This surprising Niners team is making its own type of history

It doesn’t compare with the game that gave us The Catch. Nothing in the history of the San Francisco 49ers ever will. That changed everything.

And those five Super Bowl victories unquestionably will always rank high.

But what the Niners achieved Thursday night, all injured and battered, upsetting the Los Angeles Rams 26-23, in overtime, must be given its own place of importance.

This belief comes from a quite biased individual (blush!) who has followed the Niners from Grandstands, Press Boxes, and over TV screens, for more than a half century. 

An ordinary game? Hardly. Not when the Niners were missing numerous starters, including their quarterback Brock Purdy—and we know how significant a QB is in the NFL—had lost their previous game, looking decidedly ineffective, and were facing the rival and heavily favored Rams in Los Angeles.

The location may be the least meaningful part of this equation. Niners fans abound in Southern California, often overwhelming those cheering for the Rams. Two days before the game, the Los Angeles Times carried a story that the responsibility for this apparent disparity belonged to the late John McVay, grandfather of the current coach, Sean McVay. 

The Niners became the NFL’s dominant team in the 1980s when John McVay was the general manager, working with head coach Bill Walsh.

When the Rams shifted first to Anaheim, then to St. Louis, many of their fans, seeking not only a new team to support and, not the least, a championship one, adopted the Niners.

“I blame my grandpa,” Sean McVay said, not entirely serious.

That was three days ago. Thursday night, Sean McVay blamed himself for a call on a Rams failed fourth-and-one running play by Kyren Williams that the Niners stopped to end the game. 

That was just one of many strong defensive plays from the Niners, who, while supposedly outmanned, came up with big stops on defense and big go’s on offense.

If the Niners—playing without Brock Purdy, Jauan Jennings, George Kittle, Ricky Pearsall, and, on defense, Nick Bosa—are commended for their play, undeniably, Kyle Shanahan had to be for his coaching.

He called short passes from Matt Jones that compensated for the Niners' lack of a running attack. And in his third emergency start of this season, Jones was both tough—his forearm was cramping in the 4th quarter, but he worked it out—and brilliant, going 33 of 49 for 342 yards passing.  

“The guys were unbelievable,” said Shanahan. “Good team. They tightened it up. The D line stood up. Pulled this one out, and I was very impressed.”

He was not alone. The 4-1 Niners, off until playing the Bucs at Tampa Bay on Sunday, Oct. 12, moved into first place in the NFC West. 

One game later, and all the problems that plagued the Niners no longer were problems. They didn’t fumble, and they rarely missed a tackle. 

Who knows where this season is going? But the Niners have to be very much satisfied with the way it has gone.

Conclusions: Niners not as good as thought, Euro Ryder Cuppers better

Two conclusions from watching a weekend of TV sports: the San Francisco 49ers are not as good as some had hoped, and the European Ryder Cup team is better than many of us imagined.

We’re always seeking reasons for success and/or failure. Some are undeniable—it’s difficult to win when you turn the ball over four times, as did the Niners. Some are unbelievable.

That the Niners were beaten 26-21 by the previous inept Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium was not surprising under the circumstances. You can’t keep giving away the ball as San Francisco did with two interceptions and two fumbles.

This was confirmed by head coach Kyle Shanahan.

“Four turnovers, and giving up the punt return for a touchdown,” said Shanahan. “We had a chance at the end, but had another turnover.”

There are no turnovers in golf. Although, according to the thinking of some people, the American Ryder Cup captain, Keegan Bradley, should be turned away. 

I’m not one of them.

Yes, the Ryder Cup was in America at Bethpage, on Long Island. And yes, the US team included the man ranked No. 1 in the world, Scottie Scheffler. But there’s no sport as unpredictable as golf. Especially in match play, which of course is the basis of the Ryder Cup.

Some contend that the course, as set up by Bradley, restricted the US golfers.  But these are the best players on the planet, and they should be able to handle any course in any condition. Yet, inevitably, the Ryder Cup comes down to who makes the putts. In this tournament, as is often the case, it was the Euros. 

America will have to wait two years to respond to its 15-13 defeat, since the next Ryder Cup is not until 2027 in Ireland. The 49ers' wait for retribution is considerably shorter—a few days. They play the Rams Thursday night in Los Angeles.

“The offense has to be better,” said Brock Purdy. “And it starts with me.” 

Purdy was back as the starting quarterback, having missed the previous two games because of a turf toe injury, but he wasn’t back to his productive ways. Some of that can be attributed to an ineffective running game—the Niners rushed for only 83 yards, compared to 151 yards for Jacksonville—along with those turnovers.

“We gave the ball away,” said Purdy.  

Maybe that was because Purdy was out of rhythm after his absence.

Still absent was tight end George Kittle, who not only is a great receiver but a great blocker whose importance in the running game cannot be underestimated.

As in the Ryder Cup, the ability to make the key putts can’t be underestimated. Just check the results.

In the Ryder Cup, as usual, a faltering US team needs to make more putts

This was when Lanny Wadkins was at Wake Forest—yes, a long time ago. And the golf squad, failing to take the college golf championship, was criticized for “not playing as a team.” 

Watkins, who of course became a star pro, won the PGA Championship and then moved on to a career in announcing, had a quick sarcastic response. 

“What were we supposed to do,” he asked, “pass the ball around more?” 

No, make more putts. Which right now is exactly what the struggling US Ryder Cup Team needs to do.

After getting blitzed in Europe two years ago, the US team supposedly had everything on its side at the 2025 matches at Bethpage Black in New York. The world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, and the home course advantage. 

But going into Saturday’s second day of the cup, America trailed 5½ to 2½ against a European squad that was making its putts—and making a U.S. comeback seem doubtful, even with two days left, including Sunday’s singles matches. 

We know golf is an unpredictable sport.  

“Sometimes, the harder you try, the worse you play,” US team captain Keegan Bradley told USA Network. 

Or sometimes the opponent simply plays better, which, on Friday, was very much the case.

In both the morning foursomes (alternate shots) and the afternoon four-ball (better ball), Scheffler ended up on the losing end. 

