Watching Brooks Koepka unleash fury on Bethpage Black Thursday, it continually struck me how dumb it is for everyone to get worried about whether or not he likes golf. He doesn't need to like golf to be really good at golf, and Koepka right now is playing better golf than just about anyone on the planet.
He's bored by regular golf tournaments and likes it when courses are hard. He has no interest in sitting there watching a birdie fest as everyone lights up the scoreboard, and that's fine if that's what he wants to do. He's crushing it at the majors. Getting hot and bothered about his passion for golf and whether or not he cares about non-majors is silly.
Koepka, who by all accounts seems like the chillest bro to ever chill, is doing exactly what we ask of the great athletes in every sport. He's collecting rings, he's winning majors and he's torching the competition on the biggest stage. His bogey-free 63 at the Black Course was just the latest example.
We're hypocritical if we want to sit here and say, "rings matter," and "majors are the only thing that really count," and then get equally beefed up because someone like Koepka isn't passionate about playing some random track in the middle of the summer.
He elevates his game when it matters most. It's exactly what we want athletes to do. Let's celebrate how good he is at golf instead of sweating how much he likes the game.
Speaking of elevating our game, let's stay hot with Today's Top Picks, a.k.a. the biggest stage.
1. Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes: Hurricanes -103
This is Carolina's last stand. The Bruins won Game 3 in Raleigh behind some marvelous goaltending by Tukka Rask; you could argue that the Hurricanes outplayed Boston as a whole in the game, but the Bruins just got better goaltending and continued to dominate power play situations. The Hurricanes are converting less than 10 percent of their power play opportunities into goals in this series and couldn't even manage something in a 4-on-3 situation in the last game. The Bruins have been great and look like a team of destiny when it comes to the Stanley Cup.
Having said that, the Hurricanes should show plenty of pride in this last home game and should be in line for what we like to call the "Gentleman's Sweep" (a.k.a. 4-1). I like the 'Canes to give it everything they've got and squeak out a win on their home ice to avoid the sweep. (Take the Bruins in the next game.)
Vegas legend Hank Goldberg has cashed huge at the last two Preakness Stakes, and with the 2019 edition on tap for Saturday, you'll want to know how he handicaps the field. Get Goldberg's picks only at SportsLine.
2. Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors: Blazers +7
This is weird -- the Warriors destroyed the Blazers in Game 1 and then Vegas opened up the next game with the exact same line? That makes very little sense. I know the Warriors toyed with the Blazers for the most part and Golden State looked like a much better team, but I think Portland was in a bit of a "happy to be here" mode after beating the Nuggets at altitude in a Game 7. I think the Warriors win this game but the Blazers keep it fairly close.
The SportsLine Projection Model has simulated this matchup 10,000 times, and while its spread pick is cashing 51 percent of the time, the computer's total pick is coming in at a 58 percent rate in Game 2. See both those picks over at SportsLine.
3. Minnesota Twins vs. Seattle Mariners: Over 9.5
Pretty simple math: the Twins are mashing the ball right now, on pace to break their franchise record for home runs in a season. The Mariners are above .500, but they're negative in run differential and have scored a lot and allowed a lot of runs on the season. Neither Michael Pineda nor Erik Swanson is likely to piece together some lockdown game as a starter. Give me the Over in this spot.
SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh is on a 54-31 MLB heater, and not only has he locked in three best bets for Thursday's action, but he's done so by taking three teams at plus odds. Which underdogs have caught Oh's eye? Find out at SportsLine.
