Johnson, U.S. fall to Europe in Arnold Palmer Cup

A disappointing week for Michael Johnson and the United States wrapped up Sunday.

Johnson, a former Auburn golfer, halved his singles match against Europe’s Stuart Grehan on the final day of competition in the Arnold Palmer Cup at the Formby Golf Club in Formby, England. But Johnson’s halve wasn’t nearly enough for the U.S. to mount a final-day comeback, as Europe won 18.5-11.5.

The halved match was the first point Johnson notched all week, as he fell in Friday’s foursomes and four-ball matches and also lost his singles match to David Boote on Saturday.

Johnson completed one of the most outstanding individual campaigns in Auburn history this past season. A Birmingham, Ala., native, Johnson was set a single-season record for strokes per round at 70.37 en route to being named a first-team All-American by Golfweek.

Read the letter Arnold Palmer sent to Wesley Bryan for clinching his PGA Tour card

There's a reason why everyone loves Arnold Palmer -- and it's not just because he oozed more coolness on the course than James Bond in a casino. A true gentleman of the game, Palmer cares about his fans as well as the golfers who have followed in his footsteps.

Take Wesley Bryan. A recent hot streak during his rookie season on the Web.com Tour has suddenly turned the 26-year-old University of South Carolina product from a trick-shot sensation into a golfer bound for the PGA Tour next season. And apparently, Mr. Palmer has taken notice.

The legend recently sent Bryan a letter of congratulations. Check it out:

How cool is that? And how cool is that letterhead with a golf ball serving as the "o" in his name?! They don't call him The King for nothing.

Forbes list: Michael Jordan still sport’s highest paid retired star

Few people are able to jump as high as Michael Jordan — and it seems that goes for earnings in retirement too.

The 53-year-old basketball legend remains on top of the Forbes highest paid retired athletes list after comfortably easing out former English soccer player David Beckham and golf star Arnold Palmer in the process.

Jordan earned $110 million in 2015 thanks to sales of Nike’s Jordan brand increasing by 14%, according to Forbes. He also maintains lucrative relationships with brands such as Hanes, Gatorade, Five Star Fragrances and Upper Deck and is worth an estimated $1.1 billion despite retiring 13 years ago.

Beckham was the second highest earning star of the past year, up a place from 2013. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and LA Galaxy player pulled in a cool $65 million thanks in part to partnerships with fashion brand Kent & Curwen and Chinese real estate firm Luneng.

Ex-England captain Beckham reportedly also retains hopes of acquiring an MLS soccer franchise in Miami in the years ahead.

Palmer took third spot with earnings of $40 million courtesy of his chain of golf equipment stores and drinks line. Former NBA star Junior Bridgeman ($32 million) an ex-American football player Jerry Richardson ($30 million) closed out the top five.

Bridgeman continues to rake in a handy sum from his long standing investment in restaurant franchises. Richardson has also had success in the restaurant business and is the owner of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise to boot.

The richest former athlete on the list, with an estimated net-worth of $1.5 billion, is Roger Penske. But the former race car driver and owner of the Penske Automotive Group only ranked eighth in 2015 earnings ($20 million), according to Forbes.

Forbes earning estimates include salaries, endorsements, licensing, speaking appearances, golf course design, book deals and partner distributions throughout 2015.

Other notable names on the list of 14 athletes include golfers Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, Soccer superstar Pele and one-time Basketball wonders Shaquille O’Neal and Ervin “Magic” Johnson. Li Na of China was the only woman and former tennis star on the list.

Highest paid retired athletes and earnings in 2015

Michael Jordan ($110 million)

David Beckham ($65 million)

Arnold Palmer ($40 million)

Junior Bridgeman ($32 million)

Jerry Richardson ($30 million)

Jack Nicklaus ($26 million)

Shaquille O’Neal ($22 million)

Roger Penske ($20 million)

Gary Player ($19 million)

Ervin “Magic” Johnson ($18 million)

Michael Strahan ($17 million)

Greg Norman ($15 million)

Pele ($14 million)

Li Na ($14 million)

Toddler drowns in Orlando backyard pool

ORLANDO, Fla. —Loved ones are trying to cope with the drowning of a toddler in Orange County. The 3-year-old died in the family's pool, which had recently been drained.

The family of the child and paramedics did everything they could to try to revive him, but once the boy arrived at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, he was pronounced dead.

Crime scene tape and deputy cruisers were seen Thursday afternoon in the neighborhood, where children are usually seen playing.

