Malaki Starks' response to a 5am film text says it all about his mental makeup
The only thing better than having an elite talent at the safety position is potentially having two of them. That's the situation the Baltimore Ravens are in. Kyle Hamilton enters year four at football's highest level. He has already established himself as one of the best players at his position, and this past April, he was given his partner in crime.
Former Georgia Bulldogs star Malaki Starks was the 27th player taken during the most recent NFL Draft. His resume at the collegiate level was the stuff of legend: Freshman All-American (2022), College Football Playoff National Champion (2022), 2023 Consensus All-American, 2024 First-team All-American, two-time First-Team All-SEC nod. If all of that translates to the professional level, the Ravens are on to something.
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Starks is so talented that one can make the argument that bad coaching would be the only thing to prevent a supernova elevation. He won't have that issue as part of the Ravens. John Harbaugh enters year 18 at the helm. Baltimore is led on defense by Zach Orr, and the secondary is led by a familiar face who recently came home after sitting out of coaching for four seasons.
Chuck Pagano wins Malaki Starks over
The last time we saw Chuck Pagano on an NFL sideline, he was the Chicago Bears' defensive coordinator. The last time Chuck was in Baltimore, he led the Ravens' secondary for three seasons (2008-10) before becoming the defensive coordinator in 2011.
Chuck has already won over his young group. His rookie safety recently spoke with media members and thanked his position coach for a 5 am text message, stating, "That's how I want to be coached."
We shouldn't be surprised. Starks cut his teeth under Kirby Smart and Will Muschamp at UGA. Long story short, he's no stranger to being coached hard.
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The rookie is off to a good start by catching the eye of his position coach. Chuck knows what it takes to be great in this league, having coached Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Terrell Suggs.
He has certainly seen some talent come through the Ravens locker room, and now he has an opportunity to reach and mold Hamilton, Starks, Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey, and Chidobe Awuzie. This is a special unit. Starks couldn't have landed in a better situation.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Chuck Pagano wins Malaki Starks over with an early morning text
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Safe to say some expletives were rather audibly heard after he hit that shot. 10:44 PM BST Frustrated Scheffler The world number one's tee shot on the 14th is ideal, putting himself in a good position for the approach shot. However he gets too much spin on it and the birdie opportunity upcoming will be a remote one. Scheffler smashed the divot in frustration after the shot. Scheffler's birdie putt slides to the right of the hole and he will remain at two over. 10:41 PM BST Another bogey for Im How quickly things can change out on this golf course! Im was flying high at the top of the leaderboard on his own at five under just a few holes ago but back-to-back bogeys means he has dropped from the outright lead to a tie for second. Spaun now leads on four under having carded a 66 earlier today. 10:39 PM BST Missed opportunity Rahm has a birdie chance on the fifth (his 14th) to go to three under but he cannot take it. Advertisement Spieth makes up for his bogey on the third with a birdie on the fifth to go to one under. 10:32 PM BST Scheffler drops to two over The world number one cannot believe it as his par putt slides past the right edge. That bogey drops him back to two over. How much did that wasted birdie opportunity on the 12th affect Hovland? He misses a par putt on 13 to drop to one over. Morikawa then makes it three bogeys out of three for his group and the 13th has hit hard. 10:28 PM BST Sublime from Rahm The Spaniard's round was going along quite quietly but has roared into action. After the birdie on three, he makes an eagle on the par-five fourth. A great second shot gave him just over 10 feet for eagle, which he takes to move to two under and just two shots off the lead. 10:21 PM BST Bad error from Koepka The five-time major champion will want that putt back. He misses a simple par putt on 14 to drop to even par. 10:18 PM BST Bogey for Im One hole after the South Korean took the outright lead, he loses it with a bogey on the third. That hole demonstrates the importance of accuracy as Im's tee shot was errant and he paid the price. Nasty playing out of the church pew bunker - Charlie Riedel/AP 10:17 PM BST 12th challenges one of top groups Scheffler's second at the par-five 12 finds some thick rough, leaving him a very tough lie. His chop out ends up going into some more thick rough over the other side of the green. His next effort though out of the rough is much better and the world number one will walk away with a par. Advertisement Hovland's hot streak looked set to continue with what looked like a fairly simple birdie putt from around four under but somehow he misses it. Not the best of holes from those three. Morikawa walks away with a bogey after his par putt was never on the right line. He drops back to even par. 10:08 PM BST Birdie for Rahm The Spaniard, who won the US Open in 2021, has been mostly dealing in pars with the one bogey but makes a birdie on the third (his 12th) to improve to even par. Jon Rahm having a solid opening round - Erik S Lesser/Shutterstock 10:03 PM BST Do not miss there Im has just gone to the top of the leaderboard but that might immediately