KOKOMO, Ind. — Chris Windom earned his first NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week victory in eight years Saturday night at Kokomo Speedway.

Windom led the final 12 laps, including a tight green-white-checkered tussle with Brady Bacon from which Windom prevailed, for his second career ISW victory and the 24th of his USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car career, surpassing A.J. Foyt and Roger McCluskey on the all-time list.

“After winning Sprint Week last year, I honestly kind of forgot that I hadn’t had won one since 2011,” Windom admitted. “I heard that stat this week and it kind of pissed me off.  So, I really wanted to get one this week. Like I told my guys, I wasn’t going to lose that for them after busting balls above the cushion for 28 laps like that.”

That he did, after starting third in the main event which, at first, began much as it started.  Windom and pole sitter Bacon battled for the position on the opening lap while Scotty Weir crashed the party, splitting between the two with an impressive move entering turn three to take the lead.

After nipping both at the line as they remained nearly three-wide coming off turn four, Weir secured the position around Bacon off turn two and began to build a gap of nearly two seconds while the battle raged behind him.  C.J. Leary entered the fray, slipping by Windom on the bottom momentarily off turn four on the second lap.  A lap later, the two swapped positions on both ends of the racetrack, one diving in and the other countering underneath.

Windom used the diamond move off the top of turn three to run down Leary and drive past the ISW point leader into turn one the following lap. Bacon utilized the same diamond maneuver in turn three on lap five. Meanwhile, Windom threw a massive slider into three in front of Bacon. As Bacon was rolling downhill off the top of turn three, his momentum was stifled as Windom drove past to beat Bacon to the line by a car length.

Less than a lap later, Dakota Jackson flipped at the exit of turn four while running 19th.

With 12 to go, Windom began to pressure Weir into turns one and two.  Weir hopped on the curb in turn two, opening the door for Windom to drive underneath for the lead entering the back straightaway. Weir went back into attack mode, sliding across the nose of Windom for the lead entering turn three.

Windom was quick on his feet as he put four wheels above the turn three cushion, drove under Weir once again off four to take the point by a mere car length as the two frontrunners passed under Tom Hansing’s flags.

“I watched the B Main and I actually watched Dave Darland come from the tail,” Windom explained. “He was running that same line, so I knew it would probably end up working in the race. This place, after a few laps, it just seems like momentum always wins here. You’ve got to find out how you can generate the most speed around the track and that’s what I figured out. Once I could get my momentum and run that diamond line the way I needed to, we ran Scotty down. Once he bobbled a little bit, we got by him.”

With seven to go, 2016 ISW champ Bacon maneuvered around the outside of Weir in the second turn for the second spot.  Windom’s advantage was roughly 10 car lengths, but Bacon chopped it up to narrow the distance little-by-little by the time Anthony D’Alessio, making his first career USAC start, spun in turn four to necessitate a yellow with just two laps to go.

After a 23-lap green flag run, Windom was in the zone and certainly didn’t need a caution for any reason whatsoever at that point. The benefit was all to Bacon who now had a chance to take a run at Windom, starting directly from behind his rear bumper with two to go.

Windom had a pleasant restart, tearing away to a four-car-length margin midway down the back straight on the 29th lap. Windom had been using the patented diamond move in turn three lap-after-lap, but as soon as he saw Bacon to his left, Windom changed course mid-stream, aborting the line to move into defense mode, and shifted downward in front of Bacon on the bottom to secure the spot.

“It’s tough to run that line on a restart because you have to slow down on entry,” Windom explained. “It makes it easy for a guy to do what he did and sneak under you. I kind of cheated it some, and ran below it, and lost a little bit of speed on that restart.  That’s how he got next to us there. I knew I had to hit the bottom because he wasn’t going to miss the bottom in three and four. I had to hit the bottom to get back by him.”

