Happy Father's Day

As a sports fan, it’s hard to watch your team lose. It’s even harder to watch your team come in second place. Coming so close to winning and still losing is hard to swallow knowing that almost doesn’t count. This story has been Groundhog Day for Phil Mickelson and fans at the U.S. Open.

“It’s got the makings to be something special, but I still have to go out and perform and play some of the best golf I’ve ever played,’’ Mickelson said.

Mickelson was the fan favorite in the gallery in Philly and on Sunday, the final day of play for the U.S. Open fans used every opportunity to sing and chat “Happy Birthday” as the 43 year old warmed up and walked down the greens on Father’s Day.

The Lefty played without a driver and chose five wedges instead. Mickelson’s choke started with double-bogeys on holes three and five. Fans were not giving up on the comeback and then came the miracle eagle on the 10^th hole to follow with a birdie putt on the 12^th that he just couldn’t get in. He pulled the wrong wedge and bogeyed on the 13^th, 15^th and 18^th hole. Something special became another heartbreaker for Mickelson.

Merion Golf Course is known as the course with wicker basket-topped flagsticks and had a different story to tell. Justin Rose was playing on Fathers Day for his father, Ken, who died in 2002 of leukemia. The rain came in but with Mickelson still two holes to play the clouds parted and Rose looked up to the sky. He looked up to his father, the man who taught him how to play golf. With his eyes swelling with tears he wished him a Happy Father’s Day. It was ironic and yet a natural moment where Rose felt his father about to wish him a Happy Father’s Day.

Justin Rose an Englishman became the first Briton to win the U.S. Open in more than 40 years and took home a purse of $1.44 million.

Sunday’s U.S. Open became the sixth time Mickelson has finished as the runner up in the tournament and the eighth time he has finished second at a major. (Jack Nicklaus has 19 runner ups in Major tournaments; seven at the U.S. Open. Arnold Palmer has 10 second place finishes in Major tournaments.)

Don’t feel too bad for Mickelson, he did win close to $700,000 in prize money. 

Heartbreaker

It was one hell of a season for the Lady Vol softball team.

Champions make it look easy and it was a smooth sailing through the regionals and the super regionals. The Women’s College World Series started with an impressive 9-2 win over Florida and the Lady Vols showed Texas who the real UT is by winning 2-1.

The Oklahoma Sooners were a number one seed while the Lady Vols were a number seven seed in OKC. It’s not easy to be the underdog on the road.

My girl, Ellen Renfroe is an ace. She has swagger with her confidence that is all tied into the perfect bow in her ponytail. The spin she puts on the ball is so sick and she rose to the occasion starting game one of the Championship game. She was fearless in the circle, fighting to keep the Vols alive for 12 intense innings of some damn good softball.

And if my neighbors didn’t hate me already, they officially want to evict me now after my loud cheering and clapping all night.

Game one of the National Championship series will be in the history books forever as the longest game ever played. (UT vs. Arizona in 2005 went 10 innings and held the record before.) The Sooner’s got to Ivy Renfroe early in game two with a 3-0 lead in the third and their fans packed Hall of Fame Stadium. But the sports gods were not wearing orange and Sooner’s took home the National Championship.

As coach Karen Weekly said “Any other year this Tennessee team wins the National Championship”.

It was a heartbreaker for sure. Tennessee fans felt the emotions of those ladies who played one hell of a season and deserved to be in the National Championship game. Fans on social media showed their love and support, but most of all how proud we are of our Lady Vols!

Congratulations to Ellen Renfroe, Madison Shipman, and senior Lauren Gibson who all were named to the WCWS team.

We will miss our seniors Raven Chavanne, Lauren Gibson, Melissa Brown, Ivy Renfroe, Whitney Hammond, and Kat Dotson. Thank you for being a VFL!