Now, less than four months later, the 2020 Masters champion has announced he’s resigned his membership. Kevin Na did the same on June 4.
Due to this move, Johnson will not be eligible to play on the Tour on a weekly basis, however, major championships may still be on the table. The Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, on the other hand, are not. A player must be a member of the PGA Tour to be eligible for a roster spot, and since the two-time major champion is no longer a member, his days playing for the United States are over.
At least for now.
Here are Johnson’s full comments on the matter at his LIV Golf press conference.
BREAKING🚨: Dustin Johnson RESIGNS from the PGA Tour
Only time will tell if the players who committed to playing in London this week will be allowed to play in major championships. They’re a separate entity from the Tour and can function however they see fit.
Johnson is currently exempt from all four majors.
The now No. 15-ranked player in the world hasn’t won on Tour since 2020 (Masters). His last worldwide win came in 2021 at the Saudi International. In nine stroke-play event starts this season, Johnson has just one top 10 (Players Championship, T-9).
Philadelphia 76ers president of business operations, Chris Heck, is stepping down after nine seasons with the team.
The Philadelphia 76ers are officially in offseason mode as they prepare to make moves in the summer that will help them when they return in the 2022-23 season. While the front office continues to try and make moves that will help them on the court, they found out on Tuesday that their president was resigning.
Chris Heck, who joined the Sixers in 2013 and has been their president of business operations since 2017, will resign after nine seasons on the job, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Heck oversaw operations such as Twitter, Instagram, and the team’s radio partnership with 97.5 The Fanatic.
Heck told Pompey:
“It’s time,” Heck said. “I’ve kind of done everything I set out to do except for maybe organize an [NBA championship] parade. I’m really happy with what we accomplished during the time period, but it’s on to the next chapter.”
“I made this decision back in February,” he said.
This comes after the Sixers had hired a new CEO in Tad Brown after Scott O’Neil stepped down in the summer of 2021. Heck had joined the team at the same time as O’Neil before overseeing business operations in 2017.
If you’re asking Bleacher Report about the Buffalo Bills and their punter situation, their answer is clear: Matt Araiza is the man for the job.
The “Punt God” was selected by Buffalo at the 2022 NFL draft in the sixth round. Arazia won’t have a job handed to him with the Bills as he’ll enter a training camp battle with incumbent Matt Haack.
But Araiza is clearly the one B/R thinks will win that position because he was named on one of the outlet’s recent lists. B/R named one “surprise rookie gem” for each NFL team and Araiza was the choice.
Here’s the breakdown:
How could we not include the Punt God? The Buffalo Bills snatched up Matt Araiza with the first pick in the sixth round. Shockingly, the San Diego State product wasn’t the first punter taken despite his ability to boom kicks over 80 yards.
He likely won’t often see the field as a rookie. After all, Buffalo tied for the sixth-fewest punts in the league last year with 53. Nevertheless, the Bills upgraded from Matt Haack to Araiza.
His rare ability to flip the field may lack polish of punters who are masters of pinning offenses inside their 10-yard line, but the dynamic he brings is so much more valuable. Araiza can force opposing offenses to travel an extra 10 or more yards on every punt from within their 30-yard line. No other team has that luxury.
What can make him a surprise is the actual impact that occasional punts can bring. Unsurprisingly, the farther an offense has to travel to score, the less likely they are to do so. Even a 5 percent improvement in Buffalo’s scoring defense last year may have been the difference between advancing to the Super Bowl and losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round.
Araiza comes to Buffalo will the kicking skills, that’s known. But the one thing he must improve has nothing to do with that.
In college, Araiza was a punter and place kicker. Because of that, he didn’t hold. If Araiza can master that this offseason, he has a good chance to take the job from Haack.
In his own right, Haack does have the NFL experience on Araiza. However, he struggled in his first season in Buffalo in 2021. So much so, the Bills restructured his deal which included a pay cut this spring.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk said she’ll he “violent, but smart” in her anticipated UFC 275 rematch with Zhang Weili.
SINGAPORE – [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] insists she’s at her best going into Saturday’s UFC 275 rematch with Zhang Weili. Now it’s just time to produce a performance that aligns with that feeling.
