Second Thoughts

How about showing DJ little respect?

Defending U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player, won’t repeat after missing the cut by three shots at Erin Hills on Friday. Johnson played the tournament’s first eight holes in 3 over in the opening round and never recovered.
Defending U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player, won’t repeat after missing the cut by three shots at Erin Hills on Friday. Johnson played the tournament’s first eight holes in 3 over in the opening round and never recovered.

As Dustin Johnson approached his ball buried in the tall grass on the 17th hole at Erin Hills, a fan standing just a few feet away offered a little pick-me-up to the world's No. 1 player.

"You got a nice bounce off my arm, Justin," the fan said proudly as he patted his right arm.

Justin?

It was that sort of day for Johnson, who either didn't notice the misspeak or didn't care, because by that point the first round in defense of his 2016 U.S. Open title was already headed the wrong direction.

Starting on the back nine, he double-bogeyed 14, bogeyed 15 and was on his way to wasting a birdie at 16 with the errant drive on 17 that would lead to yet another bogey.

Three over in four holes isn't a blueprint for disaster for the average golfer -- like, for example, the guy in the gallery who just called the best player in the world by the wrong name -- but it's a death knell at this U.S. Open. Just a few holes ahead, Rickie Fowler had four birdies on his front nine, another three on the back side for a 7-under 65. Even though Johnson played even-par golf the rest of the way to finish with a 3-over 75, it still left him 10 strokes back after the first round.

"Where I went wrong is when I laid it up in the hay," Johnson said matter-of-factly after his round, referring to his brutal 14th. "Got it on the green and three-putted for double. A great hole I played there."

And just like that, the prohibitive favorite coming in was already on the ropes. By the time Johnson walked off the green on his final hole, 44 players were under par.

He did better Friday, but not good enough, despite getting to the 1-over cut line after a birdie on 12. Bogeys on 13, 14 and 17 knocked him out of the tournament. He finished with a 1-over 73, a two-round total of 4-over 148.

The race is on

Olympic legend Michael Phelps is probably the greatest that's ever been in the water.

Well, for a human.

According to a news release from Discovery Channel, Phelps will race a great white shark as part of Shark Week on July 23.

"They are one of the fastest and most efficient predators on the planet: Sharks," the release said. "He is our greatest champion to ever get in the water: Michael Phelps. 39 world records. 23 Olympic golds. But he has one competition left to win. An event so monumental no one has ever attempted it before. The world's most decorated athlete takes on the ocean's most efficient predator: Phelps V Shark -- the race is on!"

Phelps is going to have his hands full.

According to Jennifer Kennedy of ThoughtCo.com, sharks cruise at around 5 mph, but great whites can reach north of 25 mph if they're in attack-mode.

"Their swimming speed is 10 times faster than the typical human swimmer," Kennedy wrote.

Phelps was clocked at 6 mph by ESPN.com at the height of his overwhelming success in 2010. The distance and the shark's state of mind will certainly play a role in the race.

Phelps, 31, went cage diving with some great whites last weekend, perhaps scouting out his competition:

Phelps will also take part in another Shark Week project, Shark School, which will "dispel the myths and common misconceptions" about the beasts.

That puts Phelps on the first and last days of Shark Week.

Sports on 06/17/2017

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