be under threat as his tee shot on the third (his 12th) leaks to the left and finds the church pew bunker. Sungjae Im currently sits atop the leaderboard - Charlie Riedel/AP Spieth meanwhile drops a shot and goes back to even par. 09:55 PM BST New outright leader Back-to-back birdies to start his second nine holes takes Im to the top of the leaderboard on his own at five under, with still seven holes to play. The South Korean is playing some fantastic golf. 09:47 PM BST Birdies for Scheffler and Hovland The world number one has not looked quite himself but a birdie on 11 takes him to one over. Morikawa steps up for his birdie attempt but it slides past the right edge. Advertisement Hovland has the shortest birdie putt and takes it to make back-to-back-to-back birdies to go to evern par. 09:44 PM BST Hovland on fire It was a dreadful start for the Norwegian, with three bogeys in his first five holes. But he has made back-to-back birdies on nine and ten to improve to one over. He is set to move to even par on 11 after a sublime second shot, very much like his approach on the last. 09:38 PM BST New co-leaders Im may have recently missed the chance to join Spaun on four under but he does not miss this time, making a birdie on the first (his tenth hole) to improve to four under. 09:33 PM BST Bob satisfied seemingly! 09:30 PM BST Birdies galore After Scheffler has to settle for a par, Hovland makes his short birdie putt to improve to one over. Then Morikawa steps up to make the easiest of birdies to improve to one under. Meanwhile back at the first (his tenth) Spieth makes a birdie to go to one under as well. 09:25 PM BST So nearly Koepka is in the bunker at the 11th and he nearly holes out for a birdie, the ball just rolling past the left edge of the hole. He will remain at one under. Brooks Koepka one of just a handful of players under par - Gene J. Puskar/AP 09:22 PM BST Absolutely sublime You are not going to see many better shots than that today. Two-time major champion Morikawa finds the fairway with his tee shot on the 10th and follows that up with a sensational second shot, that finishes up just over two feet from the pin. An almost certain birdie incoming for the American. Advertisement Hovland follows that up with a sublime shot of his own, ending up around four feet from the pin. Had Morikawa not just played his we would be waxing-lyrical even more about Hovland's effort. So what can Scheffler do? His second shot gets too much spin and it will be tough for him to make birdie. 09:13 PM BST Bogey for world number one Scheffler's third to the ninth green does not have enough on it and rolls back. His chip on is not superb but he drains a tricky little bogey putt to only drop the one shot. He hits the turn at two over. Morikawa also makes a bogey having missed the fairway off the tee and drops to even par. 09:11 PM BST Missed opportunity Im has the chance on the 17th (his eighth hole of the day0 to join Spaun on four under but his putt from short range slides past the right edge. Advertisement Meanwhile on the 10th Koepka finds trouble off the tee, leaking out to the left and he is going to undo the good work of the front nine. He has a six-foot putt for bogey, which he makes to drop back to one under. The 2015 US Open champion Spieth has bogeyed the 18th (his ninth) and hits the turn at even par. Sungjae Im going strong in his first round - Seth Wenig/AP 09:05 PM BST World number one escapes Scheffler is in fact able to hit out from the thick rough and chops out into the fairway. It will still be tough to make par. 09:00 PM BST Scheffler in trouble The world number one is on the ninth tee and he drops his club as he plays his tee shot. The drive leaks to the left and he could be in some trouble. It is going to be almost impossible for the world number one to save par on the ninth. Advertisement Morikawa finds a bunker to the right of the fairway and has to take his medicine by simply chipping out. 08:49 PM BST Thomas in some strife This course can really get you if you are inaccurate and that is what is happening to two-time major champion Thomas. On the ninth, he goes left, the right, finding the thick rough and ends up with a double bogey. He finishes his front nine on four over. 08:43 PM BST At the formidable eighth The Scheffler/ Morikawa/ Hovland group are at the tee on the eighth hole. It is playing 276 yards today and there have been just two birdies. They are waiting for the Burns group to finish up on the green, where Burns himself has made a bogey and drops back to two under. Advertisement Scheffler has the seven wood in hand and comes up short but it is not a bad place to be. Hovland uses a three iron and his tee shot is like a tracer bullet. It is a fantastic shot and he will have a decent shot at a birdie. 08:35 PM BST Eagle on the fourth It comes from Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who chips one in from the side of the green. 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He has started on the back nine and he has made back-to-back-to-back birdies on 12, 13 and 14. But on a course like this things can turn badly as quickly as they can go well. 07:59 PM BST Scheffler escapes yet more trouble Having dropped back-to-back shots on the third and fourth holes, Scheffler's tee shot is not the best on the fifth and finds some thick rough. That presents a very tricky second shot but somehow powers his way onto the green. It is a long, long birdie putt that comes up short but the world number one rescues a par to stop the run of bogeys. Even the best are struggling on this course. Advertisement Playing alongside him is Morikawa, who has the chance of a birdie to move to two under but he cannot take it. 07:50 PM BST Burns into a tie for second It has been a great start to the tournament for the American, with birdies on the first, third and now the fifth taking him to three under, where he joins Lawrence in a tie for second. 