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🏌Good morning to all but especially to …
TOMMY FLEETWOOD
It’s funny how quickly all the heartbreak can fade away when the breakthrough finally arrives, and what a breakthrough it is for Tommy Fleetwood. After years of coming oh-so-close, Fleetwood, 34, won the Tour Championship, his first career PGA Tour victory.
- This was Fleetwood’s 164th career PGA Tour event. He entered with five runner-up finishes as well as 30 top-five finishes, the most without a victory on Tour since 1983.
- He also entered the event with the unofficial “best player never to win” title.
- This was his fourth time — and third time this year alone — holding at least a share of the lead entering the final round.
- He’s the first player since the FedEx Cup began in 2007 to earn his first PGA Tour win in the Tour Championship.
Fleetwood beat many of the world’s best, including co runners-up Patrick Cantlay and Russell Henley (three back) as well as a lurking Scottie Scheffler (four back), and he did it with aplomb: the best putting in the field by far and a career-high 27 birdies. He earned congratulations from Tiger Woods and LeBron James, among others, and a lovely $10 million payday as well.
All athletes can do is keep giving themselves chances. Fleetwood did just that and finally came through. What a wonderful, heartening win.
😁Honorable mentions
🏈 And not such a good morning for …
SHEDEUR SANDERS AND SHILO SANDERS
The next time there’s a live NFL game on our televisions, it’ll actually count. And thank goodness that’s the case, because I can’t take any more drastic overreactions to the preseason.
This week’s drama featured — who else? — Shedeur Sanders. The third Browns quarterback to enter Saturday’s preseason finale against the Rams (after Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel), Sanders completed three of six passes and was sacked five times.
Then, with the Browns down 17-16 with 2:03 left, Kevin Stefanski replaced Sanders with Tyler Huntley, who led a game-winning drive but was released Sunday nonetheless.
Cue reactions from … seemingly everyone. Sanders was visibly frustrated and even pleaded with Stefanski to stay in. Derek Carr questioned Stefanski’s decision. Stefanski explained it was always the plan to get Huntley some action.
And guess what? I believe Stefanski. Everyone needs to chill out.
- Preseason results do not matter.
- If you think Sanders’ chances to succeed as an NFL quarterback depend on the final drive of the preseason, playing with and against third- and fourth-string players, you’re wrong.
- If you think him leading a successful drive would have changed his standing in Cleveland’s quarterback pecking order, you’re also wrong. After all, his spot didn’t change after he impressed in preseason Week 1.
- Plus, Sanders had played the entire second half Saturday before that drive. In his five drives, Cleveland generated … -9 yards. That’s negative nine.
Deep breaths, everyone. Here’s where things stand in the Browns’ quarterback picture, which is still somehow much clearer than whatever the Saints are doing.
It wasn’t much better for Shedeur’s brother: Shilo Sanders, an undrafted rookie safety for the Buccaneers, got ejected for punching Bills tight end Zach Davidson in the preseason finale. Sanders got waived the next day.
Here’s more:
We’re also tracking roster cuts ahead of tomorrow’s 53-man roster deadline.
😕 Not so honorable mentions
🏈 Michigan names Bryce Underwood starting quarterback
It’s a new era for No. 14 Michigan under center, one of the most anticipated in the program’s storied past. The Wolverines are naming Bryce Underwood their starting quarterback, sources told CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
- Underwood was the top recruit in the 2025 class. The Wolverines flipped his commitment from LSU back in November 2024, thanks in part to a reported NIL package of $10 million.
- Underwood beat out Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene as well as incumbent Davis Warren for the job.
- He’ll be Michigan’s first opening-game true freshman starting quarterback since Tate Forcier in 2009. The Wolverines host New Mexico on Aug. 30.
Underwood has drawn comparisons to Cam Newton and Vince Young, and 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins’ scouting report explains why:
- Ivins: “Potential franchise signal caller with the ideal blend of size, arm talent and athleticism. Exhibited no shortage of field command midway through senior season … Has continued to improve as a passer and has gotten much more in tune with his mechanics. However, the biggest revelation in his final prep campaign has been his ability to move the chains with his legs as he builds speed and dodges defenders as an open-field runner with a frame that’s north of 6-foot-3 and pushing 215 pounds.”
🏈 No. 22 Iowa State beats No. 17 Kansas State, Wildcats’ starting QB’s family members fight
The college football season is off to the most college football-y start we could imagine: Upsets? Check. Wild weather? Check. Crazy turnovers? Check.
Family members fighting one another? … uh … Check!
No. 22 Iowa State beat No. 17 Kansas State, 24-21, in Ireland in the first game of the season, an ugly, rainy affair that included:
- four fumbles
- Iowa State winning despite rushing the ball 46 times for 130 yards, a paltry 2.8-yard per carry average
- Kansas State star running back Dylan Edwards being knocked out for the game after muffing the first punt of the game
Yuck.
And yet, it was still so fun. Rocco Becht completed just 14 of 28 passes, but he threw for a pair of scores and ran for another. Avery Johnson and the Wildcat offense was mostly disjointed, but he also threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another, with a 65-yard strike to Jerand Bradley getting Kansas State to within three points late.
Unfortunately, that was as good as it would get for Johnson … and his family. After the game, Johnson’s father and brother fought one another at the stadium. They later released a joint statement apologizing. Yikes.
Elsewhere, Hawaii capped Week 0 by stunning Stanford, 23-20, the Rainbow Warriors’ first win over a power-conference team since 2019.
⚾ MLB Power Rankings, weekend roundup: Cal Raleigh breaks catcher HR record
Welcome to the record books, Cal Raleigh. The Mariners standout belted his 48th and 49th home runs of the season Sunday, breaking Salvador Perez‘s record for most homers in a season by a catcher. With plenty of the season to go — could Raleigh get to 60? The AL MVP race between Raleigh and Aaron Judge could go down to the wire.
Unfortunately for the Phillies, Zack Wheeler‘s season will not be going any further. The ace righty will undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery after having a blood clot near his shoulder removed. This is a massive blow for Philadelphia’s World Series chances, as Wheeler had pitched to the tune of a 2.71 ERA. Still, the Phillies climbed to third in Matt Snyder’s MLB Power Rankings.
- Brewers (previous: 1)
- Tigers (5)
- Phillies (4)
- Blue Jays (2)
- Cubs (6)
📺 What we’re watching Monday
🎾 US Open, starting at 11 a.m. on ESPN
⚾ Rays at Guardians, 6:40 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Aces at Sky, 8 p.m. on NBA TV
⚾ Tigers at Athletics or Reds at Dodgers, 10:05 p.m. on MLB Network
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