Entering turns one and two on the final lap, Bacon surged ahead by a half-car length on the low line. Windom used the momentum from two lanes higher to pull dead-even midway down the back straight. Windom flatly denied Bacon the opportunity to take the bottom line into turn three. As the two nearly collided entering turn three, Windom ripped the bottom line from Bacon for his sole possession.

Rounding turns three and four on the bottom and headed for home, Windom closed out his third USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car victory of the season just a tick under a half second over Bacon, Leary, Kyle Cummins and Weir, who led the first 19 laps.

The victory marked Windom’s third career USAC National Sprint Car victory at Kokomo following wins in both 2012 and 2015.

To see full results, turn to the next page.

NEWTON, Iowa — When Josef Newgarden did not win the pole during Friday’s qualifications, the normally cheerful Team Penske driver was cranky, irritable and short. He believed he had the best car and came up short.

He took his frustrations out on the field with a dominant victory in the Iowa 300 — a race that started Saturday night and ended early Sunday morning.

It was the latest local time start to an IndyCar Series race in history at 10:46 p.m. Central Time (11:46 Eastern) and it was by far the latest finish to a race in IndyCar’s very long history.

The checkered flag waved at 1:30 a.m. local time with Newgarden defeating hard-charging, five-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon by 2.8527 seconds.

Newgarden started third and led 245 of the 300 laps in the race. He took the lead for the first time on Lap 49 and on the final time on Lap 258. He was able to defeat Dixon, who at one point was one lap down and in 19th place, after Dixon’s team had him pit under caution late in the race. With fresh tires, Dixon was able to easily race his way up to second place but couldn’t close the gap on Newgarden.

James Hinchcliffe was third followed by Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud with Spencer Pigot rounding out the top-five. There were five caution periods for 45 laps, but none of the incidents were serious.

It was Newgarden’s fourth victory of the year. He increased his lead over Alexander Rossi in the NTT IndyCar Series points standings from four points entering the race to 29 points after the win.

“I don’t normally like to be short and externally frustrated,” Newgarden said. “But I was just frustrated. Sometimes when you’re feeling competitive, you’re always feeling competitive, but a lot of times you can hold it back if you’re pissed off about something. Sometimes you just want to go back out and redo it. That’s kind of where I was yesterday.
“But after an hour of being pissed about it, we just went to practice and we move on. That’s all there is to it. Yeah, I mean, you’re going to get that. Look, we all want to kick each other’s butts. That’s what it’s all about. Like I was saying, it’s a competitive sport. We all want to be the best. That’s what makes it fun.

“I was fine after we got to practice two.”

The victory also gave Newgarden a sense of redemption from last year’s race, when he led 229 laps, but finish fourth with James Hinchcliffe the winner.

“That’s why I was ready to race immediately,” Newgarden said. “Let’s just go. I’m ready to go, because we got the best car, I thought. So, you know, tried to still take the opportunity obviously in practice two to get better.

“I felt ready to rock. I just wanted to make amends for not getting the pole. The pole is not the most important thing. I kind of look at it like it’s two races in the weekend. Qualifying is its own race and the race itself is its own race. The race specifically is more important. You want to win both.
“That’s where that competitive spirit was. Yeah, I wanted to get it right tonight. That’s when I really wanted to make it work.”

ROSSBURG, Ohio — Brad Sweet earned a whopping $175,000 for his second Kings Royal victory Saturday night at Eldora Speedway.

“A hundred and seventy-five mother grand,” Sweet bellowed out once he regained his breath.

Since the inception of the prestigious event in 1984, it has always paid $50,000, which was still one of the largest purses for sprint car racing. But for the 36th year of the race, track officials upped the ante.

“Sprint car racers make money based off how they finish,” Sweet said. “When you have a race that pays $175,000 to win and basically $20,000 for second, it’s kind of all or nothing coming in here. I’m a fan of it. It’s nerve-racking. It gets the fans’ attention. It’s what we need in this sport.

“It’s intense all night long. All day. Under the red. Basically, if you don’t win the race it’s a missed opportunity. You only get so many of these opportunities. So, I’m just happy and want to cherish the moment.”

