Gregory ShamusAKRON, OH – AUGUST 03: Thomas Pieters of Belgium putts on the ninth green during the first round of the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club South Course on August 3, 2017 in Akron, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)When the pairings were released for the first round of this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, one in particular caught the eye (and probably yours too): Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day. For the most part, the group delivered, with McIlroy and Spieth posting three-under 67s. But they are all chasing the young Thomas Pieters, who carded a bogey-free, five-under 65 and leads by one at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
Starting off the 10th tee, Pieters, 25, began his round with four straight pars, then hit his 172-yard approach shot to two-feet at the par-4 14th to tap in his first birdie of the day. At the par-5 16th, he again hit his approach to within tap-in range for another birdie and ..

Ezra Shaw(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)If this basketball thing doesn't work out for the Golden State Warriors, golf seems to be a viable fallback.
The reigning NBA champs' affinity for the game has been well-documented, from players and coach Steve Kerr taking a trip to Augusta National to two-time MVP Steph Curry teeing it up in a Web.com Tour event. While sixth-man extraordinaire Andre Iguodala won't be in next week's PGA Championship field, he could be inside the ropes. The All-Star swingman will be a Turner Sports contributor at Quail Hollow.
The 33-year-old, who routinely plays during the basketball offseason, will be making on-camera appearances during the championship, along with providing content on social media.
“I want to test myself and show people what I'm capable of doing in a different area that is kind of out of my comfort zone,” Iguodala said to the Associated Press.
While the cross-sport jump may seem odd, it's hardly an aberration. Br..

David Cannon/Getty ImagesIt’s a big week for women’s professional golf: The Ricoh Women’s British Open is being played at Kingsbarns in Fife, Scotland, and we'll have a new major champion crowned on Sunday. Shortly afterward, the European and American Solheim Cup teams will be named. Which means, it's also a big week for Annika Sorenstam, the captain of Team Europe. Come Sunday she'll be charged with making her four captain’s picks to accompany the four players who qualify for the team via the Ladies European Tour points list and the four off the Rolex Women’s World Rankings.
Sorenstam recently joined to talk about her role as captain for this latest edition of Golf Digest Podcast. Among the topics discussed is that of the unusual year it has been for the LET. Five tournaments were taken off the schedule this year, for various reasons, making the qualifying process more of a challenge. Just getting their game's in shape has been tougher for Sorenstam's charges,..