June 20, 2026 Issue, Page 3 of 10

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SPORTS The Elk City News SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2026 • 3 Xander Mercurius Jaxon Willits Jason Walk Dasan Harris Cord Rager - OU Freshman Pitcher Brendan Brock Sooners at College World Series By Alex Alvarez Lower Bracket: Oklahoma, Ala- the world, and win more national a massive four-run eighth inning. bama, Georgia and Texas. championships, we are now follow- The offensive standouts NCAA WORLD SERIES OF In the first round, Oklahoma ing the Oklahoma Sooners in the and critical moments from BASEBALL beat Alabama 9-0, and Geor- NCAA World Series. the matchup included: Deiten Upper Bracket: West Virginia, gia beat Texas 7-1. In the second The Sooners made the final field Lachance (Catcher): Hit a home Troy, North Carolina and Ole Miss. round, Oklahoma beat Geogia of eight by eliminating the Kansas run in the sixth inning to get the In the first round, West Virginia 4-3 in a thrilling game earning the Jayhawks in two games, 8-1 and 13- Sooners on the board and post- beat Troy 7-5 and North Carolina Sooners a place in the finals of the 2, and as we described above, they ed a team-best 16th multi-RBI beat Ole Miss 6-2. In the second Lower Bracket. are in the finals of their bracket, game for the season; Dasan Har- round, North Carolina beat West In the elimination bracket, Tex- with one win away from getting to ris (Right Fielder) delivered a Catcher Deiten Lachance Virginia earning a place in the Up- as beat Alabama by a score of 14-2 the championship finals. key two-run single in the eighth per bracket finals. and will their game against Georgia In the first round, pitching for inning to score Jaxon Willits and safely, extending his impressive ing solo home runs. Earlier in the Meanwhile, in the elimination was scheduled late on Tuesday and the Sooners was freshman Cord Brendan Brock; Jaxon Willits reached-base streak to 18 games. game, leadoff hitter Jason Walk bracket, Troy beat Ole Miss 12-8 don’t have the result. The loser was Rager who pitched 7 innings al- (Shortstop) contributed heavily In the second round, the win- sparked the offense with a double, and eliminated them, earning a eliminated and the winner will play lowing only 3 hits and striking out to the eighth-inning rally with ning pitcher was freshman right and Deiten LaChance drove in an place in the elimination bracket the Oklahoma Sooners in the finals 8 players, walking none. On the an RBI single; Brendan Brock hander Xander Mercurius who early run during a decisive three- against West Virginia on Tuesday of the Lower Bracket. offensive side, the standout hitters (Left Fielder) sparked the late- pitched 7 and 1/3 innings with a run first inning. afternoon. The winner was West Just as all of Oklahoma has been were Deiten Lachance, who hit a game offense with an RBI double career high 9 strikeouts. The save The elimination game of Texas Virginia by a score of 12-0, and will interested in the College World crucial two-run home run, and in the eighth; Jason Walk (Cen- belonged to Jackson Cleveland. Jax- vs Georgia on Tuesday night was face North Carolina in the finals of Series of softball and expect the Dasan Harris, who broke the game ter Fielder): Kept the pressure on Willits and Brendan Brock were after our deadline so results will be the Upper Bracket. Sooners to come back to the top of open with a two-run single during on Alabama by reaching base the top Sooners at bat each smash- published next week. Professional Individual Sports By Alex Alvarez the #1 amateur in the world in the 10 finishes; he was in the top 100 in es, but it was all worth it when last LPGA: DOW TEAM with South Koreans Jin Hee Im and first round, a man by the name of the Official World Golf Ranking by week, he won the RBC Canadian CHAMPIONSHIP Somi Lee. BUD CAULY MAKES Rickie Fowler! the end of July of that year. Open for his first PGA Tour victory. Nelly Korda made the news for The LPGA will play the Meijer NATIONAL OPEN HIS FIRST When he turned professional, He was on his way to success, or All of this in his 239th start! You’re the wrong reason during the third LPGA Classic for Simply Give in WIN electing to not finish college in his was he? talking about someone who never round