Claiming his second Kings Royal victory — 11th World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series victory of the year and 45th Series win over all — required Sweet to battle all night long. Battle the competition and battle through the Kings Royal’s 2019 format.

He started the long night qualifying 18th, which placed him in the fourth starting position for his Drydene Heat race. With a daring slide job on the first lap to go from fourth to the lead, Sweet cruised to the heat win.

With his heat race being the first one of the night, under the event’s format, he was placed sixth in the lineup for the 40-lap feature.

On the pole was three-time Kings Royal winner Sammy Swindell, in his son Kevin Swindell’s No. 39 car. To his outside was 10-time series champion and five-time Kings Royal winner Donny Schatz — who had also won two of the last three races at Eldora during the week; Sweet won the other race.

Once the final sparks of fireworks fell into the dark of the night and the field of 24-cars filed back in line two-by-two, the anxiety and anticipation of the night was about to fade away with the drop of the green flag.

Leading the charge off turn four, Swindell charged to the high side on the start, while Schatz dove underneath him. Swindell had the better run on the top, though, and powered to the lead off turn two.

Behind them, Sweet split Cory Eliason and Aaron Reutzel, charging between them down the frontstretch and launched to fourth-place in the first corner.

Swindell maintained his lead over Schatz for the next three laps, before the first caution of the night flew for Tom Harris coming to a stop on the track. When the race went back green Sweet threw another massive slide job into turn one, going from fourth to the lead. However, another caution came out before the lap was complete – placing cars back in their starting order before the restart.

The field lined up single file and Swindell pulled away from Schatz on the start, putting about a three-car length distance between them.

While Swindell led, Schuchart was forging a strong run. By Lap eight, the Drydene No. 1s car had already made its way from 12th to fourth and then bolted by Sweet for third. Two laps later he torpedoed his car into turn three, diving past Schatz and Swindell by the exit of turn four.

After not transferring into the Kings Royal last year, Schuchart was leading and running away with the event.

Sweet fought his way past Schatz for second-place by lap 15, but couldn’t match Schuchart’s pace. By lap 25, Schuchart had a 2.5-second lead over Sweet and was poised to increase it riding the cushion around the track.

However, with the flash of yellow lights around the speedway, “The Big Cat” Sweet was brought to the bumper of the Shark Racing car.

Due to the long nature of the race, an open red was called, giving crews the chance to add fuel to their car, insuring it could make it to the end of the 40-lap race around the half-mile track.

On the restart, with 15 laps to go, Sweet continued to make a case for claiming the title of “restart king.” He throttled passed the outside of Schuchart before the flag stand and latched on to the cushion for momentum to pull away.

“Honestly, to be dead honest, I didn’t want to see the red,” Sweet said. “I felt like I just found the top in (turns) three and four and Logan hadn’t known about it. I think I found some speed there I was going to be able to make some moves with. We didn’t touch the race car, we put five gallons of fuel in it. I told my guys I was just going to put it to the fence and go for it.”

Schuchart said restarts had been an issue for him all week long. His car struggled to take off from the start.

“That’s part of the game,” Schuchart said. “We didn’t get the job done in that part of the race.”

Sweet used the high line during Wednesday’s Jokers Wild event to out duel Schatz for the win and it was working for him again Saturday night. Schuchart couldn’t build enough of a run again to make a charge at the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 car.

With about eight laps to go, a new winged-warrior joined the battle. From his 16th starting position, Brent Marks drove by Schatz for third-place like he founded 10 extra horsepower on the track. Schuchart was next. With three laps to go, the two Pennsylvania-natives waged war for second-place. Marks pulled a slide job on Schuchart in turn one and had the position exiting turn two, but Schuchart had the better run down the backstretch and reclaimed second. Marks wouldn’t let Schuchart out of his sight, staying within striking distance lap after lap. However, the laps ran out.

Sweet left the Pennsylvanians to battle for second, while he charged to the Kings Royal victory and the big $175,000 check.

