Connect with us

Detroit, MI

Charlie Woods can’t measure up as U.S. Junior Amateur shifts to match play

Published

on

Charlie Woods can’t measure up as U.S. Junior Amateur shifts to match play


Bloomfield Township — Charlie Woods’ round was long, and his exit was fast.

Woods, the 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods, struggled again Tuesday at Oakland Hills Country Club and missed the cut by a wide margin in his biggest tournament to date, the U.S. Junior Amateur.

Woods made two double-bogeys and a triple-bogey on his opening nine holes on the historic South Course, and posted a second-round 80 to finish the stroke-play portion of the United States Golf Association championship at 22 over par. He beat just 17 players in the 264-player field. Playing in front of the largest galleries on the course over his two days, including his famous father, who walked every step of the way over 36 holes, Woods missed the cut by 14 strokes. Tuesday’s round lasted more than 6 hours, because of a lengthy thunderstorm delay.

Following his round, Charlie Woods signed his scorecard and took photos with his playing partners, before jumping on the back of a waiting security cart, with Tiger Woods seated in the front. The cart, surrounding by more than a half-dozen police officers, peeled away and whisked the duo to their waiting SUV, which departed the parking lot within moments. Neither signed autographs nor spoke to the media, though they brought a lot of buzz to the tournament.

Advertisement

The tournament now moves into the match-play portion, starting Wednesday — though there’s work to do first. There will be a playoff in the morning, with 13 players competing for the final nine spots in the 64-player bracket. One of those players at 4 over par is Ann Arbor Skyline golfer Ieaun Jones.

Jones, 18, shot consecutive 72s, including Tuesday’s on the North Course, where he struck the well, but struggled on the greens. Jones missed a short birdie putt on No. 7, his 16th hole, but made a long one on No. 8, his 17th hole, to get inside the cut line for the playoff. The birdie on No. 8 snapped a string of nine consecutive pars.

“It was pretty frustrating, to be honest,” Jones said. “I had a lot of looks. I was hitting the ball great today. There’s not much you can do on the greens other than make the best strokes.

“I can definitely compete with the best. I hit it so good. And I was able to putt really poorly and still have a chance to make it tomorrow.

“We’ll see what happens.”

Advertisement

Making match play is most players’ goals entering the U.S. Junior Amateur, because from there, anything can happen.

The bracket will be finalized at the conclusion of the playoff, with the first round of match play set for Wednesday, two rounds Thursday, the quarterfinals and semifinals Friday, and the 36-hole championship match Saturday. The South Course will be used exclusively from here on out.

Jones is one of three Michigan men in the field, and the only one who can make mach play.

Lake Orion’s Connor Fox, 17, who go in by winning the Michigan Junior Amateur, finished 18 over par after a second-round 83 on the North Course that included a quadruple-bogey 9 on his second nine. With a dozen or more family members and friends watching, Fox didn’t play nearly as well as he wanted, but the Michigan State commitment learned a lot about what it takes to compete on his stage.

He also gets the memory of hitting the tournament’s first tee shot, Monday morning.

Advertisement

“I’ll remember that forever. I’ll never forget,” Fox said. “I’ve got four different angles of the video saved on my phone.”

Coldwater’s Ryker Ferguson, 18, who got into this week’s tournament as an alternate out of the qualifier at the Country Club of Lansing when another participant had to pull out because of the global travel issues, finished 30 over after a second-round 81 on the North Course.

To start the week, there were seven players in the field who were ranked in the top 120 of the world golf amateur rankings, and six of them advanced to match play.

That includes medalist Blades Brown (No. 103), a 16-year-old from Tennessee who was 6 under in stroke play, shooting a 2-under 68 on the South Course on Tuesday. Runner-up was Tyler Watts (No. 119), a 15-year-old from Alabama, who was at 5 under after a par-70 on the South. Also making the cut was 15-year-old Florida phenom Miles Russell (No. 116), the little left-hander who competed in last month’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, the PGA Tour stop in Detroit. Russell was 1 under after a 1-over 71 on the South Course, where he began his round with four birdies in his first five holes.

Not ranked is Mack Edwards, who tied for third in stroke play at 4 under, after a 70 on the North Course on Tuesday. The North Carolina 17-year-old, who opened Tuesday’s round with a bogey and double-bogey before righting the ship, might’ve surprised everyone but himself.

Advertisement

“Look, sure, I haven’t had the resume of Blades Brown and Tyler Watts, but hopefully this is the start of something good,” said Edwards, who walked off his final hole Tuesday afternoon with a big fist-pump after making a 5-footer for par. “I feel like I’ve played some pretty solid golf in the recent months, and it’s feeling good now. And if I can go out and play like this on these golf courses, it’s definitely a confidence boost.”

Edwards tied for third at 4 under with New Zealand’s Joshua Bai, 18, who was last year’s runner-up.