In foursomes, Ludvig Aberg of Sweden and Matt Fitzpatrick of Britain smashed Scheffler and Russell Henley, 5 and 3. Then later in the day Scheffler and J.J. Spaun were beaten by Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka, 3 and 2.

Dropping both matches on an opening day of a Ryder Cup hadn’t happened to someone on top of the world ranking since 2002 and that unfortunate man was named Tiger Woods. 

Indeed, the sport can be very confusing and deflating, even for the very best.

That the US would falter in the foursomes, alternate shot, maybe shouldn’t be that great a shock. The format rarely is utilized in the United States except in international competition, such as the Ryder Cup or the President’s Cup.

Still, you’d expect players as skilled as Scheffler to adapt, especially since this is Scottie’s third Ryder Cup. 

If the top player in the world couldn’t quite make things work at the start of this 45th Ryder Cup, at least some of his teammates found a way.

Patrick Cantlay, who possesses the short game and putting touch required in this competition, teamed with Xander Schauffele for a 2-up win over Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre. And then Cantlay, a one-time star at UCLA, and Sam Burns got a half in the final match of the afternoon, giving America the ultimate half point.

As most are aware, the players on the European team have strong US connections. Virtually all of them play on the PGA tour, and many went to school in the United States. An unfair advantage?

Not really. The advantage comes from the Euros’ great play when it matters most.

In the Ryder Cup, as usual, a faltering US team needs to make more putts

This was when Lanny Watkins was at Wake Forest—yes, a long time ago. And the golf squad, failing to take the college golf championship, was criticized for “not playing as a team.” 

Watkins, who of course became a star pro, won the PGA Championship and then moved on to a career in announcing, had a quick sarcastic response. 

“What were we supposed to do,” he asked, “pass the ball around more?” 

No, make more putts. Which right now is exactly what the struggling US Ryder Cup Team needs to do.

After getting blitzed in Europe two years ago, the US team supposedly had everything on its side at the 2025 matches at Bethpage Black in New York. The world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, and the home course advantage. 

But going into Saturday’s second day of the cup, America trailed 5½ to 2½ against a European squad that was making its putts—and making a U.S. comeback seem doubtful, even with two days left, including Sunday’s singles matches. 

We know golf is an unpredictable sport.  

“Sometimes, the harder you try, the worse you play,” US team captain Keegan Bradley told USA Network. 

Or sometimes the opponent simply plays better, which, on Friday, was very much the case.

In both the morning foursomes (alternate shots) and the afternoon four-ball (better ball), Scheffler ended up on the losing end. 

In foursomes, Ludvig Aberg of Sweden and Matt Fitzpatrick of Britain smashed Scheffler and Russell Henley, 5 and 3. Then later in the day Scheffler and J.J. Spaun were beaten by Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka, 3 and 2.

Dropping both matches on an opening day of a Ryder Cup hadn’t happened to someone on top of the world ranking since 2002 and that unfortunate man was named Tiger Woods. 

Indeed, the sport can be very confusing and deflating, even for the very best.

That the US would falter in the foursomes, alternate shot, maybe shouldn’t be that great a shock. The format rarely is utilized in the United States except in international competition, such as the Ryder Cup or the President’s Cup.

Still, you’d expect players as skilled as Scheffler to adapt, especially since this is Scottie’s third Ryder Cup. 

If the top player in the world couldn’t quite make things work at the start of this 45th Ryder Cup, at least some of his teammates found a way.

Patrick Cantlay, who possesses the short game and putting touch required in this competition, teamed with Xander Schauffele for a 2-up win over Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre. And then Cantlay, a one-time star at UCLA, and Sam Burns got a half in the final match of the afternoon, giving America the ultimate half point.

As most are aware, the players on the European team have strong US connections. Virtually all of them play on the PGA tour, and many went to school in the United States. An unfair advantage?

Not really. The advantage comes from the Euros’ great play when it matters most.

Jones, the QB no one wanted, and great D keep Niners undefeated

The New England Patriots gave up on him. Even the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t want Mac Jones.

That Jones would then come to the 49ers has been beneficial to both parties.

If you contend the 49ers defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 16-15, Sunday at Levi's Stadium,  because of their defense, you wouldn’t be incorrect. But you could also point out that Jones, as the quarterback of a winning team, had an important role. 

And, of course, so did Eddie Piniero, who hit the 35-yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining that provided the winning margin.

The Niners are undefeated in three games this season. That D certainly played a major role.

Yet Jones, a first-round pick by the Patriots, Rickey Pearsall, and not the least having gone through struggles at the position, Pineiro, the new place kicker, all took part.

The key in sports is taking advantage of an opportunity. You can be a first-rounder or you can come off the bench, as did Jones and, in a way, Pineiro, who was signed as a free agent only a few days earlier.

Maybe no one better verifies this idea than Brock Purdy, who, as we know, was the last man selected in the 2022 NFL draft. Purdy, of course, became the Niners starter and star. But Sunday, for a second straight game, he was unable to play because of a foot injury.

On came Jones again, and doing what prime back-ups always seem to do, performing successfully.

He completed 27 passes in 41 attempts for 284 yards and San Francisco’s lone touchdown in a game when it didn’t seem that the Niners would score any touchdowns. Jones was the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Alabama. The thinking was that he would be Tom Brady’s eventual replacement. However, according to some stories, he did not get along with the Patriots' coaching staff and head coach Bill Belichick.

He lost games, he lost confidence, and was traded to the awful Jaguars in 2024. They gave up on him soon enough, and the Niners cleverly picked him up as a free agent in 2025.

There is a good history of backup quarterbacks with the 49ers. In the 1980s, Jeff Kemp took over for the injured Joe Montana and was a winner.

As Sunday so were the 49ers. You could debate whether it was Jones’ throws, Pearsall’s 117 receiving yards, or Christian McCaffrey’s 88 receiving yards that made the biggest difference. Working together, which is what good teams do, the Niners produced enough points. 

And the defense, even though Nick Bosa incurred a possible ACL injury in the second quarter, was stout enough. Lying on the ground immediately after the injury incurred, Bosa looked up at the stands where his parents were sitting and gave the thumbs-down signal.

