Sports Daily: East Lake forever

Happy Hump Day, y’all.

Today’s newsletter defends Atlanta’s golf cathedral, dives into a bold declaration from Georgia Tech’s athletic director and offers a fresh take on College Football Playoff expansion.

We’ll briefly talk chessboxing and arm wrestling, too.

Let’s get it.

Quick links: Braves complete the comeback | Dream falls short | A video about chessboxing

JUST LET US COOK, OK?

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC

East Lake Golf Club is Atlanta’s oldest.

The legend Bobby Jones won his first tournament there (he was 6). He played his final round there, too.

Arnold Palmer & Co. won a Ryder Cup there.

The club fell into disrepair, helped fuel a crisis in the surrounding community — then, shockingly, helped fix it all.

And when the Tour Championship officially begins tomorrow, it’ll be the 22nd straight year that one of golf’s coolest events returns to one of golf’s coolest venues.

So why’s everybody hating on East Lake all of a sudden?

The current edition of this unpleasant phenomenon started back in May, when ESPN reported that the club might lose its exclusive hosting duties after its current contract expires in 2027.

Then this metaphor-mixing gentleman from Golfweek deems the potential move “a home run.” His primary argument?

East Lake “doesn’t capture the imagination of the sports fan.”

A golfer on the PGA’s policy board told him this: “I don’t hear fans say it is an exciting golf course to watch golf. I know it does a lot for the community and that’s very important, but I think it would be cool for our biggest trophy to be given away at a course that really excites fans.”

Someone call Mary J. Blige. I sense some hateration in the house.

I suppose East Lake isn’t the most dramatic looking course. There are no ocean views or rolling hills. Not even azaleas. I’ll also concede that “Atlanta in August” isn’t always an enjoyable al fresco experience.

That said, the club has done a lot of work lately. The renovation that debuted in 2024 returned the course to something resembling its Jones-era roots:

More spacious fairways.
Less rough.
More bunkers and more water in play.
Challenging greens.

Perhaps most importantly: This year’s Tour Championship will do away with its traditional scoring format, which was truly bizarre and impossible to follow.

No more “starting strokes” for perennial favorite Scottie Scheffler or anyone else. The world’s best golfers will begin their quest for a title — and a $10 million payday — on even footing.

“Look, it has a different feel,” said defending Masters champ Rory McIlroy (while also deeming the course renovations “very good.”)

“Any one of the 30 has a chance to win the FedEx Cup this year. I think with a clean slate for everyone, it’s a great opportunity for one of the guys that maybe wasn’t a huge part of the season to put their hand up and have a chance to win the big prize at the end of the year.”

What else could you ask for?

SCORES AND SUCH

👍 The Braves got homers from Jurickson Profar and Michael Harris II (who else?). Then they fell behind 10-4. They won anyway, with Drake Baldwin’s two-run eighth-inning single sealing the 11-10 victory over the White Sox.

Hurston “What’s Gotten Into This Guy?” Waldrep gets the start in tonight’s series finale.

👎 The Dream doubled down but couldn’t complete a late-night rally in Vegas, falling 74-72 to reigning MVP A’ja Wilson and the Aces. Rhyne Howard’s last-second floater didn’t find the net for Atlanta.

Up next: Another big one with the league-leading Minnesota Lynx, who come to College Park on Thursday.

🤔 The Falcons released their final depth chart ahead of Friday’s preseason finale against the Cowboys in Dallas. Sure looks like they’ve found a pecking order in the battle to replace Grady Jarrett — and the secondary’s starting to take shape, too.

Don’t forget to sign up for the new Dirty Birds Dispatch newsletter, y’all. Next edition arrives tomorrow morning.

404 TAKEOVER, PART II

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Georgia Tech athletic director Ryan Alpert said on the radio Tuesday that the Yellow Jackets “need to be Atlanta’s hometown college team.”

A noble goal. And easily achievable, if they follow my simple four-step plan!

1️⃣ Be consistently very good.

2️⃣ Also be exciting.

3️⃣ Make games feel like “events.” Not just places to watch, but places to be seen.

4️⃣ Move Atlanta to an alternate dimension where most people don’t already have strong collegiate sports allegiances that dictate how they spend their time and money.

In all seriousness: Alpert talked about “things that we can do to engage more broadly than just our alums.” That’s a good idea. And depending on what it all looks like, the Institute may even manage to pick off a few uncommitted (fan) prospects.

I’m just not sure that recruiting class is particularly deep.

🔗 Bonus link: Tech tight ends expected to do it all

THE MORE THE MERRIER

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Meanwhile, in Athens: Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton is getting his marks for his new mustache.

And on a more meaningful note, coach Kirby Smart says he’s not opposed to the Big Ten’s pitch to expand the College Football Playoff to as many as 28 teams — so long as it’s “done the right way, in terms of giving more teams the opportunity.”

It is, of course, impossible to have an expanded playoff without “giving more teams the opportunity.” But Smart said it’s all about finding the right format, and that “people are not excited about mid-tier bowl games.”

He’s got a point there.

Then again: The only difference between those games and, say, Ohio State beating the snot out of Iowa State in a first-round playoff game is … marketing.

And Auburn will probably just claim the title anyway.

🔗 Bonus link: All-American punter may miss opener

IS THIS SPORTS?

Hard to say. But the AJC’s fearless video crew recently ventured into two coliseums of unconventional competition:

chessboxing (it’s a real thing)
and arm wrestling (not just for Sly Stallone B-movies).

Both videos provide roughly two minutes of delightful weirdness. Please enjoy.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Credit: Colin Hubbard/AP

Home run? Check. Defensive gem? Check. Fully stretched hip adductors? Check.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

It honestly feels like he's going to hit a homer every time he comes to the plate. You just know something cool is going to happen.

- Baldwin, the Braves catcher, on Harris

Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Sports Daily. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.

Until next time.

About the Author

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