Also at 4 under was Lev Grinberg, a 16-year-old who was born in Ukraine, and Chase Kyes, an 18-year-old from Alabama who made the Sweet 16 in last year’s U.S. Amateur, before losing to eventual champion Bryan Kim.

The 2023 experience or Kyes certainly helped prepare him for the pressure cooker that is major-championship golf, but it probably still didn’t prepare him for what he’s experienced this week. He made match play while playing his stroke-play rounds with Charlie Woods, and in front of Tiger Woods and a big, old gallery.

“I’ve never played in front of a crowd like that before,” said Kyes, whose dad, Ryan, was Mr. Baseball in Michigan in 1997, posing a .551 career batting average at Detroit Country Day. “But it was a great experience. Good for my future.”

Advertisement

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984



Source link

Detroit, MI

Tarik Skubal, Tigers can’t agree on 2026 salary. Here’s what happens

Published

on

Tarik Skubal, Tigers can’t agree on 2026 salary. Here’s what happens


play

The Detroit Tigers and left-hander Tarik Skubal did not agree to terms on a one-year contract for the 2026 season before the 8 p.m. deadline Thursday, Jan. 8, to exchange salary figures in the arbitration process.

Skubal filed at $32 million; the Tigers filed at $19 million.

Advertisement

It’s a difference of $13 million.

An arbitration panel will review the case during a hearing scheduled for late January or early to mid-February. The arbitrators must determine whether Skubal is worth more or less than the $25.5 million midpoint. If he’s worth more, they will select his $32 million proposal; if less, they will select the Tigers’ $19 million proposal. The panel isn’t allowed to choose a salary in between $19 million and $32 million.

Advertisement

The Tigers operate as a file-and-trial club in salary arbitration under president of baseball operations Scott Harris, meaning there won’t be further negotiations with Skubal regarding a one-year contract. A multi-year contract could still be negotiated, but it’s highly unlikely.

Skubal – represented by agent Scott Boras – reaches free agency after the 2026 season. The 29-year-old is positioned to become the first pitcher in MLB history to receive a $400 million contract.

If the two sides were to reach an agreement before a hearing, it would likely be a one-year contract with a player option, thus maintaining Skubal’s path to free agency in the 2026-27 offseason.

The reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to receive $17.8 million in his third and final year of salary arbitration. He previously earned $2.65 million in 2024, then $10.15 million in 2025.

Advertisement

Why couldn’t the Tigers and Skubal agree on a salary for 2026?

The arbitration case for Skubal is unusually complex, thanks to a rarely used provision highlighted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Because Skubal has more than five years of MLB service time, he isn’t limited to comparing himself only to past arbitration-eligible players. Instead, he can compare himself to any player in baseball.

Those unique rights allow Skubal – who has five years, 114 days of service time – to point to MLB’s highest-paid pitchers (such as Max Scherzer’s $43.3 million per year from 2022-24 or Zack Wheeler’s $42 million per year from 2025-27), arguing that his elite performance warrants a salary in that range – not in the $17.8 million range, as projected by MLB Trade Rumors.

Advertisement

That’s what pushed the Tigers and Skubal to an arbitration hearing.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

The current record for the largest one-year arbitration contract belongs to outfielder Juan Soto, who agreed to $31 million with the New York Yankees for the 2024 season.

If Skubal wins the arbitration hearing, he will surpass Soto and claim the new record with his proposed $32 million salary. If Skubal loses, then he will earn the $19 million salary proposed by the Tigers.

There are two other arbitration records on the line.

Advertisement

The highest-paid arbitration-eligible pitcher belongs to right-hander David Price, who earned $19.75 million with the Tigers in 2015 – his fourth year in the arbitration process as a Super Two qualifier. The largest raise for an arbitration-eligible pitcher belongs to right-hander Jacob deGrom, who surged from $7.4 million to $17 million – an increase of $9.6 million – with the New York Mets in 2019.

Those records for pitchers will belong to Skubal – but only if his proposed $32 million salary is selected by the arbitration panel. He will fall just short of the records if the panel selects the Tigers’ proposed $19 million.

Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball.

More notably, he is on a Hall of Fame trajectory.

In 2025, Skubal registered a 2.21 ERA with 33 walks (4.4% walk rate) and 241 strikeouts (32.2% strikeout rate) across 195⅓ innings in 31 starts. He made the All-Star Game for the second time in his six-year MLB career.

Advertisement

Skubal became the first back-to-back AL Cy Young winner since right-hander Pedro Martínez in 1999-2000, leading the AL with a 2.39 ERA in 2024 and a 2.21 ERA in 2025.

The Tigers haven’t been to an arbitration hearing since right-hander Michael Fulmer in 2019.