San Francisco’s coach, Kyle Shanahan, said, “Bosa injured himself on an early drive. But he never quits. The way he came back on the last drive was incredible.”

Scheffler prepares for the Ryder Cup by winning the Procore Championship

NAPA — Scottie Scheffler understands our task as journalists, “I think y’all’s job is to try to find something to write about,” said Scheffler, “which is a good thing for me.”

Scottie is a very good thing for us, as well as for golf. He won another tournament Sunday, the Procore Championship at Silverado Country Club.

It was his sixth of the year, the 19th of his seemingly unstoppable career, but as he was told, the first in this state.

“I had no idea that I never won in California,” he said with a hint of humor and sarcasm. “I don’t think I’ve won in Oregon or Washington either—you know what I mean? I think your job is just to find something to write about.”

When Scheffler is involved, there is plenty. 

His victory Sunday was as narrow as possible when friend, Ben Griffin, missed a five-foot par putt on the 72nd hole. But as the cliché reminds us, it ain’t how, but how many.

Two shots behind Griffin at the start of the round, Scheffler came in with a 5-under par-67 that put him into a tie with Griffin. 

Griffin was on the green on two, 60 feet short of the cup on the 575-yard 18th, and a playoff seemed certain. But Griffin left his lag putt five feet short and missed the next one. So Scheffler, number one in the world, was the champion with a four-round total of 269. 

As he was earlier in the year at the PGA Championship and the British Open. 

Lanto Griffin, no relation to Ben, was third at 271.

Jackson Koivun, the Auburn sophomore, who’s number one in the world amateur rankings, was tied for fourth with Emiliano Grillo at 272.

The only reason Scheffler, Griffin—who was a recent captain’s pick for the US squad—and other members of the Ryder Cup team, who will play Europe in two weeks, were at the Procore was preparation for the Cup. But Scheffler looked at things a bit differently. 

“I’m present, I’m ready to play this week,” said Scheffler on Wednesday. “I didn’t show up to Napa to talk about the Ryder Cup for four days, I’m here to play a golf tournament.”

He played, and as usual played it beautifully.

“This was a week in which I was playing a new golf course,” said Scheffler, “a golf course that was pretty challenging to play for the first time. Did a really good job of staying in the tournament the first two days, and then the last two I played some really good golf in order to be in this position.”

A position he and the American team hope they’ll be in when the Ryder Cup concludes.

Griffin still leads Procore, but Scottie is closing fast

Remember that bit of advice supposedly by the great Satchel Page, “Don’t look back, something may be gaining on you”? 

Make that someone, and in this situation, it’s the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer.

Ben Griffin is still in front after three rounds of the Procore Championship, but the lead that was two shots after Friday was narrowed Saturday to one shot.  

And maybe because that golfer a shot behind is an amateur—if the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world Jackson Koivun—Griffin acted as unconcerned as possible. 

“I’m hitting it solid, just got to continue to play long,” said Griffin.

Then again, another shot back is Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1, who has been closing on Griffin and everyone as the tournament progressed. Griffin had his highest score of the week, a 70, and a 3-round total of 16-under par 200. Koivun, with a 68, was at 15-under. Scheffler, after having his best score of the tournament, an 8-under 64, was at 14 under.

“I had a good day today,” said Scheffler, “better than the last two days, for sure. Got off to a good start, had a good front nine, turned nicely.” 

Scheffler, Griffin, and others who normally might not be in a fall tour tournament entered as a final warm-up for the Ryder Cup, which is the end of September at Bethpage Black on Long Island.

But competitors that they are, once the pros teed off at Silverado Country Club in Napa, they were dead serious about winning the Procore.

“Having a one-shot lead on the PGA TOUR going into Sunday,” said Griffin, “and my game feels great, so I can’t complain at all.”

The only complaint you’ve heard this week in the Napa Valley, where the weather has been beautiful, is the usual one about California courses, including Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines, the poa annua greens. They get bumpier as the day goes along and require a great understanding.

“It’s always challenging putting on afternoon Poa, the ball has a tendency to move around. These greens have a lot of pitch in them as well, but I did a good job of holding some nice putts today,” said Scheffler.

Griffin did the same thing until 18, when he made his only bogey of the round.

Koivun, 20, a sophomore at Auburn, had a pre-Procore advantage by playing in the Walker Cup a week ago at Cypress Point.

Same coastal conditions and Poa annua. Koivun said he is learning as he is competing. 

“I think learning and confidence for me go hand in hand,” said Koivun. “The more I learn, the more confident I get. I think as I learn more, I’m just going to be more confident out here.”

The rest of us can be confident that the final round of this Procore should provide a finish to be remembered.

Amateur Jackson Koivun becomes a factor in the Procore Championship

All these guys are playing in the Procore to get ready for the Ryder Cup. And along came a young man who figured in another international match, the Walker Cup.    

That’s for amateurs, between the United States and Great Britain. As opposed to the Ryder Cup, which is for pros between the United States and Europe.

This bit of information is presented because of Jackson Koivun, who on Friday became a notable presence in the Procore Championship at Silverado after his 6-under par 66.

That lifted him into a tie for second after 36 holes with Russell Henley, one of the PGA Tour's best, who shot 68 Friday.

Yes, the leader of the Procore after the second round was Ben Griffin, a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup, who Friday was at 64-66–130.

Mackenzie Hughes, who had a stunning 9-under 63 Thursday for the opening day lead, was eleven shots worse Friday with a 74. Indeed, golf can be frustrating.

Enter, Ryder Cuppers.

Scottie Scheffler, No. 1 in the world rankings, was tied for 13th at 138. After a 70 on Thursday, which ended his streak of consecutive rounds in the 60’s at 21, Scheffler came in Friday with a 68.

In golf, unlike some sports, sometimes there is not a great deal of difference between some amateurs and the pros.

Koivun proved as much at the Procore. He’s in front of such solid players as Matt Kuchar, Cameron Young; a Ryder Cupper, and Maverick McNealy.

