Sports
Journeyman Brian Campbell stuns even himself with first PGA Tour win: ‘I’m freaking out’
Brian Campbell came out on top at the Mexico Open on Sunday night as viewers were treated to some sudden-death playoff chaos between two antithetical player profiles: Campbell, a journeyman and one of the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour, and Aldrich Potgieter, the 20-year-old South African prodigy who currently leads the tour in driving distance.
Campbell defeated Potgieter after two playoff holes, marking his first PGA Tour win in just 28 starts. The Mexico Open field included just two players ranked in the top 40 in the Official World Golf Rankings, but the 31-year-old Campbell will earn a trip to Augusta National for his first Masters with the victory. He also claimed a spot in the Players Championship, the PGA Championship and five of the remaining signature events on tour.
Ten years of chugging along and 159 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour without a victory defined Campbell’s path to this win at the Vidanta Vallarta Course in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The University of Illinois alum first graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour in 2016 but was quickly relegated after missing 13 of 20 cuts. He finally found a groove last season in the minor leagues, finishing seventh in the KFT’s points ranking to earn his tour card again. Three starts later he played his way into the winner’s circle. It didn’t happen without a few hiccups along the way.
“I’m literally freaking out on the inside, I have no idea what’s going on,” Campbell said to the Golf Channel following the conclusion of the playoff. “To be in this position is just so unreal.”
Potgieter began Sunday’s final round with a one-stroke cushion over Campbell after firing a second-round 61 and a third-round 67 to tie the 54-hole scoring record at the event. Potgieter is only 10 starts into his PGA Tour career, but he is no stranger to competing and winning on the game’s biggest stages. Potgieter’s amateur résumé includes the Amateur Championship, where he became the youngest champion in the event’s history at age 17. With only 12 measured drives thus far on the PGA Tour, Potgieter has emerged as the longest hitter on tour, surpassing Rory McIlroy with an average of 328.7 yards off the tee.
The Vidanta Vallarta Course this week fit Potgieter’s game perfectly, allowing him to use his length off the tee to its full potential, as offline drives are not particularly penal on the Greg Norman design. However, it became apparent that the bombs-away game plan wasn’t the only way to attack the course, as Campbell continued to hang around the top of the leaderboard. On Sunday, NBC commentators compared Campbell’s ball speed to that of a senior tour player. He ranks last according to the tour’s driving distance statistics — 182 out of 182.
“He’s playing a different course than we are,” Campbell said of Potgieter’s game. “It’s been honestly fun to watch.”
Neither Campbell nor Potgieter had their best on Sunday, but both plugged away. Potgieter struggled out of the gates while Campbell floated around even par. The pair finished regulation play tied at 20-under, surpassing Isaiah Salinda’s clubhouse lead at 19-under.
The power of sudden-death pressure was on full display as both players hit multiple wayward shots en route to the final result. On the second playoff hole, Campbell’s drive was headed well beyond the out-of-bounds fence when it ricocheted off a tree and back into play. Potgieter then stood with an approach shot nearly 100 yards shorter than Campbell’s.
Instead of capitalizing on the opportunity, Potgieter’s attempt to reach the par-5 18th hole in two left him short of the green, in a bunker. He failed to get up and down, while Campbell made a birdie with a short wedge in his hands after laying up. After nearly handing the tournament to his opponent off the tee, Campbell couldn’t believe the outcome.
“That bounce? I mean, I’ll take it,” Campbell said. “Got ourselves back in position, gave ourselves a chance and it paid off.”
Required reading
(Photo: Hector Vivas / Getty Images)
Sports
Eli Manning hilariously shuts down comeback talk as Giants explore Odell Beckham Jr reunion possibility
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The New York Giants have had an active offseason, but fans still want to see a reunion with Odell Beckham Jr.
A video of Beckham scoring a touchdown from his time with the Giants went viral on social media.
“All these Giants signings have been great and all, but there’s still one final piece missing…,” the user posted.
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NFC coach Eli Manning looks on during the NFL Pro Bowl Skills Competition at the UCF Nicholson Fieldhouse in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 1, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports)
Eli Manning, who threw the touchdown to Beckham in the clip, had some fun with it.
“Guys, I’m not coming back to play! Stop asking,” Manning posted on X.
Manning retired after the 2019 season, ending a 16-year run with the team. Toward the end of his career, Manning struggled, as the team went 9-26 in his starts over the last three seasons of his career.
