Every PGA Tour season involves a number of surprises, disappointments and highly competitive events, and the Greenbrier Classic has already qualified as having all three traits. The annual event unfolded on one of West Virginia’s most famous golf courses over the past weekend. While PGA pros battled tough conditions in the hot and muggy South, the best in professional tennis gathered in London, England for Wimbledon 2013. The prestigious yearly tournament is widely regarded as one of the most important on the entire professional sports calendar. Here’s a quick and informative look into important golf and tennis events that happened on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean in the past week.
When the third round was completed on an immaculate golf course in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, a collection of mid-ranked players occupied the leaderboard. In a tournament devoid of the sport’s best, a $1.13 million trophy was literally open for the taking. Enter 33-year-old former Virginia Tech Hokie Johnson Wagner, who set the high water mark after a third round at -14 but clearly felt the heavy pressure of a PGA Tour fourth round and carded three bogies and only one birdie on Sunday. His lackluster performance opened the door for Swedish sharpshooter Jonas Blixt, who putted like a top ranked player through all four rounds. Blixt ended up winning the tournament by two strokes and pocketing the aforementioned bounty.
Wimbledon also unfolded over the course of last week, and many of the most celebrated players lacked punch during the early rounds. In the women’s bracket, Serena Williams and a few other well-known favorites were tossed to the wayside after unspectacular performances. This created a finals round that pits the #15 ranked female against the #23, and 28-year-old Marion Bartoli is anxious to etch her name into history with a victory over Sabine Lisicki.
The men’s bracket was also highlighted by departures of top-ranked players in early rounds, but Englishman Andy Murray was clearly intent on making the Queen and the entire nation proud. By besting stud Serb superstar Novak Djokovic in the Men’s Final, Murray became the first Brit to raise the silver-plated trophy in almost 80 years, sending thrills and confirmation throughout a proud sporting nation.