McDowell celebrates a return, and a town celebrates its golfing son

Royal Portrush will provide players at this week's British Open with the usual tests that come with a standard links golf course: Pot bunkers, high rough, firm fairways, and, of course, wind and rain. But you can add something else to that list: storm shelters. Well, one storm shelter, at least.
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There's a tiny one left of the green on Portrush's picturesque par-4 5th, and apparently, it's in play. Very much in play.
Paul Casey found this out (fortunately) during a practice round, disappearing into the dark space and expertly escaping by chipping onto the green. Check it out:
https://twitter.com/TheOpen/status/1151502798074331138
Well, that's one way to avoid standing out in the rain. Savvy move, Paul.
It's not quite Sean Payton hitting a shot off a boat in Lake Tahoe, but it's still a pretty bizarre sight to see on a golf course. Fingers crossed we see more of it once the tournament actually starts.
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Rahm hopes Irish connection propels him to 1st major title

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James DevaneyThe year was 2017. Lonzo Ball was still in La La Land, La La Land was still dominating the box office, and Knicks fans were still saying, “Just wait until 2019!” It was a glorious time to be alive. An epoch of optimism and joy, typified, above all else, by the birth of the most-talked-about empire in basketball, Big Baller Brand, which announced themselves to the world with the $495 ZO2, Lonzo's first-ever (despite the “2”) signature shoe. The sky wasn't the limit. The cosmos was.
Flash forward two years, and the fortunes of the Ball family—and, by extension, Big Baller Brand—have gone up in the smoke they always peddled. Lonzo got traded to New Orleans. LaVar opened his mouth one too many times. For all we know LiAngelo and LaMelo are still Shanghai'd in Lithuania and Big Baller Brand, under the weight of embezzlement and an F rating from the other BBB (the Better Business Bureau), began to crumble. This past weekend, said crumble turned into a full collaps..

Niall Carson – PA Images(Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images)Jon Rahm's “Rahmbo” sobriquet is part surname, part resemblance to Sylvester Stallone. But judging by his icy response to a line of questioning at the Open Championship, it appears the Spaniard has taken the nickname to heart.
And … well, just know that Twitter, and Thomas Pieters, drew “First Blood.”
Last week at Wimbledon cameras caught Rahm in an ensemble that can only be described as “Fourth of July themed funeral afterparty.” Social media had a field day with the attire, which included Rahm's European Tour counterpart Pieters:
https://twitter.com/Thomas_Pieters/status/1148990590127943681
All in fun, yes? Not in the eyes of Rahm. Meeting with the media at Royal Portrush, the 24-year-old was asked his thoughts on the viral moment. Let the awkwardness ensue:
Have you managed to catch up with Thomas Pieters, since he was poking fun at your outfit at Wimbledon?
JON RAHM: No, I haven't seen him th..

If you know anything about Philadelphia fans, you're aware they have the ultimate love/hate relationship with all their teams. When you're winning, they are ride or die, so much so that the light poles in the city needed to be greased so people don't climb them in celebration. When you're losing, well, they loathe you more than they loathe rival teams like the New York Giants or Atlanta Braves.
RELATED: Danielle Kang throws first pitch at Phillies game, could definitely earn a setup role in the pen
This sentiment is not lost on the children of Philadelphia either, ones who have seen their dads chuck a few wooder ices against the wall after another Bryce Harper strikeout. Two kids who made the local news on Monday night would fall under this category, as neither were very high on the Phillies chances of beating the L.A. Dodgers. Watch as this reporter fishes for an easy and adorable “Phillies are going to win!” reply, only for these kids to hit her with some harsh tr..

Imagine this scenario: You're 20 and you're playing in your first British Open. What a time to be alive, right? And by the looks of it, Isidro Benitez is having plenty of fun in Royal Portrush this week.
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The young man from Mexico has been posting pictures throughout his first few days in Northern Ireland:
LoadingView on Instagram
LoadingView on Instagram
And earlier in the week, the Open's cameras caught Benitez goofing off during a practice round—to an incredible result. Faced with a downhill approach on the par-4 17th hole, Benitez, who earned his way into the field by winning the Argentina Open in Novemeber, picked up his ball and tossed it toward the hole. Incredibly, it went in for a remarkable “eagle.” Check it out:
LoadingView on Instagram
Kid's got some game. And a decent arm.
So did this Open Championship rookie just start a pre-tournament tradition like at the Masters, where players skip shots across..

Our man with the worst track record at predicting majors, Mike Stachura, is at it again with his can't-miss, sure-fire pick for Royal Portrush

Rory McIlroy doesn't think he's center of attention as British Open returns to his native Northern Ireland after 68-year wait