Koepka pledges to be ready when play returns
World No. 3 Brooks Koepka said he is ready to return to competitive golf, whenever that time comes.
As it stands, the next event on the PGA Tour schedule is the Charles Schwab Challenge beginning June 11 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. It was initially slated to be held May 21-24.
Golf, like the majority of sports, has been halted since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Whatever that first week back is” will be his next event, Koepka told the Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday. “Supposed to be Colonial right now. Whenever that first tournament is, I’m going to be there, I’m going to be ready. It’s exciting to have something to look forward to.”
Koepka, who has wins in four majors among his seven PGA Tour victories, fared well in his one previous appearance in Fort Worth. Two years ago, he fired a final-round 63 to finish in second place behind Justin Rose.
On Tuesday, Koepka admitted that it’s difficult to keep focused on his game given the world’s events.
“I think that was what was killing everybody was the unknown,” Koepka said Tuesday. “Just to have something back now that we can get back now into the swing of things and start looking forward to playing golf again competitively. It’s one thing to go play with your boys and it’s a completely other thing to go tee it up in the real thing.”
NFL
REPORT: FAVRE PAID FOR APPEARANCES HE NEVER MADE >> Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre received $1.1 million from the state of Mississippi for public appearances he never made, an audit of the state’s Department of Human Services showed.
The Mississippi Clarion Ledger reported that Favre received two lump payments totaling that amount and was supposed to make speeches for the money.
Favre isn’t facing any criminal charges. The spending was uncovered as part of an audit that took place after former Human Services director John Davis and others were indicted and charged with embezzling about $4 million. In all, the audit showed $94 million in what the newspaper termed “questionable spending” by the agency, which is supposed to allocate its funds toward needy people in the state.
“If there was a way to misspend money, it seems DHS leadership or their grantees thought of it and tried it,” state auditor Shad White said Monday. He said the audit showed “the most egregious misspending my staff have seen in their careers.”
The Clarion Ledger said the report showed that in the instance of Favre, he wasn’t present at specified events and made no speeches.
Neither Favre nor his longtime agent, Bus Cook, responded to the newspaper’s request for comment.
Favre, 50, is a Mississipi native who played at Southern Miss before beginning his 20-year NFL career in 1991. He won the Super Bowl with the 1997 Green Bay Packers and also played for the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons.
JAGS ADD TO DEFENSIVE DEPTH >> Veteran pass rusher Aaron Lynch signed a one-year contract with Jacksonville on Tuesday, giving the Jaguars more depth in case disgruntled defender Yannick Ngakoue decides to skip part of the season.
• Free-agent cornerback Logan Ryan said farewell to the Tennessee Titans organization and fans on Tuesday in an Instagram post and said he wants to continue his career elsewhere.
“My chapter in Tennessee has come to a close,” he began his post.
“To the @Titans fans: Thank you for all the love. The energy and support this past season is what led to an epic run.
“To my Titans Teammates: I love all y’all. Being a leader and earning y’all respect is what meant most to me. Win or lose we stuck together and backed down from no one.”
• Charles Davis is replacing Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts as the analyst on the No. 2 NFL broadcast team at CBS.
The network announced his hiring on Tuesday. Davis will team with play-by-plan man Ian Eagle and sideline reporter Evan Washburn.
Tennis
NADAL: FOCUS ON NEXT SEASON >> Rafael Nadal said he doubts tennis can be played in 2020 and said the focus should turn to next year.
In an interview with the El Pais newspaper in his native Spain, Nadal said he doesn’t think he’ll have a chance to defend his titles at the French Open and U.S. Open this year.
“I hope we can return before the end of the year but unfortunately, I don’t think so,” said Nadal, who turns 34 next month.
“I would sign up to being ready for 2021. I’m more worried about the Australian Open than what occurs at the end of this year. I think 2020 is practically lost. I hope we can start up again next year, I really hope that’s the case.”
The ATP and WTA tours have been on pause since March because of the coronavirus pandemic. ATP play is scheduled to return July 13 at the Hamburg European Open.
Wimbledon has been canceled, and the French Open was moved from May to a Sept. 20 start date. Sports Illustrated reported recently that the tournament at Roland Garros likely will be rescheduled again to October.
Twelve of Nadal’s 19 Grand Slam championships have come in Paris.
“My feeling and I say it sadly, I won’t lie to you, is that we’re losing a year of our lives. And at 33, 34 years old that is more valuable than at 20 when you have a lot more ahead,” he said.