Koivun goes to Auburn University, but he has a very slight West Coast connection. He was born in San Jose.

“There is a lot to learn out here,” said Koivun, the 1st-ranked amateur in the country. “I’m trying to do it as quickly as I can before I turn pro, whether that’s the end of this year, or the end of next year.”

This Procore, because of the timing, has been described as a tournament within a tournament.  Ryder Cup contestants are trying to win as much as they are trying to improve their game.  

“I wouldn’t even say my mindset’s been Ryder Cup,” said Griffin. “I’ve been pretty focused on this golf tournament. Without a doubt, off the golf course hanging out with the guys and stuff there’s been some Ryder Cup presence, but once I get on the first tee, I’m thinking I’m trying to play well here.”

Which he has done. Scheffler echoed Griffin’s thoughts about this tournament and the thought that it’s only a warm-up for the Ryder Cup. 

“I’m thinking of trying to win this tournament,” insisted Scheffler. “We can talk about the Ryder Cup later.” 

In a few days, that’s all we will be talking about in golf, especially if the U.S. is unable to win.

Scheffler gets in his Ryder work, MacKenzie Hughes gets the lead

NAPA — It was Scottie Scheffler’s first competitive round in three weeks. He had a 2-under par, 70, seven shots behind the leader. He felt frustrated. He felt rewarded. 

This is the annual Procore Championship, the opening event of the PGA Tour Fall Schedule.

In a normal year, Scheffler, the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer, surely would not be here, but at home in Texas resting and relaxing.

However, as we know, this is not a normal year. It is a Ryder Cup year, and the matches between the US and Europe are only two weeks away.  

So Scheffler and his Ryder teammates are entered in this event at Silverado Country Club, where MacKenzie Hughes, on Thursday, leapt into a quick first-round lead with a scintillating 9-under par, 63, that put him a shot ahead of Matt McCarty and Ben Griffin. 

The 34-year-old Hughes is from a country, Canada, which is not eligible to play in the Ryder Cup (he’s been in the Presidents Cup).

But Griffin, certainly, is eligible and is a member of the American squad. 

You could call it a tournament within a tournament, because not only are the Ryder players using the event to get ready, but they are also trying to win as they would any tournament.

Scheffler, Griffin, and U.S. Open Champion, J.J. Spaun, who shot 5-under 67, are among the Cup players who are working together as they will need to against the Euros.

“Well, I think we all can learn from each other out here,” said Scheffler.  “Just because you’re good at one thing doesn’t mean you can’t learn from somebody else. I’m always trying to learn

little bits and pieces from guys when they’ll give up some information.”

What we learned about Hughes is that when he gets hot, he stays that way. He had eleven birdies and was unfazed by back-to-back bogeys on 14 and 15.

“I did some really nice things,” Hughes confirmed. “I had a nice feel with the putter, so it was really just about like continuing to put my foot on the gas and go forward. 

Putting has been the issue in the Ryder Cup. Europe somehow makes everything it needs, even though the US team would seem to be better overall. 

There’s a theory that Europeans do so well because they have better cohesiveness. 

Thus, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley was allowed to arrange the groupings in the Procore to give it a Ryder Cup feel, with friends Scheffler and Griffin playing together.

“I think mentally he’s really tough,” Scheffler said about Griffin. “I think he does a really good job of staying free and loose while he’s putting, and that’s helped my putting as well.”

That’s probably the only part of the game where Scheffler, straight and long off the tee and on the fairways, can use a little help. Emphasize little.

Scheffler didn’t come to Procore to talk about Ryder Cup—but to play golf

NAPA — Scottie Scheffler not only hits the correct shots, he also almost always offers the proper comments.

When you’re the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer, that’s not only enviable, it’s virtually mandatory. So there’s no question why Scheffler is in Napa, at Silverado Resort for the Procore Championship, which began Thursday.

As a member of the US Ryder Cup Squad, which plays Europe at Bethpage Black in two weeks, Scheffler followed the advice of team captain Keegan Bradley to get ready for the matches by competing in a tournament. To the good fortune of an event sometimes overlooked because it is on the Fall Schedule, Procore is that tournament.

“I’m present, I’m ready to play this week,” said Scheffler on Wednesday. “I didn’t show up to Napa to talk about the Ryder Cup for four days. I’m here to play a golf tournament.”

“So I’ve never been to Napa before,” said Scheffler, although he has not been too far away on the Monterey Peninsula. “It’s very beautiful. I will say that, so it’s been cool to see. California’s a beautiful place. Every part of California I come to is just wonderful. The weather’s amazing.”

“I don’t really drink wine,” Scheffler said, alluding to the product for which the region is most famous. 

Scheffler, 29, a winner of three of golf’s four majors and an Olympic gold medalist, told us earlier in the year that while golf was important, it was not where he found fulfillment. 

He said satisfaction came from his family—he has a son born in May 2024—and his faith.

“I don’t focus much on legacy,” said Scheffler. “I don’t look too far into the future. Ultimately, we’ll be forgotten.”

Not really, what any athlete has accomplished, especially a golfer, is there in the record books. We know Jack Nicklaus won 18 majors and Tiger Woods, 16. What we don’t know is how many Scheffler, with his so-consistent style, will win.

And Scheffler conceded that those tournaments, the ones that separate the great players from the ordinary, are never far from his thoughts. 

“When I prepare and practice at home,” said Scheffler, who lives in the Dallas area, “I’m always focused on the next stop and the next tournament. But in the offseason, the majors are always in the back of your head. I think the majors are always on the back of your mind just because they’re the greatest challenges.” 

They say there is no offseason in golf, but in the yearly schedule that goes from January to January, there are gaps, if not large ones. Since the 2025 Tour Championship, won by Tommy Fleetwood, there’s been no tournament until now, which of course is just a space of a mere 17 days.

“I’m excited to get the tournament started,” said Scheffler about the Procore, which marks the resumption of PGA Tour play. “I’m excited to see how the golf course plays, excited for a few days of competition.”

He’s not the only one.