07:44 PM BST Stunning! 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Advertisement Meanwhile Hatton thinks his birdie putt on 13 (his fourth hole of the day) is going to drop in but it hangs over the top of the hole so he remains at one under. 07:27 PM BST Lawrence finishes up The South African makes par at the last and he cards a round of three under to sit one shot behind our leader Spaun. He can be pretty delighted with his efforts today; anyone carding a 67 would have been delighted with that at the start of the day. 07:17 PM BST Eagle alert! It comes at the very long par-five fourth, which is a mere 621 yards in length today. Koepka, who won back-to-back US Opens back in 2017 and 2018, has played the perfect hole and makes an eagle, which takes him from even par to two under and a tie for third. 07:15 PM BST Bogey for the world number one In reality bogeys are not as damaging around a course like this than it is anywhere else. Scheffler has a tricky putt for bogey on the third and manages to land it to drop back to even par. Considering how you can get yourself in big trouble, Scheffler may not be too disappointed with that, although knowing him he probably is annoyed by that drop shot. 07:13 PM BST Up into second South African Thriston Lawrence found the green with his drive on the par-four 17th and is rewarded for a great tee shot as he makes birdie to move to three under, one off the lead held by Spaun with the 18th left to play. Meanwhile back at the third the world number one Scheffler is struggling to save par having found the deadly thick rough just around the green... 07:01 PM BST Scheffler birdies the second After going close to a birdie on the opening hole, Scheffler goes one under as he birdies the second. Advertisement An aggressive drive from the American set him up for a chip in from less than 100 yards. He goes within six feet before knocking in the birdie putt. An assured start from the World No 1. 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Rory McIIroy Hole 6 Another picture on the scorecard after his tee shot found the bunker which he failed to get up and down from. rory mcilroy Hole 7 Initially pulled out a 3 wood but changed to the driver. Found the middle of the fairway but bogeyed after another three putt. Hole 8 Duffed a chip about 10 yards after a poor tee shot on the 278-yard par 3 found the right rough. A two putt for double made it four dropped shots in three holes. rory mcilroy 06:35 PM BST Scheffler begins his campaign World No 1 is on the tee and looking to bend Oakmont at his will. His playing partner Viktor Hovalnd tees off first and skips his ball down the left of the fairway. Meanwhile, Colin Morikawa hits a sublime shot, pinging it straight down the middle – then Scheffler gets going by trickling his ball down alongside his playing partners. All three players have got their US Open campaign underway. 06:29 PM BST Nightmare final nine costs McIlroy After a solid start through his first nine – which left him at two under – you would not expect to see a 74 for Rory McIlroy with that six over on the back nine being a massive disappointment. His iron play let him down so badly – he continued to miss in the wrong places and lost strokes on the green. That is a recipe for disaster when playing Oakmont – the world No 2 is now eight off the pace. 06:26 PM BST Torrid time for Lowry Shane Lowry signs off a day to forget at Oakmont. He finishes his round with two-putt par, seeing him sign for a nine-over 79. 06:21 PM BST JJ Spaun finds the 'right' recipe Clubhouse leader JJ Spaun speaks to Sky Sports after his bogey-free round of 66: My strategy was to take what the course gave me. I scrambled well, putted well and that's the recipe you need to have a bogey-free round at the US Open. I had no idea what to expect teeing off this morning, as far as history here, never being here and this is only my second US Open. Maybe that freed me up, where I didn't have to worry about certain expectations. I'll take a bogey-free 66 at the US Open. 06:18 PM BST Impressive finish from Schauffele Back-to-back birdies, including one from 25 feet at the final hole – the American scrambles a two-over 72 and leaves him six off the clubhouse lead. Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau finishes a difficult day with a par putt to head in three-over after a round of 73. 06:12 PM BST McIlroy on his final hole The Masters champion begins his final hole with a brilliant 300-yard tee shot at the par-four ninth, finding the edge of the fairway. Can McIlroy finish his round on a high? 06:04 PM BST Plenty of action still to come Many of the early starters are finishing their rounds but there is another wave of players getting their campaign underway at Oakmont. The world number one Scottie Scheffler, former champions and title contenders – so there is plenty of action still to come over the next several hours. Stay with Telegraph Sport for the latest updates. 06:01 PM BST McIlroy's poor finish It is all unravelling for the Northern Irishman. He fails to dig out of the rough at the par-three eight, where he will drop at least another shot. He is looking so frustrated out there – as he takes a swipe at the grass. Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau stops the rot of back-to-back bogeys with a par at the 17th. 05:58 PM BST Late collapse for Aberg The Swede's late collapse has cost him big time at Oakmont – with bogeys on four of his last five holes to drop from two under to two over. Meanwhile, his playing partner Adam Scott with a par for an even round of 70. A decent round for the former Masters champion. 