Before Manning’s play declined, Beckham was one of his favorite targets. Manning threw more touchdowns to Beckham (44) than to any other player in his career.
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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. warm up before a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Aug. 12, 2016. (Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Beckham was electrifying in New York. In five seasons with the Giants, Beckham played 59 games, catching 390 passes for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns.
He was then stunningly traded to the Cleveland Browns and never recaptured that same form, spending just two and a half seasons with them before they released him.
The Giants recently brought Beckham in for a workout. He played under coach John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. The 33-year-old was productive as a depth receiver, catching 34 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns.
Harbaugh called Beckham one of his favorite people in the world in March.
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Odell Beckham Jr. started his career with the New York Giants. (Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY NETWORK)
“He and I do talk. We do text,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve maintained a really great relationship. He’s one of my very favorite people in the world. It’s not like you don’t talk to guys on things like that. And certainly we have.”
“We’ll just have to see where it all goes, what’s best for him, what’s best for the Giants.”
While the Giants have to see where it goes with Beckham, they know for sure Manning is staying in retirement.
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The Southern Section will hold its four track and field prelims on Saturday at four high schools, but lots of focus will take place at the Division 3 meet at Yorba Linda.
Servite, with its outstanding sprinters, and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, with sprinters, hurdlers and shotputters, will be trying to qualify their best athletes in preparation to battle it out at the Southern Section championships on May 16 at Moorpark High.
“We’re trying to qualify but also build upon all our races,” Servite coach Brandon Thomas said.
Servite looks finally healthy. Robert Gardner, a sprinter who was hurt all season, ran 10.87 seconds last week in the 100 meters in his comeback race. He’ll be one of four Servite athletes trying to qualify in the 100. Another previously injured athlete, Jaelen Hunter, has also returned and will be in the 400.
Notre Dame’s Brayden Borquez recovered from his spill at the Arcadia Invitational to win the 110 hurdles last week at the Mission League finals. JJ Harel, the defending state champion in the high jump, is also gearing up to score points in the long jump and triple jump.
Other finals will be held at Trabuco Hills (Division 1), Ontario (Division 2) and Carpinteria (Division 4).
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Draymond Green refuses to let Charles Barkley bury the Warriors, delivers cutting Rockets jab on air
Wednesday night on “Inside the NBA” was less of a pregame show and more of a roast session as Draymond Green joined the desk.
The Golden State forward started going at it with Charles Barkley as the Mound Round of Rebound poked fun at the sinking ship that is the Warriors dynasty.
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Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors reacts during a game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on April 10, 2026. (Rocky Widner/NBAE)
The tension started when Sir Charles decided to eulogize the Dubs while looking Green dead in the eye.
“It’s over for the Warriors. No disrespect. It ends for every old team,” Barkley said.
“You had your run; you get old; you let Klay go. You and Steph are on the backside of your careers; it just passed you by.”
WARRIORS’ STEPH CURRY GETS CANDID ABOUT EVENTUAL NBA RETIREMENT
Barkley kept his foot on the gas.
While he gave the Warriors credit for “one of the greatest runs ever,” he made it clear that Father Time remains undefeated in the paint.
“Sports … listen, sports are for young people,” Barkley added. “You hope to have a great long career, but sports … nobody wins when they’re 37, 38.”
NBA TV analysts Charles Barkley and Chris Webber speak to Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green after Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 7, 2017. (John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated)
In predictable fashion, Draymond was unable to stomach the banter.
He waited for the opening and went for the jugular, referencing Barkley’s infamous sunset years in Texas.
“Yeah, I mean, I think the goal is just to not look like you in the Houston Rockets uniform,” Green fired back.
The jab was a direct hit on Barkley’s ring-chasing era in Houston, where the Hall of Famer was famously a shell of his MVP self.
Green then shifted into a rare moment of veteran self-awareness and admitted the Warriors are in a transitional phase, but insisted the pedigree matters more than the box score.
“I think understanding what is success at this point is key for us,” Green explained. “Knowing and understanding that it may not be realistic to win a championship, but can we continue to build to that so that once we leave this organization, it’s still in a great space?”
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Despite Draymond’s talk about maintaining a winning pedigree, this year was a harsh wake-up call for the Golden State faithful.
Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors react during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on March 21, 2026. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
The Warriors’ season went out with a whimper as they finished 10th in the West and were bounced immediately in the play-in tournament.
Barkley might think the light is fading, but Draymond is clearly going to keep swinging on his way out.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
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