"The boy is very active. He's very active," said Sabah Alobaidi, the victim's great uncle.

The family's home is near Elderwood Court in Orange County. Just before 2 p.m., first responders went to the scene and tried to revive the child. Deputies said family members were home at the time when the child wandered out of sight and fell into the pool. He was later pronounced dead at Arnold Palmer Hospital.

"He likes to run around. He got out of the house," Alobaidi said.

"I never see the children unsupervised. It just amazes me," said Lee Brown, the victim's neighbor.

Neighbors said the children who live at the home are usually never left alone. Investigators said the pool had recently been drained, but rain water collected at the bottom of it. Deputies said there was just enough water for the child to drown.

"Right now you have very sad, distraught parents at the hospital. They've lost their child," said Jeff Williamson with the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

"My heart goes out to them. My prayers are with them and everything," Brown said.

Brady-Manning among the best rivalries in sports

Tom Brady has more championship rings. Peyton Manning has nearly all the passing records.

Fans will always debate which quarterback is better. But there's no arguing it's one of the greatest rivalries in sports history.

So it's fitting a Super Bowl berth is at stake for Brady-Manning 17.

Brady and the New England Patriots are trying to repeat and earn their fifth NFL title. Manning and the Denver Broncos are aiming for the franchise's first championship in 16 years and his second.

Brady won the first six meetings and he leads the series 11-5. They're tied 2-2 in the playoffs with Manning winning the last two, including the AFC championship game two years ago.

Some of the best individual rivalries from the other sports:

ALI-FRAZIER: Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought three times, including two of the most famous matches ever. Frazier defended his heavyweight championship with a unanimous decision over Ali in 1971 at Madison Square Garden in the "Fight of the Century." Ali won the rematch by decision in 1974. Then came "The Thrilla in Manila" in 1975. Ali won on a TKO after 14 rounds. Honorable mentions: Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran, Ray Robinson vs. Jake LaMotta.

CHAMBERLAIN-RUSSELL: Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell went head-to-head 142 times over a decade from 1959-1969. Russell's Boston Celtics beat Chamberlain's teams 85 games. Chamberlain shattered records. Russell collected championship banners, winning nine to Chamberlain's one. Honorable mention: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson.

NICKLAUS-PALMER: Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer turned golf into a popular spectator sport on television. Nicklaus holds the record with 18 majors while Palmer captured seven in his career. They finished 1-2 four times in majors. Honorable mention: Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson.

FEDERER-NADAL: Roger Federer has a 17-14 edge over Rafael Nadal in career grand slam victories, but the head-to-head rivalry is one-sided. Nadal leads the series 23-11, including a 9-2 record in grand slams. Nadal's victory in the 2008 Wimbledon final is considered one of the best tennis matches in history. Both men also have long rivalries with Novak Djokovic. Honorable mentions: Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova; John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg.

GRETZKY-LEMIEUX: The Great One vs. The Magnificent One. Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux dominated the NHL for two decades with one of the two players winning the scoring title every year between 1980 and 1997 except for one season. They never faced each other in the playoffs, however. Honorable mention: Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin.

DIMAGGIO-WILLIAMS: Joltin' Joe vs. The Splendid Splinter. Yankees-Red Sox had to make the baseball list. Ted Williams remains the last player to hit over .400, but his tremendous 1941 season was overshadowed by Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. Williams won two AL MVP awards and two triple crowns, but no World Series titles. DiMaggio was a three-time MVP who won nine World Series championships with New York. Honorable mention: Willie Mays vs. Mickey Mantle.

MESSI-RONALDO: The two best soccer players in the world play in the same league for two powerhouse teams. Since the Ballon d'Or was first awarded to the world's top player in 2010, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only men to win it (Messi, 2010-12, 2015; Ronaldo 2013-14). In 2008, Ronaldo won the FIFA player of the year award, and Messi won in 2009. Messi's Barcelona team club won the UEFA championship last season, and Ronaldo's Real Madrid has not won the Spanish league since 2012, giving Messi some recent bragging rights. Internationally, Messi and Argentina lost to Germany in the finals of the World Cup, while Portugal and Ronaldo failed to get out of the group stage.

After pro golf odyssey, Gunn Yang readjusting to life as college player

When the former U.S. Amateur champion was finished with a fantastical but thoroughly grinding year that took him around the world to play in professional golf tournaments, he had a big decision to make: return to San Diego State, where a full-ride scholarship awaited, or go all in as a pro.