“You have to pinch me. It feels surreal,” Sweet said.

Schuchart crossed the line second with Marks two-tenths of a second behind him in third.

“Hell, we started twelfth and led the Kings Royal, that’s something to be proud about,” Schuchart said. “To be leading this race with all of the people in this pit supporting me, it’s a great feeling. I didn’t make the show last year. We went from not making the show to out here in the top-five every single night.”

While Marks ran out of time to try and make a run at Sweet, he left with confidence in his strong run and the hard charger award.

“This car was badass tonight,” Marks said. “That was a fun race. The track was perfect tonight. You could get up against that wall and just hold the throttle down and carry the momentum. I was trying like hell to get to second.”

To see full results, turn to the next page.

Umpire Kumar Dharmasena has said that the decision to award England six runs instead of five following the overthrow in the last over of the World Cup final was a collective one, and was made in consultation with square leg umpire Marais Erasmus, a conversation that was audible to all match officials on the day. Dharmasena admitted to the error but said he would "never regret" the decision.

"It's easy for people to comment after seeing TV replays," Dharmasena told Sri Lankan publication the Sunday Times. "I agree that there was a judgmental error when I see it on TV replays now. But we did not have the luxury of TV replays at the ground and I will never regret the decision I made. Besides, the ICC praised me for the decision I made at that time."

Law 19.8 of the playing conditions states that the batsmen at the crease - Ben Stokes and Adil Rashid - should have already crossed before Martin Guptill began to throw for the second run to count in the final tally. Replays suggested this was not the case as Guptill's throw ricocheted off Stokes' bat and rolled into the boundary behind the wicketkeeper. In simpler terms, the equation that came down from 9 off 3 to 3 off 2 with Stokes retaining strike should have been 4 off 2 with Rashid on strike.

ALSO READ: 'Don't think it's fair to have a result like that' - Eoin Morgan

Dharmasena, who had been criticised for the erroneous caught-behind decision of Jason Roy during the semi-final, came in for further criticism after the final. While the players themselves had no major problem with either the umpiring or the laws, public opinion was decidedly split - even hostile - about the manner in which England eventually won the title. The perceived reluctance to use technology was one of the talking points.

"There is no provision in the law to refer this to the third umpire as no dismissal was involved," Dharmasena said. "So, I did consult the leg umpire through the communication system which is heard by all other umpires and the match referee. And, while they cannot check TV replays, they all confirmed that the batsmen have completed the run. This is when I made my decision."

"One must understand that there were too many things on our plate," he said. "We had to watch the batsmen complete the first run, the ball being fielded, how it was handled by the fielder and whether the batsmen completed the second run. And where the throw would come from, the striker's end or non-striker's end. In this case, we were all happy that the batsmen had completed the second run because the ball ricocheted off Stokes's bat at the time of him completing the second run.

"So, we assumed that they had crossed each other at the time of fielder releasing the ball. These are things that happen in a cricket field," he said. "For instance, an umpire can call a wide or a no-ball wrongly and just because the TV replays shows otherwise, we cannot go back and reverse the match. This is one such incident."

Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau says his "frustrating" long-term injury absence has reignited his desire to play.

The British and Irish Lion broke his arm twice last season and missed Wales' Six Nations Grand Slam.

Faletau's last game for his country was in March 2018, but now he is back with Wales at their World Cup training camp.

"It's good to be back in and among the boys and training with them again," said the 28-year-old Bath player.

"I didn't realise at the time but being away from rugby for that amount of time, the hunger is there more now.

"When you are doing it year in, year out, you take it for granted at times.

"Hopefully, when I get on the pitch, I can last longer than last time."

Faletau's luckless run of injuries started last October when he fractured his right forearm while playing for Bath, which ruled him out of Wales' autumn series clean sweep.

He made an impressive return for his club in their Champions Cup win over Wasps in January - but he then broke the same arm, and the injury denied him what would have been a second Grand Slam and a third Six Nations title of his career.