05:52 PM BST McIlroy in danger Yet again, another par putt goes begging for the Masters champion. It was nowhere near the hole – a terrible read from him. The Northern Irishman cuts a frustrated figure on the green. He is back at two over now and in serious danger of throwing a really good start at Oakmont. 05:46 PM BST Brilliant play from JJ Spaun This round by JJ Spaun should not be underestimated. The world No 25 is playing his last hole (the ninth) on four-under and is the only player on the course without a bogey on his scorecard. The American showed his quality at The Players in March when beaten in a play-off by Rory McIlroy. Has enjoyed a great season. 05:39 PM BST Trouble for Aberg Ludvig Aberg makes a real mess of a relatively straightforward par putt. The Swede puts way too much on it as it lips out to keep him level par. 05:32 PM BST DeChambeau struggling The defending champion falls back again and is leaning very quickly how difficult this course is. The American is enduring a second straight bogey at the 16 after his missing his eight-footer putter. Right now, I cannot see anyone shooting four rounds and staying under par. With the conditions expected to get worse over the weekend, it will only get harder. 05:29 PM BST Terrible miss from McIlroy The Masters Champions gets his line wrong again by sending his par putt wide of the hole and stomaching another bogey – four at the six to fall one-over for his round. He played so well during his front nine but missing putts like that is a real body blow. 05:26 PM BST Some eye-catching groups starting over the next hour World No 1 Scottie Scheffler is the headline act in the late wave of tee times in the opening round. Scheffler will tee off at 6.25pm (BST) alongside Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa. US unless stated; (a) denotes amateur. Starting from the first tee 6.03pm: Min Woo Lee (Aus), Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka 6.25pm: Viktor Hovland (Nor), Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler Starting from the 10th tee 6.14pm: Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm (Spa), Dustin Johnson 6.25pm: Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Im Sung-jae (KR), Sepp Straka (Aut) 05:21 PM BST Scores on the doors 05:19 PM BST MacIntyre moves level with birdie The Scotsman does a brilliant job to walk away from the par-five 12th with a birdie, after his chip on the green rolls a good 12 feet past the pin. MacIntyre rolls in a terrific putt, which sees him move back level par for his opening round. 05:12 PM BST Mickelson slips The American started brightly, reaching the halfway point of his round in level par, but he has gone bogey, bogey, double bogey through holes one to three and is now four over for his round. 05:10 PM BST Frustration for Lowry Shane Lowry sees his birdie putt skim the edge of the hole as he settles for a par-four to remain five-over. It has been an eventual opening around for the Irishman – he has now gone double, eagle, bogey, par over the last four holes. 05:00 PM BST McIlroy looking to save par The Masters champion sends his 50-foot putt wide to the left of the green in the hope it would curve back around further down the green. It does but it still leaves himself needing four more feet for par. This is not easy to watch – McIlroy is undoing his first start by making two bogeys in three holes after first-nine 33. Meanwhile, Ludvig Aberg has just dropped back to level par as he cards back-to-back bogeys at the fifth and sixth on his back nine. In the last 30 minutes we have seen both Rory Mcilroy and Bryson DeChambeau holing lengthy putts for bogeys. That is what you have to do here at Oakmont – minimise the damage. Granted, McIlroy made four double-bogeys on his way to the green jacket in April. But Augusta is a different test. A golfer can pick up shots between the Georgia pines. The brute of Pittsburgh does not yield the same opportunities. 04:27 PM BST Gusty from DeChambeau Bryson DeChambeau attacks the 12th hole from the rough fringe beside the green, steering in a sublime putt to salvage a bogey-six. The defending champion drops to one over but it could have been much worse. Meanwhile, his playing partner Xander Schauffele also bogeys the par five and is now three over. 04:23 PM BST Scott misses huge birdie chance Adam Scott played the par-five fourth brilliantly – which left him with a five footer for a birdie chance. But the former Masters champion misses the opportunity and another chance for him goes begging – the Australian remains at one under. 04:13 PM BST Moment of magic from Lowry What a shot from the Irishman – to relieve his US Open chances! He drops in a stunning eagle shot from 159 yards at the par-four third. After a torrid start to his round, Lowry has something to smile about. The Irishman looked battered and bruised after that double bogey on the previous hole. This could be a big momentum shift for him. 04:11 PM BST JJ Spaun remains one ahead The American gets himself in trouble at the 12th – but he continues so stay bogey-free. His latest escape comes at the par-five fourth where he finds the bunker with his third shot. But he gets up and down for par to remain one shot ahead. 04:08 PM BST Lowry's torrid start continues Things are only getting worse for Shane Lowry – the Irishman gets another double bogey amid a week in which he entered Oakmont as a favourite for the title. 