Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/24/2016

The Tour De France remains one of the mainstay summer sporting events not only in Europe, but across the World.  Cyclists from the six continents unite for three weeks of daily racing contests with an overall (General Classification) winner crowned, along with points winners in catergories like sprints, mountain climbs, and young rider.  But it's the GC that gets the most attention.  And for the second year in a row, and three out of four, British cyclist (by way of Kenya) Chris Froome of Team Sky was the clear winner by over 4 minutes.  After gaining minutes and seconds in all the critical stages in the first two weeks, the decisive blow was a dominant mountain time trial stage victory on Stage 18 (his second stage victory of the Tour).  It's his third nod, a worthy Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/17/2016

It is the season of international sports and historic moments.  Enter the The Open Championship at Royal Troon.  Sunday set up to be a classic match contest and did not disappoint.  Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson were several strokes ahead of the field entering the day, and it went from there. Both sides fired birdies and pars and see-sawed back and forth until the final six holes.  Then Stenson put it away.  With a brilliant putt at 14 and finishing the last four holes at 4 under par (that's one over birdie).  Mickelson simply couldn't answer the shots.  And Stenson walked away with the Claret Jug and his first Major Championship (well earned for a guy who has been so good for so long).  Henrik Stenson is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportswoman of the Week Ending 7/10/2016

Summer is a busy time for sports, with action across Europe (Tour de France, Wimbledon, Euro 2016) and the United States (MLB, NASCAR, MLS, NWSL).  But it's the United States Women's Open (golf) that anointed a new winner this week.  Brittany Lang of McKinney, Texas, went to the three extra holes to beat Sweden's Anna Nordqvist by three strokes, two of which were by controversial penalty (in true USGA style).  Nordqvist grounded her club in the sand on the 74th hole incurring a two shot penatly, but then lost by one stroke on the 75th and final hole of the 3-hole aggregate playoff.  But Lang is the story here, busting through for only her second tour victory and doing it on the biggest stage.  She

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/3/2016

A busy sports week, with Wimbledon, Tour de France, Euro 2016, College World Series and Major League Baseball filling up the sports fans' day.  It's Major League Baseball we look to this week as teams hit the half-way mark of the season.  Kendrys Morales is single-handedly willing his Kansas City Royals back into the playoff hunt.  With several key players down and pitching struggling, Morales had a week few have ever matched.  In seven games, he went 15-26 (.577) with 4 HR and 10 RBI.  Slugging 1.038 with 27 total bases.  The Royals ended the week 4-3 holding within a half game of the Wild Card.  Usually a designated hitter, he played five games in the field in order to keep his scorching bat in the lineup.  The second half of the season is here, and the Royals fate may just rest on the bat of Kendrys Morales.