Procore gets boost from Scheffler, other Ryder Cuppers

NAPA — There was the No. 1-ranked male golfer sounding very much like the coach of the No. 1-ranked college football team.

When a journalist tried to watch members of the US Ryder Cup team hitting shots Tuesday at Silverado Country Club, Scottie Schleffler, maybe only half seriously, said, “Sorry, this is a closed practice.” 

This is the week the PGA Tour returns, as usual, here at the Procore Championship, which tees off Thursday. Then again, it is not as usual, because the field of aspiring young players includes a group of very established not-so-young players, members of the US Ryder Cup team, which faces Europe at the end of September.

The matches will be at Beth Page Black on Long Island. That’s some 2,500 miles from Silverado, but both courses have 18 holes, so we are not talking distance; we are talking timing.  

The idea is for Scheffler and other members of the American team to work on their games and their camaraderie, while also taking part in the PGA Tour tournament.

If that seems like two events in one, well, it is.

This is not to demean the Procore, which has an unenviable spot on the PGA Tour’s fall schedule. As you are aware, that’s the time of year America becomes obsessed with football—professional, college, and high school.

So the Procore often gets little attention on the sport’s calendar. Except this year. It received a wonderful boost with all but two of the Ryder Cuppers involved.

Non-playing Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley was strongly in favor of his squad getting competition that maybe didn’t matter, before the competition that certainly does matter.

Europe, with players such as Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Tommy Fleetwood, defeated America in the last matches of 2023. 

“I think it’s great for the tournament,” said Patton Kizzire. He won the Procore last year, and although not a member of the Ryder Cup team, he understands the benefit to both the tournament and Cup players.

“It creates a lot of buzz,” said Kizzire. “As the defending champion, it’s a little more incentive to play well and to get out there and do my best and play like I can play. It gives us the opportunity to win against a really strong field. I think it’s fantastic for the tournament and I’m excited to see them here.” 

The only members of the American team not at Silverado are Zander Schauffele, whose wife gave birth to a boy, Victor, on August 29th, and Bryson DeChambeau, who, because he is a member of the LIV tour, was not invited.

“Things out here on the PGA Tour are very individual,” US Open Champion JJ Spaun told PGATour.com about the American players coming to Napa. 

“You can be isolated at times, so it’s cool and a nice change of pace to have a group of guys who are cheering each other on.”

As they work to win back the Ryder Cup.

Defense gets 49ers a win in the opener

The well-liked $53 million quarterback threw two interceptions. 

The not so well-liked kicker missed one field goal and had another blocked.

Bad news for the 49ers? Not when you check the final score. Unlike most of last year, the Niners came out on top, defeating the Seattle Seahawks 17-13 Sunday at Lumen Field, up there where the air is clear and the fans are overwhelmingly loud.

This was the first regular-season game on a schedule that will extend to 17 games and possibly last until January—and maybe February if you get to the Super Bowl.

Purdy, who last spring signed a five-year contract extension, had a game in which he completed 26 out of 35 for 277 yards and two touchdowns. But he did have the two picks.

“We need to wipe out the past and just work with the new guys,” Purdy said. “Coming out of this game like we did with a win was huge. With Ricky Pearsall coming in and wanting to learn was awesome. And we are going to continue to learn and improve.” 

San Francisco may have to learn to win without premier tight end George Kittle, who left the game in the second quarter with a hamstring injury that was to be diagnosed on Monday.

The place kicker, Jake Moody, who, of course, had his troubles in past seasons, missed his first field goal try Sunday (27 yards) and had his next one blocked when Seattle swarmed over the 49er offensive line. Moody did connect on the third, and certainly that turned out to be the winning margin.

The Niners didn’t play particularly well, understandably for an opener, particularly one on the road, but if you check the results, they certainly played successfully.

“Overall, I’m happy we got a win,” said halfback Christian McCaffrey, whose 73 yards receiving and 69 yards rushing contributed to the victory.

If we’re being honest, not quite as much as the defense designed by Robert Saleh and executed by individuals such as Nick Bosa, whose sack and fumble recovery came in the closing moments, Fred Warner (4 tackles), Dee Winters(5), and Marquez Sigle (5).

The Seahawks primarily are a running team, but the Niners would not let them run. Seattle gained only 84 net yards on the ground, an average of 3.2 yards per carry.

When the Niners had their chances offensively, they did enough. If you stop the other team, you don’t have to go very far yourself. San Francisco gained 384 yards. They made enough big plays, including Purdy hitting Ricky Pearsall for 45 yards in the 4th quarter, that set up a 49er touchdown.

Pearsall unfortunately became part of a bizarre story last year, when as a rookie, he was shot in San Francisco’s Union Square while trying to resist a robbery. After hospitalization ,he came back to football, and his persistence and work ethic have become legendary in a short time. 

Purdy has not been alone in his admiration of Pearsall’s interest in learning not only the requirements of his position, but of everyone in the offense. 

“He’s always asking questions,” Purdy said of Pearsall. 

One question nobody has to ask is about Pearsall’s talent. Pearsall finished with 4 receptions for 108 yards on a day when the Niners' total offense was 384 yards. 

“To win this game was great”, said San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan. “I’m real proud of our team.I like their attitude, they never waivered.”

In Purdy and Saleh, Niners apparently have two essentials for victory

There are two essentials required to win in the NFL: a quarterback and a defense. The San Francisco 49ers seemingly will have both for this season.

They made sure Brock Purdy would be their QB by giving him a very large multi-year contract.

Then, smartly they brought in Robert Saleh to regain the position of defensive coordinator.  Whether these two men, along with the others on the field or sidelines, will be able to get the Niners to the playoffs will be discovered in time.

Purdy was retained, given a $265 million five-year no-cut contract extension that the Niners hope gives them a future, along with the present.

Saleh had left as an assistant with the 49ers to become head coach of the hopeless New York Jets. Now, he’s back, along with the understandable belief, so are the Niners' chances for success, minimally as they might be. 

This is all so important to the Niners, who long have held the role as the City’s established franchise. The Giants are here from New York. The Warriors from Philadelphia. The 49ers started here and have offered their fans—or tormented them—years of struggle and eventually success. 