of the DOW Team Champi- Belmont MI at the Blythefield C.C. Home Schooled Bud Cauley was senior year in 2011 as he qualified Then came the hard times. Be- gave up! onship, paired with Olivia Cowan opposite to the U.S. Open. an outstanding junior (ranked top 5 for the U.S. Open, making the cut tween 2013 and 2018 he played Bud had rounds of 69-63-66-65 from Germany, after an outstanding in the USA and top 15 in the world) and finishing 63rd. and guarantee- between the Korn Ferry and PGA for 17 under par to beat Matt Fitz- round of 60 in the second round, the TENNIS: STUTTGART OPEN and amateur player in the early ing a bypass to the second stage of Q Tour, earning a few dollars here patrick by two after Matt finished team shot a six over par 76 and fell Two Americans who had early 2000’s. As a junior golfer he was School.[4] Cauley made seven cuts and there, and in June 2018, Cauley with a 64, In third was Victor Hov- out of contention, eventually scor- exits in the Franch Open, played a member of the 2006 Junior Ry- in eight PGA Tour starts that year, suffered five broken ribs, a broken land at -14. Four players finished at ing a 66 to finish in a tie for 17th. the final of the Stuttgart Open, Ben der Cup and the 2008 USA’s Junior including a T4 at the Viking Clas- left leg and a collapsed lung in car -13: Jimmy Stanger, Brice Garnett, In first place was the American Shelton and Taylor Fritz, with Ben World Championships team, and sic and solo third at the Frys.com crash in Dublin, Ohio. In October Jesper Svensson and Jackson Suber. pair of Gina Kim and Yana Wilson Shelton winning 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Ben in 2009, he represented the United Open, earning a total of $735,150. 2018, Cauley returned to golf and Three players finished at -12: Al- who finished at -17 for the tourna- eliminated Jiri Lehecka in the semis States in the Walker Cup, achieving He finished the equivalent of 116th he played some events over the next drich Potgieter, Ryan Fox and the ment and two ahead of the South by a score of 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 and Taylor a a 3-0 record during those matches. on the 2011 money list, joining Gary two years. However, he developed best Canadian in the tournament Korean team of Hye-Jin Choi and eliminated Alexander Bublick 6-4, In 2008, he won the Players Am- Hallberg, Scott Verplank, Phil medical complications in Septem- this year, lefty Sudarshan Yellamara- Hyo Yoo Kim who were leading the 6-4. ateur and in 2009, as a Crimson Mickelson, Justin Leonard, Ryan ber 2020. He did not play profes- ju. Of these players, Aldrich and tournament after 54 holes, but the It was Ben’s sixth career victory. Tide player, he was the Sout Eastern Moore, and Tiger Woods as those sionally until a Korn Ferry Tour Jesper did not make the field in the Americans shot 62 to the South Ko- Taylor has 10 career victories. Conference freshman played of the who avoided Q school and went event in January 2024, mostly on U.S. Open. rean’s of 65. Sources: ESPN, MSN Sports, PGA year. He qualified for the 2009 and directly to the PGA Tour after col- a medical exemption, playing very Tied for 3rd were two teams, Tour, Wikipedia.org, Google, On- 2010 U.S. Amateur, where he beat lege. In 2012, Cauley had four top- well and having some high finish- Americans Lilia Vu and Allison Lee Line media sports. Professional Team Sports By Alex Alvarez games, the Spurs would host four fifth game of the series by a score of disappear in the fourth quarter Knicks make the finals, the first one by scores of 5-3, 4-2 and 3-0, to win of the games). But, against all odds, 94-90. went crazy the other way! in 1951, and the last time before this the series 4-2. The last game was in WE HAVE WINNERS IN THE the Knicks won the first two games The last two games were a “come In the final game, in the air con- year was 1999 and when they lost Las Vegas who won the Stanley Cup NBA AND NHL PLAYOFF on the road, taking a 2-0 advantage from behind” wins by the Knicks, ditioned arena while everyone else to the Spurs in five games as well. once, in the finals of 2023 against CHAMPIOSHIPS coming to their two consecutive especially the fourth game when outside was sweating in 90+ de- It was their third championship the Florida Panthers. NBA: Against all odds, the New games at home at the Madison they were as far behind as 29 points. grees in the evening, the Spurs took (1970, 1973 and 2026). The Spurs It’s kind of hard to believe that York Knicks beat the San Antonio Square Garden. The Spurs won a No other team had ever come back an early lead, but could not close have won five times, the last one in teams from as far south as Florida Spurs in the NBA Finals in five close game to make the series 2-1 from 29 points down, and with only the deal even after a 16-point lead 2014. and even Las Vegas, are competi- games, while the Carolina Hurri- in favor of the Knicks, giving a little 1.2 seconds left in the clock, Jale at one time. But Jalen Brunson and NHL: The Carolina Hurricanes tive in the Stanley Cup with Florida canes won the Stanley Cup in six light to the curse of no-team who Brunson attempted a three pointer the team had other plans, being pa- won their second ever Stanley Cup teams winning four times, North games against the Las Vegas Gold- lost the first two games at home has to get ahead by two points, but it tient and playing great basketball by defeating the Las Vegas Golden Carolina, St Louis, Vegas and Los en Knights. ever won the NBA Championship, hit the rim, however, OG Anunoby overcame the deficit and won by Knights in six games of the best of Angeles each once. Since the San Antonio Spurs had but, it wasn’t to be, as the Knicks jumped to tip the rebound into the four. Jalen Bruson ended up with seven series. NOW FOR THE NEXT TWO the best record between them and won game four to take a very strong basket for a one point win. You can a record high of 45 points for the The Golden Knights took a 2-1 WEEKS, WE WILL WATCH the Knicks, they hosted the first two advantage of 3-1 coming to play the tell that New York went crazy happy Knicks and won, by far, MVP hon- game lead after 5-4 victory on game “FUTBOL” aka “SOCCER” games, having an edge on home ad- next game at the Frost Bank Center and that San Antonio fans watching ors in the Championship series. three, but the Carolina Hurricanes Sources: ESPN, GOOGLE, vantage (if the series went to seven in San Antonio, where they lost the the game, and a lead of 29 points It was the ninth time that the took the next three games in a row SPORTS CHANNELS. Sports Tidbits U.S. Open By Alex Alvarez As a golfer myself, I have always Two players won the U.S. Open By Alex Alvarez Kudos to Sooner pitchers, Cord Brooks Kopeka, who withdrew been interested in golf’s majors. I as their first professional win, but Rage (a freshman! 7 innings, 3 hits, from the last round of the Canadi- By the time you read this col- can’t remember a time when I did they also won much afterwards: MLB BASEBALL 0 walks in first game) and Xander an Open due to a left hand injury, is umn, the U.S. Open has been tak- not watch the last two rounds of Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino. The Milwaukee Brewers’ 24-year- Mercurius (Winner 2nd game of on site at Shinnecock Hills, where ing place at famous Shinnecock a major since the early 70’s. I was Jack won the 1962 U.S. Open at old right-hander pitched the game world series) he won the U.S. Open in 2018. Will Hills just outside New York City. a golf history addict. I wanted Oakmont C.C. literally on the of the season, of the decade, maybe he repeat or even play? This year, several players in the players to set records. I was lucky backyard of the king, Arnold the game for all decades: a one-hit NBA & WNBA You can’t win them all! Nelly field of this major golf tourna- enough to grow up in the late 60’s Palmer. Not only did he win it shutout with 15 strikeouts while Good guys can come on top! Korda and German partner Olivia ment are of interest to Oklahoma, and saw the growth of golf with in Arnie’s backyard, he won it in throwing just 95 pitches and facing Jalen Brunson, who won the MVP Cowan finished in a tie for 17th af- and one specifically, of interest to players like Arnold Palmer and a playoff against the king him- the minimum 27 batters. Kudos to and played as clean basketball as ter a six over par third round in the Elk City. Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player self after they both tied after 72 Jacob Misiorowsky! anyone can play while playing Dow Team Championship. We are all anxious to find out and Billy Casper, and then Lee holes. And Lee Trevino won the Misiorowsky became the third tough, wins MVP while Victor No one has shot better than four how several amateurs do, as in Trevino and Tom Watson, and 1968 U.S. Open at Oak Hill C.C. pitcher since 1900 with at least 15 Wembanyama was the “bad boy” under par (Retief Goosen in 2004) modern times, it is so difficult for then…. Tiger: so far, no one like becoming the first player ever to strikeouts and no more than one with a big mouth, always playing at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock amateurs to make the cut in the Tiger for the Gen-Z, but I wish score all four rounds in the 60’s. baserunner allowed in a shutout, kind of dirty. Will he learn to be Hills after 72 holes. Course record U.S. Open, as the host courses are that they would learn why Tiger For many years, if you tied after matching Clayton Kershaw in his a better all around player without is 63 by Tommy Fleetwood in the nothing anyone has ever seen, es- became Tiger. It was phenomenal 72 holes, you had a Monday play- no-hitter in 2014 (he struck out 15 dirty plays? final round of the 2018 champion- pecially amateurs: hard fairways to watch them play live, but Tiger off of 18 holes and if tie persisted, with only an error ruining his per- Caitlin Clark continues to be the ship. Will Tommy be in conten- and greens difficult to hit and very was always gunning for the record then it was sudden death. This fect game) and Max Scherzer in his attraction in the WNBA. She plays, tion? fast greens. Ryder Cowan, Ethan of one man: Jack Nicklaus. It nev- has happened three times and all no-hitter on the final weekend of and the tickets sell better than Fang, Eric Lee and Preston Stout. er happened. But again, compe- three were decided on Monday’s the 2015 season (17 strikeouts, with when she doesn’t by at least 25%! TENNIS Ryder plays for the University of tition has become so strong that 19th hole: only an error blemishing a perfect Why are some players so jealous if Lefty player Ben Shelton contin- Oklahoma, while Etham Preston just about anyone can win week 1990 at Medinah C.C. when game). In an era of multiple pitch- she is making them more money? ues to climb in the rankings, and and Eric play for the Cowboys in and week out and it is difficult Hale Irwin beat Mike Donald in ers per game, it was great! best compatriot Taylor Fritz in the at Oklahoma State University. to have repeat winners like Tiger the first sudden death playoff hole GOLF Stuttgart Open. He can be the next The first three earned their spot and Jack. after they tied after the scheduled COLLEGE BASEBALL Bud Cauley becomes the newest Jimmy Connors! the hard way: through Sectional There is always a rarity in 18 holes playoff. The Oklahoma Sooner base- first-time winner of the PGA Tour In massive blockbuster news, Qualifying, and Preston earned sports: in the history of the U.S. 1994 at Oakmont C.C. when ball team has made it to the Col- by winning a national champion- 44-year-old Serena Williams has his spot by winning the NCAA Open, from the 50’s to now, only Ernie Els defeated Loren Roberts lege World Series and doing well ship: he won the Canadian Open officially returned to professional Individual Championship in May one player has won the U.S. Open in 19 holes (Colin Montgomery by winning their opening game in his 239th start! Cauley had some tennis and was granted a doubles of 2026. We all hope to see all four and no other tournaments at all: had been eliminated after the against #1 Alabama 9-0 and win- injury related setbacks that gave wildcard at Wimbledon to play names on Saturday’s tee time list! Orville Moody who won the U.S. original 18 holes playoff ) ning 4-3 against Georgia in the him a medical exemption in ’25 alongside her sister Venus. DON’T Of course, we’d also like to see Open in 1969 at the Champions 2008 at Torrey Pines G.C. when second game. The Bulldogs were and ’26 that he took advantage of COUNT THEM OUT! Rickie Fowler and Chris Gotterup Golf Club in Houston, TX. He #3 in the nation before the World by having some top 10’s before this Sources ESPN , Google, MSN in that list. never won anything else. See OPEN page 7 Series. great life-changing win! Sports, On-Line, local