Tiger (and Charlie) news 👀

GM! Get ready to kick off this fine Thursday morning with the Breakfast Ball Buffet – your fresh cup of golf news served piping hot and easy to digest, just the way you like it. Here’s what’s on tap for today:

• US Olympic team controversy 🇺🇸

• Woods family news 🐅

• Bryson & Rahm speak on Rory 🤝

• Buffet bets 💰

US Olympic team controversy 🇺🇸

The deadline to qualify for the Olympics was last Sunday, meaning we now know who will be representing the stars and stripes in Paris.

As expected, there’s some obvious controversy — Bryson Dechambeau isn’t on the squad.

It makes sense though. The points system is essentially based on the official world golf ranking, a system where Bryson, the 10th ranked player in the world, has the LIV disadvantage.

Here’s what the US Open champ had to say regarding the matter ↓

It’s unfortunate, but as Bryson mentioned, he knew what he was signing up for. But it really is too bad, because he lives for stuff like this.

Woods family news 🐅

How lucky are we that there’s both Big Cat AND Little Cat news this week?!

Starting off with Tiger: last week was discouraging. There’s no doubt about that. BUT, this will help ↓

We don’t know if Tiger will be healthy enough to play once a month or even more than that, but this gives me hope that we’ll be seeing more TW going forward than we might’ve expected.

Now on the Little Cat front — Charlie qualified for the most prestigious event in junior golf, and one that his father won three times: the US Junior Amateur!

Bryson & Rahm speak on Rory 🤝

After edging out Rory on Sunday at the US Open, Bryson gave an extremely classy message directed at the Northern Irishman ↓

This quote was worth noting, because if you thought you couldn’t like Bryson any more than you already do, he does this type of classy shit and you’re like “damn, I somehow like him even more now”.

On the Rahmbo front, the big man is back in action at LIV Nashville this weekend.

He said he did nothing for a week straight, and the foot should be ready to go for a busy summer schedule including LIV events, the Open, and the Olympics.

In his LIV Nashville presser, he referenced how bad NBC’s US Open coverage was last weekend (true), and spoke on Rory’s missed 4 footer on the 72nd hole ↓

Speaking of Rory, he released a notes-app-statement regarding his Sunday blunder at the US Open and his plans for the summer ↓

Buffet bets 💰

For a while, I made jokes about why you shouldn’t tail me for your golf bets. The jokes are done, because one thing has become abundantly clear: I’m HIM.

Just about everything I’ve been feeding you guys has hit over the last month. The two nice ones for the US Open were Corey Conners top-10 at +600 (so god damn sharp) and the +390 to-make-the-cut bet.

This week there’s a strong field at the Travelers on the PGA Tour and the usual LIV field over in Nashville. Don’t worry, I got you covered. Oh and also, we have the Women’s PGA Championship on the west coast.

Low and behold, my picks for the week ↓

PGA pick: Ludvig Åberg (+1500) — Luddy had the solo lead at the halfway point of the US Open, but had a tough weekend. The guy has been playing great golf all year. I think he finally wins one this weekend.

LIV pick: Tyrell Hatton (+1300) — Bryson just won, so he’s not going B2B, Brooks and Joaquin haven’t had their best stuff recently, and Rahmbo is hurt. Tyrell just had a strong showing at the USO, and the fiery Englishman gets it done this weekend in Nashville.

LPGA Championship pick: Nelly Korda (+900) — No reason needed here. I’m also shocked she’s +900. Hammmmmmmer 🔨

Quick bites 🥓

Max makes his 10th ace: instead of getting his Travelers practice rounds in, Max booked it to Hartford Golf Club today and made his 10th ace ☝️

Glow-in-the-dark-Bryson: the US Open champ (drunkenly) launched some glow-in-the-dark golf balls into the stratosphere on Sunday night 🚀

Jack Nicklaus brought the energy: the Golden Bear was tasked with banging the drum before Oilers-Panthers game 5, and he didn’t exactly bring the energy 😂