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Good morning to everyone but especially to...
BRIAN HARMAN
Over a decade of perseverance has finally paid off for Brian Harman. The 36-year-old American captured his first major at the 2023 Open Championship, a stunning result as he entered the week with 175-1 odds.
Where Harman lacked in name recognition he more than compensated for in production. Harman won by a comfortable six strokes at 13 under, after carrying a five-stroke lead into the final round. Tied for second behind Harman were world No. 3 Jon Rahm, Jason Day, Tom Kim and Sepp Straka all at 7 under.
Harman's passion and competitiveness was palpable throughout the tournament, and CBS Sports' Kyle Porter believes it contributed to his victory.
- Porter: "There are two types of pro athletes. Those who play because they are great and those who are great because they play. Sometimes, as is the case with golfers like McIlroy, Rahm, Scheffler and Jordan Spieth, you get a rare union between the two.
Harman falls into the latter category. He is great because he loves nothing more than playing, practicing and attempting to become even greater."
Harman, who last won on the PGA Tour 2,269 days ago, is the first American to win his first major at an Open since 2009 (Stewart Cink) and the oldest first-time major winner since 2017 (Sergio Garcia, Masters). Take that as a lesson to never stop chasing your dream, no matter how long it takes.
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🏈 Chiefs' WR depth among burning questions facing AFC West teams
With training camps starting around the NFL, it's time to put all those free agent and draft moves into perspective to see where teams stand. Event the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs face questions as the season approaches, namely who'll be catching Patrick Mahomes' passes aside from Travis Kelce.
With JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman departing for the Patriots and Jets, respectively, the talented but oft-injured Kadarius Toney figures to be Kansas City's WR1. As CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan notes, the former Giants first-round pick already has Mahomes' trust.
- Sullivan: "Kadarius Toney has been billed as the receiver to take on a major workload after coming aboard midway through last season in a trade with the Giants. Mahomes has already stated that he believes Toney can be a No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL, and if he's proven right that'll make Kansas City's offense that much more dangerous."
The 2022 Broncos offense was dangerous only to impressionable young play-callers, as the unit looked lifeless and finished dead last in total offense in Russell Wilson's first year behind center. But with Super Bowl-winning coach Sean Payton now at the helm, Denver fans will begin to understand whether Wilson's struggles were a byproduct of Nathaniel Hackett's ineptitude or Father Time.
- Sullivan: "In his first season in Denver, Wilson looked washed up, which is rather concerning given the team signed him to a five-year, $245 million contract before even taking a snap for the franchise. While you may be able to chalk up Wilson's off season due to poor coaching from then-Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, Payton's impact will be the true barometer of whether or not Wilson just needed better guidance or if there's a legitimate decline unfolding."
Here's the full story, which also includes questions for the Chargers and Raiders.
⚾ How a Shohei Ohtani trade could shift the MLB landscape
Two-way star Shohei Ohtani seems likely to leave the Angels, whether it be before the Aug. 1 trade deadline or a few months later in free agency. A player of his magnitude even considering a move elsewhere can have a huge impact on MLB, and CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson delved into why.
For one, Anderson believes we could see a depressed trade market if underachieving teams such as the Yankees, Mets and Padres feel they have a shot at the 2021 AL MVP, who expressed his desire to play for a winner rather bluntly earlier this month: "It sucks to lose."
- Anderson: "The rub for those underperforming teams -- specifically the Mets and the Padres -- is that they might feel restricted in how much they can sell this deadline. After all, they wouldn't want to give the appearance to Ohtani, by virtue of trading away some of their top veterans, that they're not serious about and/or in a position to compete next season -- not when doing so might end up costing them a real chance at landing him this winter."
If Ohtani is moved, questions surrounding Mike Trout's availability would inevitably arise. However, Anderson predicts Angels owner Arte Moreno won't want to ship off two of the greatest players in franchise history in quick succession.
- Anderson: "We're very skeptical the Angels will do so (even a "diminished" Trout -- if he can be called that at this stage -- has remained more productive than all but 15 of his peers), and that's perfectly fine, too. In our estimation, it's better for the game if teams are not always managed in a ruthlessly efficient way, especially when it comes to living legends like Trout."
Here's Anderson's full breakdown.
⚽ Lionel Messi provides game-winner, leadership in Inter Miami debut
It didn't take long for Lionel Messi to reassert his GOAT status with Inter Miami, as the Argentine star came off the bench to score the game-winner in his debut against Cruz Azul on Friday. The goal, however, was far from the only positive development to emerge from a historic night for South Florida and American soccer.
CBS Sports' Chuck Booth noted Inter Miami looked crisp as soon as Messi entered in the 54th minute, and he had immediate chemistry with longtime teammate Sergio Busquets along with the team's leading goal scorer Josef Martinez. Messi then dedicated the win to Ian Fray, a 20-year-old defender who suffered his third torn ACL that night, in a selfless gesture Booth feels bodes well for his future with Inter Miami.
- Booth: "For someone who just joined the team and who scored the winning goal in the match to take time to recognize a young homegrown player who is suffering from an injury shows that there's more to Messi than the goals. Whether he truly embraces this team and the city of Miami more broadly, will be the biggest thing to determine if this is a successful transfer. These are the comments which show that it's happening."
With Messi gaining fitness and already showing investment in his new team, Booth thinks it's possible Inter Miami can climb from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and into the playoffs. If they get there, Messi -- who won 34 trophies with Barcelona and led Argentina to glory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup -- will be an unwelcome sight for any team standing in his way of the MLS Cup.
What we're watching Monday 📺
⚽ Brazil vs. Panama, 7 a.m. on FS1
⚾ Blue Jays at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Colombia vs. South Korea, 10 p.m. on FS1