All the history may not mean much to a fan base preoccupied by current season records. 

Referring to greats such as Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Ronny Lott doesn’t satisfy the public wondering why there hasn’t been a Super Bowl win in years. 

And also why San Francisco, which was so very close to a championship two years ago, not only ended up with a losing record last year,  but dropped the final seven games on their schedule. 

True, injuries played a big part of the failure last season, but good teams find a way to survive, which the Niners did not.

The offense with Purdy, relatively efficient, did what it could. The defense did virtually nothing.

There is an old coaching belief that defense wins. If the other team doesn’t score, the worst you will ever get is a 0-0 tie. So you’d better be able to stop the other guy from scoring, even if you can’t get points yourself. 

Saleh’s reputation is that of someone who has players “flying to the ball.” He’s known for an ability to develop high-intensity defenses, and certainly the Niners can use one of those. They can also use a strong running game, which they have when Christian McCaffrey is not restrained by his leg injuries. McCaffrey is one of the emotional leaders as well as one of the physical ones. He’s the reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year.

San Francisco used to own the NFC West, but they not only fell behind the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, they also lost to the Arizona Cardinals, which used to be an unpardonable sin.

The problem is as other teams have ascended, the Niners have slipped or been pushed back.

They seem just part of the pack, no longer at the head of it. 

Maybe once the games get underway, we’ll learn differently, or maybe not.

In the US Open semis, Djokovic vs Alcaraz, to Fritz’s frustration

In tennis, unquestionably, you better have a game if you want to have a name. For years, Novak Djokovic had both. Still does. 

Djokovic will play Carlos Alcaraz in a US Open semifinal Friday. If you are surprised by Novak’s success at age 38, well he got there a while ago and seems never to have left.

As Taylor Fritz was reminded Tuesday night when they met in the quarter finals. Before the match, the thinking was that this was the best chance for Fritz to defeat Djokovic and perhaps, after that, advance to the final. Although with Alcaraz and Janik Skinner ahead, that might be more of a wish than a chance.

All that remains speculation. There’s a reason Djokovic has more major championships, 24, than any other man in the sport’s history. 

He may be 38 and arguably less effective than when at his best, but he defeated the 27-year-old Fritz 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

If life is a matter of timing, sport is more so. In the 80’s the Lakers could beat everybody except the Celtics, which was the team they had to beat to become Champions. 

Maybe if Fritz had come along earlier or later, he would own a Grand Slam Title. Then again, maybe not.

Persistence and determination only go so far. Some batters can’t hit a particular pitcher ever. Some tennis players are unable to defeat a certain opponent. Ever.

 One thinks back about the comment by the late Vitas Gerulaitis, who dropped 16 straight matches to Jimmy Connors, and then finally snapped the streak.  

“Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times.” 

At the moment, Djokovic has defeated Fritz 11 consecutive times, or every time they faced each other. The results elicited no smart-alec comments from Fritz, as from Gerulitis. Only rueful observations. 

“For me, in my head, I’m not thinking about all the losses I had to Novak like, five years ago,” said Fritz, the southern Californian who first played Djokovic in 2019, “but so many others do.”  

That’s the nature of competition. And journalists who thrive on records.

Winning streaks and losing streaks make great copy, and sometimes painful memories. It may be as difficult to think about how you’ve done against someone like Djokovic as to actually get on the court and try to deal with his forehands.

In their quarterfinal match Tuesday, Djokovic virtually had an answer for whatever Fritz tried.  And no surprise, he won the first two sets, even though his serve was broken by Fritz in the second set. 

“I was just trying to survive,” said Djokovic, a comment that seemed as much diplomatic as anything.

When you’ve played as long and as well as Djokovic, survival is mandatory. You just keep going, relying on your experience and skill.

Commenting for ESPN, John McEnroe, who won majors in his day, said about the Djokovic-Alcaraz match, “This is the way it was set up to be.”

If not, the way a frustrated Taylor Fritz wanted it to be.

Star system: Osaka-Gauff at US Open, then Ryder Cup team at Silverado

Hollywood figured it out almost from the creation of the movies: the star system sells. If that star can also act, or play tennis or golf, so much the better.  

For the person and the business.

It was Labor Day Monday, but the show on TV may have been enough to keep you from the last picnic of summer, Naomi Osaka vs Coco Gauff.

That Osaka, her comeback after childbirth, now a triumphant reality, defeated Gauff, 6-3, 6-2 in their US Open match. Yet, in a way, it was less important—except to the contestants—than the fact that it happened. 

Two of the best and most famous in their activity, grabbing more than a few minutes of TV time.  

The individual sports must have names. Certainly, Osaka and Gauff, each with multiple major championships, have both the name and the game.

As did the surprise entrance for the Procore Championship, September 11th -14th, at Silverado in Napa, the golf tournament that suddenly, with a flurry of top players such as Scottie Scheffler, Zander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, and other members of the US Ryder Cup team, leaped into relevance. It is understood that the Tennis Open, each year in NY, one of the four Grand Slams, will have a great field. But you never know who will enter the PGA events this time of year, after the Tour Championship.

No question. Every guy out there is competent and may be effective. But every guy out there isn’t well known.

The tournaments after the Tour Championship, August 21-24, this year won by Tommy Fleetwood, sometimes seem like add-ons, full of people attempting to gain exemptions or climb from oblivion. 

Many of the games’ well-financed heroes usually wait for the winter and spring to return to tour competition. But this is a Ryder Cup year, the event scheduled September 26-28 at Bethpage Black Course on Long Island, and the American team members need to stay sharp. 

A month away from the game wasn’t advisable, so 10 members of the US team are entered in the Procore.

Whether this helps the American squad regain the Cup is unknown, but it certainly won’t hurt them. Although Silverado and Beth Page are very different from each other.

Still, wherever the competition, the idea is to shoot lower than the opponent. And almost always putting has been the difference between the squads, as it is almost every week in tournaments on the U.S. PGA Tour or the European DP Tour. The European team, with players such as Rory McIlroy, Fleetwood, and Justin Rose, is composed of players who primarily play the American Tour and/or reside in the United States.