"It's been frustrating. I played the first couple of games of the season with Bath, then I broke it the first time," Faletau said.

"But it was more frustrating the second time around because I was looking forward to playing some rugby at the end of the season - but it just wasn't meant to be.

"Hopefully it's better this time. I haven't played a game yet but I've been doing some contact with the boys and it's holding up OK so far.

"I had the same procedure the second time around: the surgeon put another plate the other side of the bone to strengthen it. A bone graft was mentioned the second time around but we decided against it.

"I'm not sure why it happened again. I'd rather not look back and point fingers. This time around it's solid enough."

When fit, Faletau is among the finest back-rows in world rugby and his prodigiously broad skillset has helped him earn 72 caps for Wales and four Test appearances for the Lions across two tours.

Despite his considerable status, however, the former Dragons player feels the need to prove himself all over again as he aims to make the cut when Wales reduce their squad of 42 players down to a final 31-man party for the World Cup in September.

"It's about winning my place in the team back," Faletau added.

"A lot of hard work will go into it but everybody is doing the same thing to put their hands up.

"Playing for your country at a World Cup is another level - it's no different to anyone else here. Everybody wants the same thing and, at the end, only a certain amount will be able to go."

Vunipola's wedding - and doing Tonga proud

Before joining Wales' squad in Switzerland, Faletau returned to the country of his birth, Tonga, for the wedding of his cousin and England number eight Billy Vunipola.

"It was awesome to get back there. It was the first time I had been there since 2011, so it was awesome to see the family and the culture again," said Faletau.

"I was born there but moved to Wales when I was seven. This time round I took my partner down and the kids and everyone had a great time. My only regret was that I wasn't there longer."

While Faletau, who was raised in Gwent, is a proud Wales international, he is also proud of his Tongan roots, and he proved to be a celebrity attraction on his return to the island.

"It's a small country, so you get recognised by everybody. They are proud and back their own," Faletau said.

"You can see with the rugby league there they have a huge amount of supporters and any Tongan playing for another country they will support them hugely too.

"I represent Wales now, but I am Tongan. If I can make them proud by playing for Wales I will be happy to do that."

Zinedine Zidane is a "disgrace" for his comments about Gareth Bale's Real Madrid situation, the player's agent has told ESPN FC.

Bale was left out of Saturday's 3-1 International Champions Cup defeat to Bayern Munich and afterwards, coach Zidane said: "We hope he leaves soon. It would be best for everyone."

- When does the transfer window close?
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The Wales international is under contract until 2022 and his agent Jonathan Barnett told ESPN FC: "Zidane is a disgrace to speak like that about someone who has done so much for Real.

"If and when Gareth goes it will be because it is in the best interest of Gareth and nothing to do with Zidane pushing."

Bale has won the Champions League four times during a trophy-laden spell at Madrid and scored one the competition's all-time great goals with his overhead kick in a 3-1 victory against Liverpool in 2018.

He featured in 42 matches last season, with 21 coming as a starter, but injury problems have limited him to 79 games of a possible 151 in La Liga. He has also won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, as well as lifting the Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup three times apiece.

Manchester United wanted to sign Bale in 2013 but he opted for Madrid in a deal worth around £85 million -- a world record transfer at the time. Sources have told ESPN FC that United do not wish to reignite their interest this summer, while Tottenham have been linked with a move for their former player.

Marca claimed on Tuesday that Spurs were ready to offer Bale an escape route from the Bernabeu, with a bid of around €60m mooted. It was claimed they would pay around half of his €17m-a-year salary, with Madrid handing the winger €25m up front to cover the remaining three years of his contract.

Pressed on what stage the negotiations are at surrounding Bale's potential exit, Barnett told ESPN FC there is "nothing more at the moment," regarding the player's future. Barnett previously told ESPN FC this summer the 30-year-old is ready to take on Zidane in a power struggle at Madrid.

ESPN FC have approached Madrid for comment regarding Bale's situation.