Jedrzejczyk (21-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC), a former longtime UFC strawweight champion, returns to the octagon after more than two years this weekend when she runs it back with Weili (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in the featured bout on the pay-per-view main card at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The last time Jedrzejczyk stepped into the cage was UFC 248 in March 2020, when she lost a split decision to Weili in an all-time classic Fight of the Year. The time off has been beneficial, Jedrzejczyk said, because she got many of her personal affairs in order, received a new UFC contract with a pay upgrade, and got to come back to a matchup she wanted.
“It was my personal decision to not fight,” Jedrzejczyk told MMA Junkie. “The first break I took was after the fight with Valentina Shevchenko. I needed that. When I was the UFC champ, I was fighting very often. I was very active. One of the reasons I took a longer break was the time for myself. We don’t have the balance between the private life and the business and sports life. Then there was no fans at the arena and for me, there is no sport, any sport, without fans. I’m happy I can perform in front of thousands of people in the arena or watching TV.”
As Jedrzejczyk has taken time off, Weili has remained slightly more active. She had a pair of UFC title fights against Rose Namajunas that didn’t go her way, and now Weili goes from being on a 21-fight unbeaten streak when she first fought Jedrzejczyk, to now being on a two-fight losing skid.
It’s hard to know exactly what those numbers mean in the grand scheme, but Jedrzejczyk is of the opinion that Weili has lost a step – however minor it may be.
“I think that she’s not the same after our first fight,” Jedrzejczyk said. “Of course I lost, but she’s not the same. But she’s still one of the most dangerous in the division. It’s going to be a hell of a fight.”
[lawrence-related id=2551061,2545954]
When Jedrzejczyk and Weili first went to battle 27 months ago, it was a grueling five-round fight with a championship on the line. This time, however, there is no gold up for grabs, and the fight is only scheduled for three rounds.
JÄ™drzejczyk is known as one of the most high-paced and high-output fighters in the sport, and it’s rare that she fights for only 15 minutes. Because of this, she expects to be able to push even harder than usual.
“I just have to put the gas pedal down and be first, violent, but smart from the first seconds of the fight,” Jedrzejczyk said. “There is no time to be wasted in this fight, so we have to play my game from the first seconds of the fight.”
Although the expectations are for Jedrzejczyk and Weili to put on a repeat of their memorable first meeting, the Polish fighter said her mindset going into UFC 275 is geared toward dominance.
“It’s going to be medical procedure,” Jedrzejczyk said. “I’m going to be the best surgeon and I will pick the right tools and use them at the right time. Sharp.”
Hardy, the former No. 3 prospect, averaged 19.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season with the Ignite.
Projected first-round pick Jaden Hardy will be among the prospects to participate in a pre-draft workout with the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, the team announced.
Hardy, the former No. 3 prospect, averaged 19.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 37.6% shooting from the field in 25 games last season with the NBA G League Ignite. He recently called himself the top prospect in the draft this year.
The 6-foot-4 guard entered the season widely projected to be a top-five pick but is now considered a late first-round selection. He slipped on draft boards due to a variety of issues, such as his shooting, but is confident he can contribute at the next level.
In addition to Hardy, the Wizards will also host Florida guard Phlandrous Fleming Jr., Florida State guard Anthony Polite, West Virginia guard Taz Sherman, UC Irvine forward Collin Welp and UConn forward Isaiah Whaley on Tuesday.
The Wizards enter the draft with the 10th pick in the first round and the 54th pick in the second round, respectively. They have hosted workouts with several prospects of late, including Johnny Davis, Dyson Daniels and Tari Eason among others.
Duren was named the AAC Freshman of the Year after posting 12 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.3 assists in 29 games. He became the fourth freshman since the 2010-11 season to record 20 points, 19 rebounds and five blocked shots in a game on Nov. 19.
The 6-foot-11 center is widely projected to be a lottery pick this year after emerging as a force inside the paint. He has the size to immediately make the jump to the NBA and hold his own against bigger competition while boasting a 7-foot-5 wingspan.