Fulmer lost the case, receiving the Tigers’ proposed $2.8 million salary rather than his requested $3.4 million. Before that hearing, the Tigers hadn’t participated in an arbitration hearing since 2001 – and the Tigers haven’t lost a case since 2000.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon during the season and Tuesday afternoon during the offseason on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Detroit, MI

Former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher is Rockies’ first signing of winter

Published

on

Former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher is Rockies’ first signing of winter


DETROIT — Former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen has signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Colorado Rockies.

It’s the first signing of the offseason for the Rockies under new president Paul DePodesta. The deal includes a $9 million club option for 2027.

It’s the fifth straight winter that Lorenzen has signed a one-year deal following a seven-season tenure with the Cincinnati Reds.

Lorenzen, who turned 34 this week, signed a free-agent deal with the Tigers before the 2023 season. He made 18 starts and was selected for his first appearance in the All-Star Game before being dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline for infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee.

Advertisement

After a strong start with his new team that included a no-hitter, Lorenzen was moved to the bullpen and pitched sparingly in the postseason.

He found a quiet reception on the free-agent market, agreeing to a discounted one-year deal with the Texas Rangers before the 2024 season. He was traded to the Royals at the deadline and pitched well down the stretch, going 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in 28 2/3 innings with his new team.

He re-signed with the Royals in 2025 and put together another solid season, posting a 4.64 ERA in 141 innings with 127 strikeouts and 39 walks.

Colorado is known as an unforgiving home for pitchers, and the Rockies lost a league-worst 119 games in 2025.

Latest Detroit Tigers News

  • Detroit Tigers sign veteran journeyman to minor-league deal
  • Tigers continue stocking up on pitchers: minor-league signings
  • Former Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A hurler signs with Red Sox
  • Detroit Tigers trade Justyn-Henry Malloy to Rays
  • Tigers announcer in line for top job with NBC: report



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Detroit, MI

Canucks Continue Road Trip with a Stop in Detroit on Thursday Night | Vancouver Canucks

Published

on

Canucks Continue Road Trip with a Stop in Detroit on Thursday Night | Vancouver Canucks


The Vancouver Canucks are set for game two of their season-long six-game road trip. They will face the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night for the second and final time this season.

Brock Boeser picked up a pair of assists in Tuesday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, while the Canucks’ three goals came from Liam Öhgren, Jake DeBrusk, and Elias Pettersson.

Filip Hronek also had an assist in the game and played a team-high 26:20 of ice time. The 28-year-old, who will represent his home country of Czechia at this year’s Olympics, has been strong at both ends of the ice this season and holds a 59.7% control of the goal share at five-on-five this season. He has been on the ice for 34 goals scored and 23 goals against.

DeBrusk had a hat trick and four points in the game the last time these two teams met in Detroit.

Advertisement

Pettersson has five goals and 18 points in his 12 games against the Red Wings. He has four three-point games against them in his career and has three goals and 10 points in his six games in Detroit.

Quick Hits on the Competition

  • The Red Wings come into Thursday’s game with an 8-3-1 record in their last 12 games.
  • They picked up a 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators in their most recent outing.
  • Detroit is sitting pretty with a 25-15-4 record, and are second in the Atlantic Division.
  • On home ice, they posted a 14-8-1 record this season and have an 8-0-1 record in one-goal games on home ice.
  • Lucas Raymond (45 points) and Alex DeBrincat (43 points) lead the offence. DeBrincat is tied with Dylan Larkin for the team lead with 22 goals this season.
  • DeBrincat has scored 10 power play goals this season, and the Red Wings’ power play is tied for sixth in the league with its 24.6% conversion rate.
  • Moritz Seider leads the way on the backend. He is averaging 25:12 of ice time per game and has 31 points in 44 games.
  • John Gibson has made 25 starts this season, while Cam Talbot has 19 of his own. Gibson has a 14-9-1 record while Talbot is 11-6-3.

The Story: Power Plays

Rookie defenceman Tom Willander has been getting a run on the first power play unit over the past few games. The Canucks’ 2023 first-round pick is up to two goals and 10 assists for 12 points in 32 games this season.

The Canucks have picked up four power play goals in their last three games.

Jake DeBrusk leads the team with 10, and Kiefer Sherwood sits second on the squad with six.

Advertisement

The team ranks 13th on the power play this season. They have scored on 20.4% of their opportunities with the man advantage.

Canucks’ Top Performers over the Last Five Games

Elias Pettersson: 3g-1a-4p
Jake DeBrusk: 2g-2a-4p
Linus Karlsson: 2g-2a-4p
Filip Hronek: 1g-3a-4p
Tom Willander: 1g-2a-3p

When and Where to Watch

Thursday’s game is at 4:00 p.m. PT, and you can watch the game on Sportsnet or listen to Brendan Batchelor’s radio call on Sportsnet 650 and the Sportsnet Radio Network.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending