendar next fall.

Week 1 Notable Openers (Sept. 5-9)

Week 1: Ravens at Chiefs (Thursday Night)

Week 1: Steelers at Falcons (Cousins vs. Wilson)

Week 1: Jets at 49ers (Monday Night Opener)

Super Bowl Rematch

Week 7: Chiefs at 49ers (Oct. 20)

🦃 Thanksgiving Day Games (3)

Week 13: Bears at Lions (Game 1)

Week 13: Giants at Cowboys (Game 2)

Week 13: Dolphins at Packers (Game 3)

🎄 Christmas Games on Netflix (2)

Week 16: Chiefs at Steelers (Dec. 25)

Week 16: Ravens at Texans (Dec. 25)

✈️ International Games (5 Games, 3 Countries)

Week 1: Packers vs. Eagles (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Week 5: Jets vs. Vikings (London, U.K.)

Week 6: Jaguars vs. Bears (London, U.K.)

Week 7: Patriots vs. Jaguars (London, U.K.)

Week 10: Giants vs. Panthers (Munich, Germany)

🗓️ Every NFL Team’s 2024 Schedule

🎥 Schedule Release Videos

SI: Ranking the Top 10 NFL Schedule Release Videos in 2024

B/R: Win-Loss Predictions for Every NFL Team After 2024 Schedule Release

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NBA PLAYOFFS

C's, With Ease, Reach 3rd Straight East Finals

Photo: Adam Glanzman / Getty Images

Celtics Slam the Door on Cavs (113-98) Behind Tatum’s Near-Triple-Double; Luka Doncic Does Get Trip-Dub to Put Mavs in Charge of OKC (104-92)

Boston became the first team through to the NBA Conference Finals on Wednesday after the Celtics sent the Cavs into the offseason with another cruise-control win. Jayson Tatum (25-10-9) had a near-triple-double, and the C’s are now 8-2 in the playoffs with a pair of 4-1 series wins. They’ve yet to be tested, but that’ll change in the next round against the Knicks (toughness) or Pacers (speed). It’s Boston’s third straight trip to the East Finals and sixth in the last eight years.

Out West, the Mavericks pulled away in the second quarter against the Thunder and never looked back. Luka Doncic (33-11-10) had a triple-double, and Dallas heads home for Game 6 and a shot at their first trip back to the West Finals since 2022.

NBA Playoff Highlights (Round 2)

Gm 5: Celtics def. Cavaliers (113-98)

Jayson Tatum (25 pts, 10 rebs, 9 asts)

BOS Wins Series (4-1)

Gm 5: Mavericks def. Thunder (104-92)

Luka Doncic (31 pts, 10 rebs, 11 asts)

DAL Leads Series (3-2)

CBS Sports: Luka Stops Complaining About Refs, Puts on a Smile and Carries Mavs to Game 5 Win

HIGHLIGHTS 🎥

🏒 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Gm 5: Avalanche def. Stars (5-3)

Cale Makar Scores 2G to Keep Avs’ Season Alive