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) June 6, 2022
The Trail Blazers enter the NBA draft with the seventh pick, but are heavily rumored to want to trade it to acquire players that can help them win now. However, they have also been linked to several prospects in their range, including Duren.
Portland will be among the teams to watch in the coming weeks that could be busy on draft night. The organization wants to build a competitive roster around Damian Lillard and figures to be active in those discussions.
UCLA junior Johnny Juzang was among the prospects that worked out with the Lakers on Monday.
UCLA junior Johnny Juzang was among the prospects to participate in a pre-draft workout with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, the team announced.
Juzang, who was named to the first-team All-Pac 12, averaged 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 36% shooting from 3-point range in 30 games. He led the Bruins in scoring and finished in double figures in all but five games; he had eight 20-point performances.
The 6-foot-7 guard was among the prospects that competed in the draft combine last month in Chicago, Illinois. He is considered to be a potential second-round pick this year and has also worked out with the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz among other teams.
In addition to Juzang, the Lakers also hosted Georgia Tech guard Michael Devoe, Louisiana Tech forward Kenneth Lofton Jr., Kansas guard Remy Martin, Villanova forward Jermaine Samuels and Haowen Guo of the Shanghai Sharks on Monday.
The Lakers enter the pre-draft process with no picks in either round. The team dealt its first-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans in the trade involving Anthony Davis. Its second-round selection was sent to the Washington Wizards in a cap-clearing move.
Despite having no draft picks, the Lakers will still do their due diligence on those fringe prospects that could go undrafted. The team could acquire picks to take a prospect or sign him outright in free agency after the draft.
The latest mock draft has the Philadelphia 76ers selecting LSU forward, Tari Eason.
The 2022 NBA draft is set for June 23 at the Barclays Center and the Philadelphia 76ers will hold the No. 23 pick in the draft after the Brooklyn Nets decided to defer the pick they acquired in the James Harden deal to 2023.
The Sixers could, of course, trade that pick in a deal that could maybe get Tobias Harris off the books before free agency begins at the end of June, but at the moment, they hold that pick and now it’s time to look at some mock draft options.
Philadelphia could use a guy who can knock down an open triple while also being an all-around player in terms of defending and attacking the glass. Somebody like LSU’s Tari Eason is somebody who makes a lot of sense at No. 23.
The Nets chose to defer their rights to this pick and send it to the 76ers, instead obtaining Philadelphia’s unprotected first-rounder in 2023, which immediately becomes a pretty interesting trade chip for Brooklyn. Considering Daryl Morey’s historical distaste for using draft picks, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Philly try and flip this one. That said, Eason would be a pretty interesting option here, considering his analytics-friendly production and his potential fit as a big, rangy defender. Eason is a bit of a work in progress despite already being 21, and he’s an acquired taste amongst teams, but this could be a sensible landing spot. Eason’s basketball IQ is a bit suspect, and he’s foul-prone and an average shooter, but if he can iron those things out he should be able to help a team.
[pickup_prop id=”25243″]
Eason shot 35.9% from deep on 2.4 attempts as a sophomore at LSU while averaging 16.9 points and 6.6 rebounds. Standing at 6-foot-8, Eason does tick off a lot of boxes for the Sixers and that is something that Morey and the rest of the front office will have to look into as they all move forward with building this team.
The UFC heads to Singapore for its sixth pay-per-view of the year, which means the “Embedded” video series is back behind the scenes.
The UFC heads to Singapore on Saturday for its sixth pay-per-view of the year, which means the “Embedded” fight-week video series is back to document what’s happening behind the scenes.
UFC 275 takes place at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
UFC 275 features a title-fight doubleheader. In the main event, [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] (33-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) meets [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] (28-3-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC). The co-main event will see women’s flyeight champ [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) meet contender [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC).
Additionally, a pair of former strawweight title holders run it back as [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in a rematch of their 2020 FOTY.
The first episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:
Champ Valentina Shevchenko gets settled and sight-sees in Singapore. Joanna Jedrzejczyk weathers travel woes. Champ Glover Teixeira and challenger Jiri Prochazka adjust to the time and date difference. UFC 275 is on Saturday, June 11.
Watch the episode in the video above and be on the lookout for more throughout fight week.