04:01 PM BST Par for DeChambeau Bryson DeChambeau has left himself with a 16-footer birdie on the 11th but could not make it. So, it is another par for the defending champion. Meanwhile. Bob MacIntyre cuts a frustrated figure after bogeying the ninth. The Scotsman did not get the read of the green and shoves his putt to the right of the hole. 03:57 PM BST A mishap from McIlroy The Masters champion's ball took a nasty bounce, as it rolled to leave him just shy of 40 feet from the pin. He had a tricky approach shot to contend with on his putt. His ball certainly felt the pace of the course as his ball rolls beyond the hole. The Masters champion makes a real mess of his short par putt at the first and swipes his club in utter frustration. He has to settle for a bogey to begin his back nine. 03:53 PM BST Aberg is building momentum Ludvig Aberg gets back to two under with a birdie at the third. Meanwhile, his playing partner Adam Scott drops a shot to add a fourth bogey in his opening round. It has been an eventual session for the Australian – with five birdies and four bogeys. 03:42 PM BST Latest leaderboard Want to follow the progress of your favourite player? Take a look at our leaderboard. 03:38 PM BST Mickelson back to level par Phil Mickelson made a double bogey on the 15th but has clawed both of those shots back with birdies on the 16th and 17th The veteran player is back to level par at Oakmont. 03:32 PM BST Damage control for Lowry Shane Lowry finds himself in the rough – just off the edge of the green – he holes his wedge from the fringe to avoid failing further behind. The Irishman remains three over, which is currently seven behind leader JJ Spaun. 03:29 PM BST Blow for DeChambeau That is a cruel for Bryson DeChambeau. A lip-out for the American on the short par putt seems him bogey the ninth to drop back to even par. 03:27 PM BST Storms forecasted for the weekend Unless the rains arrive – and storms are forecasted for the weekend – then cannot help but feel that this will be the easiest we will see Oakmont this week. The greens are hellish, but they are receptive. The challenge will get progressively more difficult throughout the day. 03:26 PM BST Brilliant approach from McIlroy A terrific approach from the Northern Irishman to find the green at the 18 where his ball rolls back slightly to leave him 26 feet away from the pin. Can he make another birdie from this distance? 03:17 PM BST Fleetwood on the ninth Tommy Fleetwood holes a seven-footer for a five on the par-four ninth. There are opportunities for birdies on the inward stretch of the course at Oakmont. Can Fleetwood move up the leaderboard and join the likes of JJ Spaun and Rory McIlroy? 03:11 PM BST Trouble for McIlroy McIlroy finds himself with a tricky lie in the thick rough and looks in a spot of bother on the 17th. He does well to dig it out but can only find the greenside of the bunker. The Northern Irishman has some work to do to save par. 02:54 PM BST Bryson birdies the seventh It was a brilliant approach shot from Bryson DeChambeau – a second birdie in three holes and he moves into the red for the first time in his opening round. Meanwhile, his playing partner Xander Schaffele is having a nightmare out there. He finds the bunker after his tee shot and then three-putts from the front of the green for a double-bogey six. 02:45 PM BST McIlroy is in range The Northern Irishman's drive off the 16th is sublime – it takes him 222 yards to just about find the edge of the green, so approximately 32 feet from the pin Meanwhile, his playing partner Shane Lowry is having a torrid time – he has just double bogeyed the par-three 16th to leave him three-over for his round. 02:39 PM BST Woodland making a charge Gary Woodland is one shot behind leader JJ Spaun. Consecutive birdies on the four and five has lifted Woodland into second spot on his own. 02:37 PM BST Brilliant save from McIlroy The Northern Irishman's pitch from the semi-rough on the 15th was a beauty. It left him with a difficult putt but he converts it to make another impressive par. The Masters champion is off to decent start at Oakmont. 02:30 PM BST Spaun pulls further ahead An 11-foot birdie at the 17th takes him to four-under and continues his incredible start at Oakmont. The American is having a fine season with his name being seen on the leaderboards a few times this year – including his battle with Rory McIlroy at the Players. 02:26 PM BST McIlroy on the 15th The Northern Irishman hits a wide shot off the 15th tee. He is left with a difficult second shot from the thick grass – which looks ominous. McIlroy does well gauging the ball down the fairway and watches it run torwards the green. It is around 50 yards form the pin, leaving him work to do to make sure he remains bogey-free in his opening round. 02:21 PM BST DeChambeau back on track The American is back on track after converting from seven feet at the par-four fifth. Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele misses the fifth fairway with his first bogey of the round. Their playing partner, Jose Luis Ballester stops his rot after four straight bogeys, he pars the fifth. 02:17 PM BST Brilliant start from McIlroy Just been out watching Rory McIlroy negotiate his opening holes and although these are very early stages, he will be delighted with his start. His drive on the par five 12th (he started on the 10th) was a stunner. At 392 yards it was his longest of the season thus far and validated the Masters champion's decision to go back to the TaylorMade Qi10. 02:12 PM BST Spaun takes solo lead JJ Spaun's iron approach rolls to five feet and sets up the perfect birdie opportunity on the 14th. He moves to three-under and jumps top of the leaderboard. 02:10 PM BST Positive sign for Fleetwood Here we go, Tommy Fleetwood judges a left-to-righter to perfection! He slides in his birdie attempt from 12 feet on the fifth. 