The club have already spent over €300m shaking up a squad which failed in 2018-19, with Eden Hazard the headline addition, but Zidane is keen on adding Paul Pogba to the squad this summer.

The club's next match in preseason is against Arsenal on Tuesday (Landover, Md.; 7 p.m. ET, 11 p.m. GMT -- ESPN Deportes) with Zidane's men starting their La Liga campaign at Celta Vigo on Aug. 17.

ESPN FC's Real Madrid correspondent Dermot Corrigan contributed to this report.

Amid intense speculation over his future, MS Dhoni is not travelling with the India squad to the West Indies. Chief selector MSK Prasad said the wicketkeeper-batsman is "unavailable" for the tour.

Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya have been rested from the white-ball leg of the tour, and the latter isn't part of the Test squad either.

The Test squad is largely along expected lines, with Wriddhiman Saha making his return after a year out injured as one of two wicketkeepers alongside Rishabh Pant. R Ashwin, who hasn't played international cricket since the Adelaide Test in December 2018, and missed the rest of the Australia Tests with a side strain, is part of a three-member spin contingent alongside Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.

The white-ball squads include a pair of uncapped players. Fast bowler Navdeep Saini has found a place in both the ODI and T20I squads, and legspinner Rahul Chahar has earned a call-up to the T20I squad. Middle-order batsmen Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey, and left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed, have also been recalled to the ODI squad, with Dinesh Karthik, who was India's reserve keeper at the World Cup, missing out.

Shikhar Dhawan, who left the World Cup midway with a broken thumb, has recovered fully and is back in the ODI and T20I squads. Vijay Shankar, who suffered a toe fracture during the tournament, is still not back to full fitness, however.

Since the World Cup, intense debate has swirled around Dhoni's place in the side, with plenty of speculation over whether he should retire. Prasad refused to get drawn into this, and didn't specify any reason for his unavailability.

"Retirement is purely individual. A legendary cricketer like MS Dhoni, he knows when to retire," he said. "I don't think we need to discuss anything on it, because first of all he's not available. Second, we have already started grooming some youngsters."

Test squad: Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav

ODI squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kedar Jadhav, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Navdeep Saini

T20I squad Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini

More to follow...

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland -- Shane Lowry is way out in front after three impressive days at Royal Portrush. But there are some big names -- Brooks Koepka the biggest among them -- lurking on the leaderboard. Oh, and there's bad weather expected to roll in -- rain and wind and who knows what else -- on Sunday.

So what's going to happen? We answer the biggest questions heading into the final round of The Open.

1. Shane Lowry has a 4-shot lead. What stops him from holding the Claret Jug on Sunday?

Bob Harig: Nerves. This is a huge moment for a guy who, candidly, has not won as frequently as expected. Before winning in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, Lowry's last win was in 2015 at the WGC-Bridgestone. And there's that four-shot lead he had through 54 holes at the 2016 U.S. Open. Plenty to process.

Michael Collins: Mother Nature and nerves. Since he's never won a major before, Saturday night will be a tough night for Shane. If the full force of what's expected shows up in Sunday's final round, it becomes a battle for Lowry to slow down and not watch the scoreboard to know who's coming at you. This will be a huge ask with two experienced major winners (Brooks Koepka and Justin Rose) just on the fringe.

Ian O'Connor: Emotion. Too much emotion. Irish fans behind the 18th green were going nuts Saturday night when Lowry appeared after his round. It felt like a premature coronation. He's already blown a 4-shot lead in a major, and he's never won a big one. So Lowry's going to be dealing with a whole lot of things that have nothing to do with the weather. Lowry said he's learned from his failure at Oakmont and will show up Sunday a different man. We'll see.

Mark Schlabach: I think Lowry is the only one who can stop him from winning. He has a 4-shot lead. Can he hold it? If Lowry handles his nerves and stays composed, the Irishman is going to win the first Open Championship played on Irish soil in 68 years. He's going to have nearly everyone at Royal Portrush cheering for him. He's been here before, though, and it didn't end well.