All that is incidental when the golfers tee it up.

They have earned their spots and their recognition no less so than Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff.

Yes, we are only a few days away from the NFL schedule, but for now, the focus will be on courts and fairways, not the football field.

Fleetwood no longer a “nearly man” on the PGA Tour

The congratulatory messages came from those no less accomplished in sport than the person to whom they were directed.

From LeBron James. From Caitlin Clark. From Tiger Woods. From winners who perhaps better than the rest of us understood how it felt for a golfer named Tommy Fleetwood at last to become a winner on the PGA Tour.

And to do it in the final event of the Tour's crawl across the calendar and across the country.

No, pro golf is not over. It returns almost before we’re ready, a month from now, with the Procore Championship, September 11-14, at Silverado Country Club in Napa.  But Fleetwood’s drive(and putt) for a victory is over.

Fleetwood is from England, where our modern games were created. And there is a belief that taking part is just as important as being successful. And we’ve all been raised on the famous poem by Grantland Rice that when the great scorer comes to write against our name, he will judge not whether we won or lost but how we played the game.

And yet, we’re obsessed with victory or the lack of it.  Fleetwood’s career on the PGA tour, inevitably, was discussed in terms of what he hadn’t done, win, rather than about anything he had—including high finishes in the US Open. His streak, as we were reminded all too often, was 164 PGA Tour events without finishing first.

Similar to the Buffalo Bills—defined less by their many great seasons than by the fact that they’ve never won a Super Bowl.

Whether the negative references affected Fleetwood, we may never know until he stops competing. And since he is only 34, that probably will not be for quite a while.

Fleetwood showed his courage and skill in winning. He began the final round Sunday in a first-place tie with Patrick Cantlay, and the question was whether he could outlast Cantlay, who had won the Tour Championship four years ago.

We found out, and possibly Fleetwood found out about himself. This was the third time in the last two months he went into the final round in first or tied for first.

“It completes the story of the near-misses,” he said. “Winning on the PGA Tour was a step I wanted to take.”  

It’s a step every golfer on tour wants to take, needs to take. However, you wonder if we make too much about winning in sports, and forget about the other virtues of being in the battle. Do we recognize the effort required to play any game at a high level? Do we appreciate the job well done? That’s up to the individual.

The job Fleetwood did through the years was impressive, but it was judged incomplete. In Britain, they have a phrase for an athlete or sportsman who comes close but doesn’t come out on top: “nearly man.”  

If indeed that was the way some thought of Tommy Fleetwood, a revision is required.

Howell’s US Amateur win steals a youthful mark from Tiger

The kid was very talented and very driven. Like Tiger Woods. Now the kid has his name on the Havemeyer Trophy as US Amateur champion. Like Tiger Woods.

Except there is one difference. Mason Howell won his title Sunday at an even earlier age than did Woods, Howell routing Jackson Herrington 7 and 6, Sunday, on the Olympic Club’s Lake Course, in their scheduled 36-hole final match, which in effect sadly turned out to be a mismatch.

But it didn’t detract from Howell, who only turned 18 late June, overtaking Woods as the third youngest amateur winner in the 125 years of the competition.

Howell will be returning for his senior year at Brookwood High in his hometown of Thomasville, Ga., down near the Florida border. After graduation, he’s already announced he will enroll at his home state school, the University of Georgia, where the golf team is only a shade less prominent than the football team.

What had been a week of spectacular golf, play so often going to the ultimate hole, came to a rather lackluster conclusion, with Howell overwhelming Jackson Harrington in the final.

Maybe it would not be unfair to say Harrington, who attends another South East conference school, Tennessee, lost the match as much as Howell won it.

“I just played terrible,” said Herrington. “I can't lie. I hit some good shots that didn't even end up close. I thought I flagged it, and it flew 10 yards too far. I didn't even know what I was doing, and I couldn't figure it out.”

Howell figured things out long ago. A multi-sport athlete, he gave up baseball and tennis to concentrate on golf. A good decision, it appears. 

If the competition on Sunday wasn’t what we had hoped, the weather was better than anyone might have expected. After a week of heavy fog and occasional light drizzle, on Sunday the sun finally emerged along the Northern California coastline. 

But for Howell, the shining moment had nothing to do with the weather.

“To have my name next to these other names (people like Tiger, Jack Nicklaus, and Bobby Jones) on this trophy is unbelievable,” said Howell. “To be next to somebody named Tiger, that’s an unreal feeling.” 

The youngest golfers to win the US  Amateur were, in order, Byeong Hun An (2009), 17 years, 11 months, and 13 days; Danny Lee (2008) at 18 years and 1 month; and Tiger Woods (1964), 18 years, 7 months, and 29 days. 

Now at 18 years and 1 ½ months, Howell has replaced Woods as the third youngest. 

“To be ahead of Tiger in something,” said Howell, “that’s something that not a lot of people can say.”

Howell did trail early in the match against Herrington, losing the first two holes. However, he then won three consecutive holes with pars.  

An eagle on the short par-4 7th pushed him 4 up, all but sealing the victory.

All things considered, you might even call it a Tigerish performance.

Donegan comes up short in the Amateur, so it’s Howell and Herrington

The end of the run, but Niall Shiels Donegan, a few inches and one round short of reaching the final round of the US Amateur, saw it as more of a beginning, or at least a continuation. 

Donegan, who had seemingly most of Marin County providing vocal support, lost to Jackson Herrington one up in one of Saturday’s two semi-final matches. On Sunday, Herrington will face Mason Howell, who defeated Eric Lee 3-2 in the other semi-final at the Olympic Club where not surprisingly, an August day had a gloomy resemblance to January.

Maybe it wasn’t Mark Twain who said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco,” but whoever said it was as on target as some of the golfers were with their iron shots.

Herrington, 19, is about to enter his sophomore season at Tennessee, while Howell, 17, is scheduled to enroll at the University of Georgia in the fall.  

Anybody remember when they used to say, golf was an old man’s game? 