02:09 PM BST Tricky start for DeChambeau The American is involved in a lengthy discussion with a rules official after his second shot on the fourth lands on the walkaway across the fairway. He picks his ball up to take relief, which he places and then drops – which is rather strange. It eventually concludes with the American sending his third shot into the heart of the green and it ends in par for the American. 02:02 PM BST McIlroy is on the march Here is the headline news from Oakmont – Rory McIlroy's driver works. He hits it straight off the tee as he finds the green on the 13th to land within 20 feet of the pin. 01:52 PM BST Perfect approach from Schauffele An incredible shot on the fourth green from Xander Schauffele. From 287 yards out, he sends a fairway wood to within 15 foot for eagle. I need to see the replay of this shot – utterly sublime! The American seems to be building momentum here at Oakmont – can he join McIIroy and Spaun at the top of the leaderboard? 01:45 PM BST McIlroy is gaining momentum Two straight birdies for the Northern Irishman, who turns 60 feet into seven with his eagle attempt before stroking in moments later to get to two-under. He is looking in fine form during these opening holes at Oakmont. Meanwhile, his playing partner Justin Rose makes three straight pars and Shane Lowry cuts a frustrated figure after his bogey. 01:39 PM BST Watch: McIlroy's monster drive The Northern Irishman hits his longest drive of the season with a 392-yard tee shot at the 12th. He follows up his monster tee shot with a massive approach shot to find the green on his second stroke. That is unfortunate for McIlroy – as his ball takes a nasty roll down the hill to leave him approximately 52 feet away from the pin. 01:36 PM BST DeChambeau trying to build early momentum A decent effort from the defending champion from 18 feet to set up a simple pur putt as he remains one-over. Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele manages his third par in a row to start his day at Oakmont. 01:30 PM BST A decent start for MacIntyre A regulation four for Bob MacIntyre down the first. His approach shot was slightly into the rough towards the right of the hole – but a good chip to four feet is followed by a solid putt. A steady start for the Scotsman who begins his campaign at Oakmont. 01:25 PM BST Aberg loses early lead Ludvig Aberg has just offered us the perfect example of what makes Oakmont such a difficult course. The Swede finds the bunker with his third shot on the par-five 12th – he then misjudges his shot from the thick rough and runs his effort 10 feet past. It was a decent effort with the putter to get away with the six, but he loses the lead with JJ Spaun now back into the sold lead at Oakmont. 01:14 PM BST McIlroy grabs his first birdie Here we go, Rory McIlroy's first birdie of his US Open campaign. He lands this one from 27 feet at the second to move one-under. The Masters champion is now up and running and moves immediately into the red. 01:12 PM BST Terrible start for Fleetwood Tommy Fleetwood's poor start at Oakmont continues on the second. He is forced again to take a penalty drop after another wayward tee shot. The Englishman goes pin-seeking with his third shot, to a hole that is tucked among rough and sand. His ball lands up 20 feet from the hole and he is too eager with the par putt, knocking it five feet past the hole. 01:05 PM BST Brilliant start for Fitzpatrick Matt Fitzpatrick is off to a brilliant start at Oakmont. The 2022 winner of this championship, nails a 25-footer across the first green to move immediately into the red. What a start for the Englishman! 12:58 PM BST Wayward putt from McIlroy The Northern Irishman misreads the slope and see his putt stray wayward after a brilliant approach shot to find the green. However, he comes back for par but he knows that could have been the perfect start for him at Oakmont. That is a missed opportunity for McIlroy – at the US Open you have to grab those chances with both hands as they are so hard to come by. 12:56 PM BST Awkward shot for DeChambeau The defending champion has an awkward putt from the rough fringe, the American misjudges and hits it a few feet beyond the hole. DeChambeau misses his par save from eight feet and will have to take an opening bogey. 12:47 PM BST Here comes the Masters champion Rory McIlroy has began this campaign at Oakmont. He is paired alongside his good friend Shane Lowry and 2025 Masters runner-up Justin Rose. Can the Northern Irishman recover from his miserable PGA Championship campaign? 12:40 PM BST DeChambeau is up and running Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau has began his campaign at Oakmont. He drags his tees shot wide to the left, but he is fortunate to see his ball land on the rough which has been flattened by the spectators. Meanwhile, Ludvia Aberg has got his campaign off to a flyer with a birdie at the first to move to one-under par. The Swedish player is known for making first starts at the majors – Oakmont is tough but if you can find the fairways and greens – it will give you birdie opporunties. 12:36 PM BST The first scores on the board A brilliant start for American qualifier Maxwell Moldovanha. He has holed the second shot from 189 yards on the par-four and is immediately into the lead at Oakmont at two under. Meanwhile, Tommy Fleetwood is in action. He is playing alongside Harris English and USA Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley amid a star-studded start at Oakmont. 12:26 PM BST First round pins The USGA have certainly come out swinging with these pin positions – some of these pins clinging to the edge of the greens. All the best to the players! 