Detroit, MI
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.
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.”
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.
“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.
“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.”
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
Detroit, MI
Detroit Lions Sign QB Teddy Bridgewater To Backup Jared Goff in 2026
The free agency tampering period has begun for the NFL, and the Detroit Lions are among the active teams acquiring players as they try to get back to the playoffs after they did not meet their own standard for last season.
On Monday, it was revealed that 2025 Lions backup quarterback Kyle Allen was heading to Buffalo, leaving another hole in the roster to fill. Nearly 24 hours later, that hole has been filled, as veteran quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater is heading back to Motown.
Bridgewater spent the 2023 season with Detroit, in what initially was going to be his final season in the league.
However, after coaching Miami Northwestern Senior High School to a state championship in Florida during the 2024 season, he announced he was planning to unretire, and Detroit picked him up for their push towards the top seed in the NFC.
Bridgewater then resigned as head coach at Miami Northwestern and signed with Tampa Bay to backup Baker Mayfield last season.
He appeared in four games last season, throwing 15 passes for the Buccaneers, which were his first NFL pass attempts since 2022.
Bridgewater is a safe option at backup quarterback in Detroit, as the former Rookie of the Year has had a steady career since entering the league with Minnesota out of Louisville in 2014.
Bridgewater returns to back up Jared Goff under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, as this is a situation where Detroit stuck with a player they knew. For Petzing, this is not the first time coaching Teddy Bridgewater, as he was an offensive assistant with Minnesota when they drafted Bridgewater in 2014.
A leg injury derailed his career after a Pro Bowl season in 2015, but he has started 37 games since the injury as a journeyman. Bridgewater left Minnesota and Drew Petzing and would overlap with Dan Campbell when the quarterback played for New Orleans in 2018 and 2019. In addition to Minnesota, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, and Detroit, Bridgewater has also played for Carolina, Denver, and Miami.
Detroit stuck with a safe and familiar option in Bridgewater, as a majority of their offense, alongside most of their offensive staff, have worked with the quarterback before. If Bridgewater is turned to in any situation, there will be full confidence in the Louisville product to make the right play.
NFL Draft Implications
This puts Detroit in a unique position when looking ahead towards the NFL Draft, as a popular mock draft pick for Detroit was taking a quarterback, with Cole Payton, Luke Altmyer, and Taylen Green all being among the names mentioned.
Bridgewater is an excellent mentor alongside Goff, but having three quarterbacks on the Lions roster after injury-riddled campaigns in the last two seasons may not be the wisest allocation of a roster spot.
For the time being, Detroit has their backup quarterback for the season, and there is not a better option than Bridgewater when it comes to familiarity and adaptability. While the former Pro Bowl quarterback has yet to throw a pass in Detroit, he has the familiairity and trust of the coaching staff to be a backup entering a pivotal year.
Detroit, MI
Detroit ‘Sloppy Chops’ restaurateur\u00a0killed: What to know
How to anonymously submit a tip to Crime Stoppers of Michigan
Here are the three ways to submit a tip to Crime Stoppers of Michigan safely and anonymously: by phone, online, and through the P3 Tips mobile app.
Mourning continued and no suspects were in custody a week after the fatal shooting of Detroit restaurateur and nightlife figure Mikey “Mike B” Brown at the end of February.
Brown was the beloved figure behind the “Sloppy” brand of restaurants, and remembrances have been rolling in online since his death.
Here’s what to know:
Shooting outside cocktail bar
“Mike B” Brown, 51, and two others were shot about 4:30 a.m. Feb. 28 in the area of 15789 Schaefer, police previously said.
The two others were found in front of the location, and Brown was found across the street, police said.
Police have asked those with information on the shooting to come forward.
There were no suspects in custody and no further updates in the case as of Monday, March 9, according to a statement from the Detroit Police Department.
Updates on the conditions of the two other individuals shot were also not provided.
Who was Mikey ‘Mike B’ Brown?
Brown was a husband, a father of five and a restaurateur.
He opened Sloppy Chops Restaurant, a steakhouse, in 2020 on West McNichols off the Lodge Freeway and later opened a seafood restaurant called Sloppy Crab, which was renamed the Crab Sports Bar, on East Jefferson Avenue near the Renaissance Center. Brown previously had two clubs, as well.
His downtown dining spot served as an answer to questions on offerings for Black diners in the city’s renaissance. His other “Sloppy” location showcased successful reach beyond downtown and into the city’s neighborhoods. Brown was also a cultural figure in not only the world of dining, but in the nightlife, the Free Press reported.
When are funeral services for Mikey ‘Mike B’ Brown?
A family hour was set for 9 a.m. March 13 and a funeral was set for 10 a.m. March 13, both at Triumph Church –North Campus at 15600 J.L. Hudson Drive in Southfield.
What’s been the fallout since Mike ‘Mike B’ Brown’s death?
Outside of the community hurt, there’s also been calls for a crackdown on establishments that stay open into early morning hours in residential areas, ClickOnDetroit reports.
How to report tips on Mikey ‘Mike B’ Brown’s shooting
Those with information tied to the triple shooting can contact the Detroit Police Department’s homicide unit at 313-596-2260 or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up or DetroitRewards.tv.
Detroit, MI
Detroit Lions need backup QB as Kyle Allen to sign with Bills
Former Detroit Lions QB Hendon Hooker reflects on his time in Detroit
Former Lions QB Hendon Hooker joins to discuss his time in Detroit and Amon-Ra St. Brown’s skill on the basketball court.
The Detroit Lions will need to find a new backup quarterback. Kyle Allen, the 30-year-old ninth-year veteran, will reportedly sign with the Buffalo Bills for two years and $4.1 millions, according to ESPN, reuniting him with his former coordinator Joe Brady.
Allen, who came to the Motor City a year ago after inking a one-year deal, appeared in just three games and attempted two passes this past season as starter Jared Goff logged 98.5% of the team’s offensive snaps at quarterback.
Allen’s greatest contribution came in the preseason, when he forced the organization to give up on its experiment with Hendon Hooker.
In the competition for the No. 2 job, Allen outperformed Hooker and made the former 2023 third-round pick expendable by bringing his stunted development into sharp relief. While Hooker struggled to move the offense when he was in command, Allen thrived in his four auditions, spearheading one productive drive after another for the Lions. He completed 79.5% of his attempts, throwing for 401 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions. All the while, he exhibited a good understanding of the Lions’ timing-based passing game, giving management the confidence he could – if needed – relieve Goff in a pinch.
“I feel very comfortable with him,” Campbell said last August.
But as it turned out, the Lions were never forced to call upon Allen. Goff, who hasn’t missed a start since Week 17 of the 2021 season, remained reliably present.
The Lions hope Goff’s iron-man streak will continue.
But if it for some reason ends, Allen is no longer there to replace him.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin on X.
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