This year’s version of The Championships still had the shadow of The Big Three (Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic) lurking over it, though only Djokovic remains. Indeed, Djokovic made it all the way to a semifinal, before succumbing to his opponent, and an injury sustained in the previous round. The manner of his dismissal suggests the future of men’s tennis is now.
The Zippy Crew tackles marijuana policy (and its implication as Christians) and then reflects on the end of the careers of several notable athletes (Roger Federer, Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols). It all wraps up with scriptural encouragement from Romans 11-12.
Rafael Nadal has now won the French Open—-one of tennis’s major championships—-a mind-boggling 14 times. No other man has won an individual major more than 9 times. In this era of the “Big Three” —- Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic —- the trio have captured an absurd 62 major championships. Recall that there are 4 major championship tournaments in a calendar year. Nadal is now two majors clear of both rivals for the most career majors among men.
On Sunday, May 23, Phil Mickelson started the insanity, by winning the PGA Championship in South Carolina. It represented his sixth major title, and he surpassed Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods to become the oldest major winner in the history of professional golf. I don’t recall thinking that Phil was too long in the tooth to win anymore, but he’s 50 years old. He’s eligible for the Champions Tour, which in a bygone era was called the “Senior Tour.” Phil had won the PGA Championship before: 16 years ago. That gap represented the largest for anyone winning the same tournament in the history of professional golf.