12:18 PM BST What can we expect from Rory McIlroy? The Northern Irishman hasn't been able to contend in an event since his victory at Augusta National. He comes into the week off a missed cut at the Canadian Open. However, he is a three-time winner already in 2025 following his early season successes at Pebble Beach and the Players – with grand slam glory at the Masters. McIlroy has said he has to 'get his stuff together' this week after failing to contend at the PGA Championship and missing the cut at the US PGA, where he struggled off the tee. He will hope a return to a familiar driver model this week could spark a return to form. Our golf correspondent James Corrigan, explores how McIlroy's travails off tee will need to change to be competitive at a course where he shot at 81 in a recent practice round. Rory McIlroy has finished runner-up the last two years at the US Open - PA/Zac Goodwin 12:05 PM BST Who is out early today? Matt Vogt had the privilege of hitting the opening tee shot at Oakmont – he got his campaign under way at 11.45 am (BST). But, there is plenty of world-class players involved in the morning wave. US unless stated; (a) denotes amateur. From the first tee 12.18pm Harris English, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Keegan Bradley 12.29pm Xander Schauffele, Jose Luis Ballester (Spa), Bryson DeChambeau 12.40pm Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Wyndham Clark, Gary Woodland From the 10th tee 12.18pm Ludvig Aberg (Swe), Adam Scott (Aus), Hideki Matsuyama (Jap) 12.40pm Shane Lowry (Ire), Justin Rose (Eng), Rory McIlroy (NIR) 11:59 AM BST Weather forecast for round one The National Weather services reports that the weather in Oakmont area, is expected to be sunny, with highs of 31C. Winds will gust at 5 to 10mph – the low will be 17C with light wind. 11:55 AM BST Who will win the 2025 US Open? Will it be a successful title defence for Bryson DeChambeau? Or a return to form for Rory McIlroy? Another major success for Scottie Scheffler? Have your say by casting your vote below. 11:28 AM BST First-round tee times Who do you want to follow at Oakmont this week? If you want to see whether Rory McIlroy can return to his Masters form, you need to know he is out among the earlier starters alongside his good friend Shane Lowry and the man he pipped for the 2025 Masters, Justin Rose. If you want to watch the favourtie and in-form Scottie Scheffler, he gets his challenge under way at 6.25pm BST. US unless stated; (a) denotes amateur. From first tee 11.45am: Matt Vogt (a), Kevin Velo, Trent Phillips 11.56am: Chandler Blanchet, Alvaro Ortiz (Mex), Doug Ghim 12.07pm: Evan Beck (a), Maxwell Moldovan, Justin Hicks 12.18pm: Harris English, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Keegan Bradley 12.29pm: Xander Schauffele, Jose Luis Ballester (Spa), Bryson DeChambeau 12.40pm: Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Wyndham Clark, Gary Woodland 12.51pm: Akshay Bhatia, Matt McCarty, Robert MacIntyre (Sco) 1.02pm: Cam Davis, Davis Thompson, Thomas Detry (Bel) 1.13pm: Richard Bland (Eng), Trevor Gutschewski (a), Lanto Griffin 1.24pm: Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Sam Stevens, Ryan Gerard 1.35pm: Thriston Lawrence (SA), Noah Kent, Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) 1.46pm: Jinichiro Kozuma (Jap), Cameron Tankersley (a), Chase Johnson 1.57pm: Philip Barbaree Jnr, Riley Lewis, Brady Calkins 5.30pm: Frederic Lacroix (Fra), Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Sam Bairstow (Eng) 5.41pm: An Byeong-hun (KR), Joe Highsmith, Ryan Fox (NZ) 5.52pm: Victor Perez (Fra), Jacob Bridgeman, Adam Schenk 6.03pm: Min Woo Lee (Aus), Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka 6.14pm: Sam Burns, Nico Echavarria (Col), Denny McCarthy 6.25pm: Viktor Hovland (Nor), Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler 6.36pm: Corey Conners (Can), Jason Day (Aus), Patrick Reed 6.47pm: Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Bud Cauley, Daniel Berger 6.58pm: Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Tony Finau, Chris Kirk 7.09pm: Benjamin James (a), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den), Stephan Jager (Ger) 7.20pm: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Den), Justin Hastings (Cay), Laurie Canter (Eng) 7.31pm: Frankie Harris (a), Emilio Gonzalez (Mex), Roberto Díaz (Mex) 7.42pm: Grant Haefner, Joey Herrera, George Kneiser From 10th tee 11.45am: Zac Blair, Scott Vincent (Zim), Alistair Docherty 11.56am: Jacques Kruyswijk (SA), Jordan Smith (Eng), Eric Cole 12.07pm: Tom Kim (KR), JJ Spaun, Taylor Pendrith (Can) 12.18pm: Ludvig Aberg (Swe), Adam Scott (Aus), Hideki Matsuyama (Jap) 12.29pm Ben Griffin, Andrew Novak, Maverick McNealy 12.40pm: Shane Lowry (Ire), Justin Rose (Eng), Rory McIlroy (NIR) 12.51pm: Patrick Cantlay, Kim Si-woo (KR), Lucas Glover 1.02pm: Cameron Smith (Aus), Brian Harman, Phil Mickelson 1.13pm: Niklas Norgaard (Den), Brian Campbell, Justin Lower 1.24pm: Davis Riley, Jackson Koivun (a), Johnny Keefer 1.35pm: James Hahn, Mark Hubbard, Michael La Sasso (a) 1.46pm: Joakim Lagergren (Swe), Mason Howell (a), Chris Gotterup 1.57pm: Zach Bauchou, Jackson Buchanan, Lance Simpson (a) 5.30pm: Will Chandler, Andrea Pavan (Ita), Takumi Kanaya (Jao) 5.41pm: Bryan Lee (a), Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Preston Summerhays 5.52pm: Erik van Rooyen (SA), Max Greyserman, Matt Wallace (Eng) 6.03pm: Russell Henley, Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA), Nick Taylor (Can) 6.14pm: Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm (Spa), Dustin Johnson 6.25pm: Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Im Sung-jae (KR), Sepp Straka (Aut) 6.36pm: Cameron Young, Tom Hoge, JT Poston 6.47pm: Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Michael Kim, Matthieu Pavon (Fra) 6.58pm: Marc Leishman (Aus), Aaron Rai (Eng), Nick Dunlap 7.09pm: Matthew Jordan (Eng), Yuta Sugiura (Jap), Carlos Ortiz (Mex) 7.20pm: Ryan McCormick, Trevor Cone, Zach Pollo (a) 7.31pm: James Nicholas, Tyler Weaver (a), Riki Kawamoto (Jap) 7.42pm: Austen Truslow, Harrison Ott, George Duangmanee 11:15 AM BST Can anyone stop Scottie Scheffler? By Uche Amako Good morning and welcome to coverage of the third major of the year – the US Open. This year's tournament will take place at Oakmont Country Club, which is one of the toughest tests in the sport. Scottie Scheffler is the favourite to make it back-to-back major wins and is well aware of the daunting task ahead. 'There's not really many areas where you step on the tee box and you're like, hey, I can miss it right here, hey, I can shade towards the left side of the fairway because right is really bad,' said Scheffler. 'Actually, if you hit it in the right rough, you're probably not going to get it to the green; if you hit it in the left rough, you're probably not going to get it to the green. So might as well try and split the difference there and hit it in the middle.' Last year's winner Bryson DeChambeau is looking to become the first repeat winner since Brooks Koepka in 2018. 'It's been a lot of fun just experiencing what the fans are giving me. It's so much energy,' said DeChambeau, who briefly held the final round lead at the Masters in April and finished runner-up at the PGA Championship last month. 'The only reason why I'm still here with this much energy is because of them, and even last week [at the LIV Golf event] in Virginia, the crowds were really great and pumping me on. 'Am I tired? For sure. But am I excited? I'm more excited than I am tired.' Rory McIlroy has struggled since achieving the career slam at the Masters and last week missed the cut at the Canadian Open. To win the US Open, he thinks patience will be key. 'It's very penal if you miss,' he said. 'Sometimes it's penal if you don't miss. But the person with the most patience and the best attitude this week is the one that's going to win. 'There's definitely been a little bit of rain since I played. Last Monday felt impossible. I birdied the last two holes for 81. It felt pretty good. It didn't feel like I played that bad. 'It's much more benign right now than it was that Monday. They had the pins in dicey locations, and greens were running fast. It was nearly impossible. 'If you put it in the fairway, it's certainly playable. But then you just have to think about leaving your ball below the hole and just trying to make as many pars as you can. 'You get yourself in the way of a few birdies, that's a bonus.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
New York Post
29 minutes ago
- New York Post
Roger Goodell's potential NFL successor bolts for PGA Tour
One of the NFL's top executives is leaving to take over as CEO of the PGA Tour. Brian Rolapp, the league's chief media and business officer, is taking on the role at the PGA after being widely believed to be the clear favorite for the job days earlier, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo Thursday to all team executives and presidents alerting them of the news. Brian Rolapp, NFL executive vice president and chief media and business officer, speaks during a news conference at the NFL football annual meetings on March 31, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. AP 'After 22 remarkable seasons of dedicated leadership and significant contributions, Brian Rolapp will be leaving the NFL to pursue other opportunities,' Goodell wrote. 'We have spent some time planning for this change and are confident we will successfully manage the responsibilities while we align our structure to meet our long-term strategic goals. We will share more details soon.' Rolapp spent 22 years at the NFL and was considered by some as a potential successor to Goodell. But the hire shouldn't come as too big of a shock, considering that Rolapp had been on the PGA Tour's radar since 2024, and a memo from PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan in December indicated that the hire would come from outside the organization, Sports Business Journal reported. The outlet reported earlier this week that the search for a CEO was nearing its end and that Rolapp appeared to be the favorite. NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps, TaylorMade Golf CEO David Abeles and former Ticketmaster chairman Jared Smith were also believed to be options for the position. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addresses the media at a press conference at the NFL football owners meeting, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Eagan, Minn. AP The CEO will report directly to the PGA Tour Policy Board and PGA Tour Enterprises — the for-profit arm of the Tour — would also fall under the new CEO's jurisdiction. The position is separate from the commissioner, which will remain helmed by Monahan. Rolapp has served as the chief media and business officer since 2017 and helped the NFL through its current media rights deal, which is worth $111 billion over 11 years. 'Brian began his journey with the NFL in 2003 as Director of Finance and Strategy at NFL Network. Since then, he built a distinguished career, culminating in his role as Executive Vice President, Chief Media & Business Officer,' Goodell wrote about Rolapp. 'Brian played an integral role in shaping the NFL's media strategy and business operations at a time of unprecedented change in the media environment. 'His accomplishments include negotiating several key media partnerships, overseeing NFL Media, NFL Films, 32 Equity, the Sponsorship and Consumer Products businesses and leading major initiatives that expanded the league's global media footprint and digital presence.'