 

What gives Yang chills is that his Korean parents don't speak English, and his San Diego-based instructor, Glen Daugherty, doesn't speak Korean, but they used almost the exact same words to advise him.

 

"Your education is important. You're putting too much pressure on yourself. Give your golf game time to mature."

 

"I always listen to my parents, but I don't always follow what they tell me to do," Yang said, but on this one he could not argue.

 

SDSU head coach Ryan Donovan wondered all summer if Yang would be back, and he finally got the word just a couple of weeks before school started. Yes, Yang had decided to return as a 22-year-old junior after getting a taste of the perks and the grind of PGA Tour golf.

 

In an extraordinary run afforded him as the U.S. Amateur champ, Yang played in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open and received exemptions into five other PGA Tour events and a handful of touranments in Asia and Australia.

 

He met Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, played alongside some of the tour's current big stars, and got friendly with players such as Tony Finau and Kevin Na.

 

Yang also was wholly humbled by the experience. He made only one pro cut – at Colonial, where he tied for 65th – and shot as many rounds in the 80s – two – as he did in the 60s.

 

"Nobody gets to have that experience except the U.S. Amateur champion, and I was the lucky one to do it last year," Yang said. "I felt really fortunate to be able to do it."

 

After months of traveling and practicing, mostly alone, it's been a surreal transition for Yang back to college campus life. He's got four classes and has been busy working his way back into the Aztecs team, for which he had only played sparingly before winning the U.S. Amateur in August 2014.

 

Before the Am win, Yang had his 25-percent scholarship taken away by Donovan because he had not earned playing time. Then the two had a heated discussion after the Amateur when Yang decided to take leave from the team to play on pro exemptions. Donovan later apologized to Yang and offered him a full-ride if he returned this fall.

 

Through all of his experiences in the pro events, Yang donned his SDSU-logoed gear.

 

"Honestly, it's been all positive for us," Donovan said. "He's got the knowledge from what he learned last year, and he's sharing stories with the guys. It's been pretty cool to see.

 

"He's been great with the team. Our first tournament he was asking every couple holes where everyone was at. It's kind of fun to hear, because that's important to us. He's intense; he's all in."

 

Yang was in the starting lineup for the Aztecs' first four tournaments, notching a 72.0 scoring average in 12 rounds. The team's top scorer is Italian junior Ricardo Michelini (70.50). Yang had two top-10 finishes, including a tie for eighth in last week's UCLA-hosted Gifford Collegiate at La Costa.

 

"I'm starting to get the sense of how I need to react and get along with my teammates," Yang said.

 

Yang admits he arrived back at SDSU completely burned out from a schedule that gave him no more than a handful of days off over the year. He is a player who works harder on the range than most and puts tremendous pressure on himself. That played out poorly at times when he wasn't getting the results he thought he should on the tour.

 

"I overdid it," he said. "My expectations were too high for where my game was."

 

He's trying to change that now.

 

"I'm back in college golf," Yang said. "Everybody is good out here too. I'm trying to play my best, but I'm not trying to do anything spectacular."

 

Not grinding as much has its rewards. Following his first day off in a while and with no pressure, Yang played Friday in an SDSU fundraiser at San Diego Country Club and shot 7 under par. The cause-effect wasn't lost on Yang.

 

"I've been putting too much stress on myself," he said. "I'm trying to take it easy, focus on school work, and do the normal things most college kids do – enjoy life."

 

This article was written by Tod Leonard from The San Diego Union-Tribune and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.

Know Your Oosthuizen!

The folks at Golf Digest decided to take their new “intern” out on the streets to play a game called “Name That Golfer.”

Stopping random couples on the street, the host and intern showed them pictures of Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Arnold Palmer, and Louis Oosthuizen.

All of the “contestants” were able to guess Woods, one was able to name Sergio, one guy called Arnie “Tom Collins,” and zero people recognized Louis.  Nothing really too surprising.  The South African is by no means a household name here in the United States.

However, not a single coupled realized the guy in the picture was the same guy holding said picture.  One guy actually pats him on the back and tells him “good job” when Louis, “the intern,” was able to properly pronounce his own last name!

About Kris McEwen

Kris became obsessed with the game of golf after deciding to finally hang up his baseball cleats about four years ago. Still learning the game, he’s leaned on much of the on-line golf community for help and loves to return the favor whenever possible.

A contributor to several golf sites in the past, Kris writes from the perspective of your average golfer. One who has a passion for the game, but also has the typical restrictions of life and budget.