Dean's Blog: Scattershooting From A Three-Day Weekend

TIDBITS FROM A 3-DAY WEEKEND

ANYONE FOR 3-ON-3?

• An Oklahoma high school talent pool to match anyone. Blake Griffin and Sam Bradford teamed up at AAU basketball events. Bradford starred on junior hockey teams with Robert Streb in OKC as well. These locals are banking some serious coin in the NBA, NFL and PGA Tour, respectively, these days. Griffin from OCS in Edmond; Bradford Putnam City North in OKC; Streb: Edmond North.

STEADY STREB

• Robert Streb had another Top 10 finish yesterday in the PGA Championship. Quietly – as in eerily quietly, the K-State loyalist who has played his share of golf at Oak Tree has amassed some mighty strong numbers: Sixth in Fed Ex Standings, 10th on money list having made $3,647,124 this season on the PGA Tour, and trailing only Jordan Spieth in Top 10 finishes with nine. Bonus points: Where was he born? Chickasha, OK.

TIGER TRACKING

• Tiger was out of it after a 75 on Thursday. He’s averaged shooting 76 in the first round of majors in 2015. Credit him for following through today on his commitment Saturday to play this week for the first time in the Wyndham which is a shorter course that seemingly doesn’t fit his game much. However, it’ll call for shot-making and will allow him to keep his driver in the bag (we’d suggest he ask John Daly to toss it in the nearest body of water) which could result in something positive. He’d need a Top 2 finish to make it to qualify for the Fed Ex. Good luck.

TIGER NEEDS A 12-PACK

• The yips are not out of Tiger’s head. Multiple times at Whistling Straits El Tigre pulled out the Texas wedge and putted from well off the green. It was ugly and it did not work. Here’s Spieth trying to and nearly making a 10 on a 10 scale bunker shot down the stretch Sunday and Tiger pulling out the old wand and lagging like a bunch of gummers out at Lincoln Park. Sad. And not too long ago Tiger could get up and down out of a trash can. With the lid sealed. Come to think of it, give Big Bad John your putter too Tiger. Head to Wyndham with a 12-pack. You don’t need 14-clubs right now. Although maybe I could find the old ‘chipper’ I used to take Westwood National to its knees back in the early 70s. It wouldn’t look worse than the lame lags or the yucky yips. (And just think I’m one of Tiger’s biggest allies! With friends like me, I’d hate to see his enemies!).

KD TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

• Royce Young told us last night on the Blitz that there is no doubt that Kevin Durant will be cleared for full practice several weeks before the Thunder begin official workouts. All signs point to KD’s foot being strong and with the expectation that it will continue to only get stronger for the next year.

HOW LONG IS TOO LONG?

• Finally, I so enjoyed watching darn near every single shot of the PGA Championship (yes, early morning ‘marquee group’ viewing, too). But I’m not sure that seeing Bubba hit a drive that rolled over a 420-yard par-4 or Jason Day hitting a 382-yard drive leading to a 164-yard wedge onto the par-five 11^th is good for the game of golf. I mentioned recently that former OSU star Kevin Tway is playing out of the Bear’s Club in Florida and routinely hitting drives of over 370 yards.

Thanks for checking in! DB