Nick Pietruszkiewicz: Letting those bad memories from 2016 come back to haunt him. He's been down this road before. He led the U.S. Open by 4 back then at Oakmont after a third-round 65. He shot 76 on Sunday and lost by three. And this one will be even tougher to close. He's played three great rounds. He's coming off a scintillating 63 (with a back-nine 30 on Saturday at Royal Portrush). Sometimes there is a letdown after super-low rounds. And there's perhaps the biggest piece of the equation: He's pretty much got everyone on the grounds in Northern Ireland rooting for him. That's a lot to handle.

2. How far is too far back? What player could make the huge move?

Harig: You have to look at the score in second place, and that is Tommy Fleetwood's 12 under. If Lowry falters, then that becomes the number, and anyone who is within six of that conceivably has a chance, especially if they shoot a number early and the weather turns frightful, as has been predicted. Jon Rahm is at 7 under and will tee off four groups prior to Lowry. He'll need a low one, but it's certainly possible.

Collins: Don't think for a second that Justin Rose or Brooks Koepka are too far back. While 7 shots seems like an insurmountable number, in really bad conditions those shots can be gone in three, four or five holes. I think Rickie Fowler and Lee Westwood (both 8 back) are too far behind, but that's also because of the mental baggage they carry from not having won a major. But if it gets crazy coming down the stretch, be glad you're on the sofa or in a chair and not inside the ropes wanting to scream for help.

O'Connor: I think 7 under, 9 shots back, is where the line should be drawn, giving the likes of Spieth, Rahm and Tony Finau a chance. Of course, Lowry has to falter, and one of those players has to catch fire and shoot 63. I think Fowler, at 8 under, makes a big move. Nearly everyone thinks he's pretty much out of it, and that might allow him to play relatively pressure-free golf in pursuit of that first major.

Schlabach: I think anybody within 8 shots might have a chance -- if Lowry gives some back. That leaves seven players in the mix. Maybe Jordan Spieth (9 back) or Henrik Stenson (10 back) can get back into contention if Lowry completely falls apart and the weather is really bad. Still, that seems like quite a stretch. If the weather makes Lowry lose his mind, it's not going to be easy for anyone else to play well and make up ground, either.

Pietruszkiewicz: This is going to sound nuts, but I'll say anyone at 6 under or better. Yes, I'm aware 6 under is 10 shots behind Lowry. The group at 6 under only has 11 players with better scores in front of them. While that is a lot of shots, that is not a lot of people. Strange things can happen in the final round of a major. Strange things can happen at The Open. Strange things can happen when the weather gets bad. And the weather is supposed to get bad. If 10 shots is indeed in play, that puts Rahm and Jordan Spieth (9 back) and Stenson and Matt Kuchar (10 back) in that you-never-know kind of position. But the guy who is going to come from the pack is Rickie Fowler, who is 8 strokes behind. But we'll get to him in a second

3. The forecast is calling for rain and possible wind gusts up to 40 mph. Is it mean to root for bad weather?

Harig: Heck, no. That's what The Open is so often about. We're allowed to enjoy the havoc nasty weather brings to the best in the world. It creates its own kind of drama and has a way of shining a light on how good these guys really are, as nobody typically can imagine being able to produce good shots under such conditions.

Collins: That's like asking if it's mean to root for someone getting knocked out in a fight! It's the Open Championship -- bad weather is supposed to be part of the deal here. I do love the fact that when the weather is perfect (for this part of the world), the best players can show just how great they are. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want Mother Nature to punch the field in the face on Sunday to see who's left standing.

O'Connor: Never! To the average fan, golf is the most maddening game in the world. Fans want to see these highly skilled craftsmen, these conquerors of an unconquerable game, suffer like they do. When you're sitting on your couch at room temperature, what better TV entertainment could you find than a bunch of coddled multimillionaires getting drenched by rain and battered by wind?

