In N.Y., Karen Crouse writes Brooks Koepka is "not a star manufactured by golf’s marketing machine," but he may be "just what a sport searching for Tiger Woods’s heir needs." Though Koepka "doesn’t go out of his way to promote himself, fame has managed to find him." During Woods’s decade-long major title drought, golf’s image makers "threw several players into the spotlight to see if they’d stick." Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler have had "incandescent moments, but all have wilted in the manufactured glare" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/14).
Deegan, 17, has won three times on NASCAR's K&N Pro Series West since last yeargetty images
STAR IN THE MAKING? RACER.com's Kelly Crandall wrote under the header, "Why NASCAR Needs Hailie Deegan." The 17-year-old, three-time winner on NASCAR's K&N Pro Series West has a "firecracker personality" and is the rare driver who will "openly share their unfiltered thoughts and intentions." That makes her a "breath of fresh air" compared to many Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Crandall: "Deegan is fearless, determined, and has no reservations on track about her competition. ... She's plenty marketable, and she's growing quite the fan base" (RACER.com, 6/11).
SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY GIFT: Former Pro Football HOF Exec Dir Joe Horrigan said a special Centennial Class of inductees "is going to happen" to coincide with the NFL's 100th season. Details of the one-time induction have not been determined, but it will serve as a "significant step toward reducing a backlog of qualified seniors, coaches and contributors that only increases with each year" (FOOTBALLMAVEN.io, 6/13).
