The Battle of the US Open – Front Office Sports

June 15, 2022

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There shouldn’t be any shortage of thrills tonight in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final — but the epic showdown between the Lightning and Avalanche might be overshadowed by the latest chapter in the ongoing struggle for the soul of professional golf…

This week’s U.S. Open could witness the climax of weeks of bitterness and tension.

The event, which tees off Thursday from Brookline, Massachusetts, will represent the first time PGA Tour and LIV golfers share a course since a series of controversial defections to the Saudi-backed series.

Representing each competition is the Tour’s Rory McIlroy, who won last week’s RBC Canadian Open — passing LIV CEO Greg Norman for all-time wins — and LIV’s Dustin Johnson, the most notable player to defect after being offered $125 million.

This weekend, the performances of each former world No. 1 might spark even more enmity.

• McIlroy has the best odds to win (+1000) in the field, while Johnson is T-14 but has the top odds (+3500) among LIV entrants.
• McIlroy is seeking his fifth major win, and Johnson his third.
• The 2021 U.S. Open paid out $2.3M to winner Jon Rahm from a $12.5M purse — the largest of any major.

The Tour’s payouts are infamously dwarfed by the $20 million purse for LIV’s inaugural tournament last weekend — with its $4 million payout to winner Charl Schwartzel representing the largest prize for a single tournament in golf history.

McIlroy upped the ante ahead of this weeked when he questioned the authenticity of Schwartzel’s win, saying the London tournament “meant nothing.”

Unfortunately, Schwartzel isn’t even in the field for the U.S. Open.

For the Lightning, Wednesday’s Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Avalanche  commences one last challenge in their bid to become the first team in nearly 40 years to win three straight titles.

But for Tampa forward Pat Maroon, there’s the potential to pull off an even rarer feat: The 34-year-old is looking to win four in a row — joining only 44 other NHLers.

It’s a scenario the 34-year-old — who has never scored more than 43 points in a season — likely wouldn’t have imagined when he initially joined Tampa on a one-year, $900,000 deal in 2019. 

• Maroon, who won the first Cup with his hometown Blues in 2019, hasn’t had a losing postseason since his stint with the Devils in 2018
• He re-upped with Tampa for another two years and $2 million ($1 million AAV) this winter.
• In 138 career playoff games, he’s scored only 22 goals — but that tally includes six game-winners.

Maroon would be keeping company with 16 members of the 1980-83 Islanders, who reeled off four straight Cups in that span.

And with a year remaining on his deal, he could join an even more exclusive club if the Lightning win No. 3.

Only 11 players — all members of the Canadiens’ 1956-60 dynasty — have won five Cups in a row.

The Dodgers are paying a staggering amount of money to their pitching staff — but their latest ace has yet to break six figures.

Tony Gonsolin (8-0) — who threw 6⅓ scoreless innings in Tuesday’s win over the Angels, striking out six and allowing a single hit — has the lowest ERA in the majors this season (1.42).

If that kind of production tracks for a $78.3 million pitching payroll, consider that the 2016 ninth-rounder and dark-horse Cy Young candidate is only making $720,000, tied for fourth-lowest on the staff — and miles away from Clayton Kershaw’s $17 million.

• He’s the first NL pitcher to record eight wins this season.
• Known mostly for a splitter-slider combo, Gonsolin threw 42 four-seamers to induce eight swings-and-misses in Tuesday’s victory.
• His 1.42 ERA is the third-lowest in team history through 12 starts.

Thanks in large part to Gonsolin, the Dodgers currently boast the second-lowest ERA in the league (3.01) and second-fewest earned runs (181) behind the Yankees, as well as the second-fewest hits allowed (433) after the Guardians. 

The 28-year-old is playing his way into what could be his first big contract — he won’t be a free agent until 2027, but he’s set for arbitration next season. 

And if it feels like Gonsolin is an afterthought as ninth-favorite (+2500) to win the NL Cy Young, he’ll surely settle for a World Series title — L.A. (+425) has the best odds to win it all.