What we’ve been saying about Donegan is that when he was behind in other matches he was able to survive, and found a way to make the big putt at the close.  But despite vocal support from residents of Mill Valley, 20.3 miles across the Golden Gate from the Olympic Club, he wasn’t able to replicate his success of earlier rounds.

Donegan was born in Scotland and lists himself as Scottish, even though he has lived in Northern California since he was three.

“I did what I could,” said Donegan, who this fall will be transferring from Northwestern to the University of North Carolina. “I’m only 20. Like hopefully I’ve got a long career ahead of me, and this is just one of the many building blocks along the journey that hopefully commences.”

Almost certainly that career will be as a pro golfer.  

With the tour purses so large and the game so popular—Scottie Scheffler is living proof of the popularity—who wouldn’t make the effort to become a hero in the sport?

Not that Herrington isn’t already. He and Howell both have qualified for the Masters as US Amateur finalists. Herrington’s play was admirable especially because almost all the spectators watching the match were cheering for Donegan. Harrington was unbothered.

In fact he was almost inspired.

“I think I kind of feed off of it (the vocal support for his opponent). We’d be walking up the fairway, after he hit the fairway,” said Herrington. “And they’d be yelling like he made a hole-in-one. It was funny, I’d walk up the fairway and be like thank you.” 

Howell probably will know the same response Donegan received at Olympic when Mason arrives at Augusta, some 200 miles from his hometown of Thomasville, GA. Howell called qualifying for the Masters unbelievable. 

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. That’s something me and my family will celebrate (Saturday night) for sure.”

There would be no less a celebration by the winner of the Amateur, whether it is Herrington or Howell.

At the US Amateur, Donegan, Daly II, and some big surprises

Match play golf, even among equals, such as the pros, is a game of excitement, tension, and wild unpredictability. That last issue is the primary reason it’s rarely seen on tour.

You think that TV sponsors want an event in which the stars are no longer in the field after a round or two?

But match play is the essence of the amateur game, and one of the reasons the 125th U. S. Amateur now underway in the cold and gloom (brrrr) at San Francisco’s Olympic Club has been so fascinating.

Seedings and rankings mean almost nothing. As you may note from what has happened. The world’s number one-ranked player, Joseph Kolvin, was bounced 3 and 2 by Max Herendeen Thursday morning in the second round, and later in the afternoon, the number one qualifier, Preston Stout, was ousted by David Liechty, 2 and 1.

But finally, and fortunately, the surprises stopped there, not that it was any consolation to the favorites that lost. But the Friday quarterfinals would include one guy who has become a Bay Area star, Niell Shiels Donegan of Mill Valley in Marin County, and another who perhaps is on the way to equaling the stardom of his father, John Daly II. 

Donegan lists his nationality in the entry form as a Scot, and true, he was born in Scotland, but he came to America at age three and no way speaks with a Scottish accent. Donegan, who is in the process of transferring to the University of North Carolina after two years at Northwestern, is the guy who stunned Stout, one-up, going in front with a birdie on the par-5 16th.

Daly advanced to the quarters by defeating Nate Smith of South Africa 3 and 2.

“My putter has been the key to my play this week,” said Daly, who attends the University of Arkansas, where his father once was enrolled. “I’ve been putting really good. I’m reading them well and excited to see putts fall in.”

Putts that fall invariably become the difference maker in match play.

No one could better point that out than Donegan’s father, Lawrence, a long-time sports journalist for the Guardian, who knows from experience what is possible in the games we play.

Asked how he would come down from the victory, Niall said, “My dad does a pretty good job of it. He reminds me that I’m just human, like at the end of the day, this is just golf. 10 percent of my life is golf. 90 percent of my life is my family, my friends. Just keep the 10 percent where it is and live the other 90 like anybody else.” 

But everybody else is not in the quarters of America’s most important amateur tournament.

A kid from the golf school takes the US Amateur Medal

Oklahoma State is a golf school, as surely as Duke is a basketball school and Oklahoma is a football school.

It’s had US Open Champions, Wyndham Clark; Masters Champions, Bob Tway; and a lot of other stars, including Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan, Scott Verplank, and Viktor Hovland.

So it should be no surprise that the medalist from this year’s US Amateur, Preston Stout, attended and played for Oklahoma State. Stout shot a 5-under par 65 Tuesday on Olympic Club’s historic Lake Course that, with a 3-under 67 Monday on the Club’s Ocean Course, gave him a 2-day score of 8-under 132 and Medalist honors as low qualifier for the 125th U.S. Amateur.

That’s quite impressive, but it wouldn’t mean a thing when match play began Wednesday on the Lake.

As golfers say, match play is a different animal from stroke play. 

“I love match play,” said Stout, even though a year ago he got knocked out in the first round of the Amateur.

Need we explain that match play is golf where each hole is a separate entity, and whether you lose the hole by one stroke or five strokes makes no difference. 

“I think it is the best form of golf,” Stout added, “and it’s super fun.”

Those feelings might not be shared by someone who gets eliminated early on. But match play tests your courage as much as it does your putting stroke.

Tommy Morrison, who shared the Monday lead with Charles Forrester, ended up two shots behind Stout, but of course was among the 64 players to get into match play.

Forrester, the Englishman who played for Long Beach State, slipped back Tuesday but was safely into match play. Also advancing to match play were John Daly II of Arkansas, whose father won two majors, and Luke Poulter, Florida, whose father, Ian, kept winning Ryder Cup matches.

There is a cliché that qualifying, which goes on from early morning to dark, is the longest day in golf. But for this amateur, you can make it the longest day and a half, because when the last putt was holed Tuesday, with the fog rolling, in true San Francisco fashion, play had not concluded.

There would be a playoff, not surprisingly, but because of the darkness and gloom, it was determined earlier that if extra holes were needed, it would take place on Wednesday. 

There were 20 golfers tied at 141, 1-over par, for the final 17 places in match play. If that sounds like a playoff that was overwhelmingly large, it was.

Meanwhile, while the playoff was held on the Ocean Course, the golfers who had already qualified were teeing off in match play on the Lake Course.

And they told us golf was a very simple, organized game.