Schlabach: I think the players know what's coming after Saturday's conditions. They got theirs on a dry day with practically no wind. Now, Royal Portrush is going to get its 10 pounds of flesh on Sunday. The Open Championship isn't supposed to be as easy as it was on Saturday. Half of the field -- 30 out of 73 players! -- shot under par. Harry Colt, the original architect of the famed links course, was probably rolling in his grave. The rain is going to come down in buckets, and the wind is going to howl. It's going to be magnificent.

Pietruszkiewicz: It's been mostly benign conditions for a week here in Northern Ireland. Everyone has had the picturesque views of the coast. The postcard looks at nearby Dunluce Castle and Giant's Causeway. We've all gotten to see gorgeous Royal Portrush in all its beauty. It's time for some madness. Let it rain. Let the wind blow. Let 80 be considered a decent score.

4. Tiger Woods won the Masters. Brooks Koepka won the PGA. Gary Woodland won the U.S. Open. Pick the American on the leaderboard who could give the U.S. its first major sweep since 1976.

Harig: Koepka. He's spent three days watching putts not go in, and yet he's still 9 under and tied for fourth. If Lowry had not gone on that late run, Koepka would be right there. As it is, he's a Lowry implosion from being right there.

Collins: Koepka. Remember, before dominating on the PGA Tour, he cut his teeth on the European Tour. That means he's played in conditions PGA Tour pros would normally never play in. Could J.B. Holmes catch Lowry? Only if Mother Nature makes a left and doesn't show up. Even so, Brooks' putter has yet to get hot. When/if that happens ... watch out.

O'Connor: You still have to go with Koepka over Fowler for the obvious reasons. BK finally made a putt on the 18th hole Saturday. If that wakes up his putter Sunday, watch out. Koepka has won four majors, or four more than the combined total of the three men ahead of him on the board. A second straight two-major year would be a remarkable feat for a guy who treats regular tour events like silly season exhibitions.

Schlabach: I think Koepka -- who else? -- is the American with the best chance to catch Lowry. If Koepka's putter was hot, he'd probably be in the lead, or at least closer than seven behind. He hasn't made much of anything all week, and yet he's still tied for fourth at 9 under. He didn't putt well at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and couldn't hunt down Gary Woodland in the end. Bottom line: He has to make putts to have a chance to win.

Pietruszkiewicz: I picked Rickie Fowler to win before this thing started. I'm not jumping ship now. Sure, he's 8 shots out, but he is tied for sixth. That's not a lot of people between him and Lowry. Basically, he's going to need help from Lowry. He's going to need help from Fleetwood, who is 12 under, 4 shots out of the lead, 4 shots ahead of Fowler and alone in second place. He's going to need help from Mother Nature.

5. OK ... who wins?

Harig: Lowry. Not a very daring choice, but with a 4-shot advantage, he has "created so many winning options for himself,'' as Padraig Harrington said. While poor weather could cause him some problems, it will for others, too. And perhaps grinding out a bunch of pars will be the key to an Irish victory at Royal Portrush.

Collins: Shane Lowry. The key for Lowry will be the crowd chanting for him. When he finished his round on Saturday, there were hundreds (maybe a thousand) fans standing near the scoring area and interview area literally singing to him. The smile he had on his face throughout the day should be plastered there Sunday even through horrid conditions, because of the fans. An Irishman winning the Open Championship in Northern Ireland will be some kind of party.

O'Connor: Tommy Fleetwood. One birdie (for him) and one bogey (for Lowry) early in the round, and the lead is right back down to two. Fleetwood has a ton of talent, and he has a lot less pressure on him than Lowry does. Plus, his rounds keep getting better (68-67-66). I picked Fleetwood after my original pick, Rory McIlroy, went home for the weekend. I'll stick with him.

Schlabach: Lowry. The good news for him? There are only three players within 10 shots -- Koepka, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth -- who have won a major championship. The rest are a bunch of players also trying to win their first major.

Pietruszkiewicz: Fowler. Getting that first major has been a struggle, so why not get it in epic fashion with a Sunday charge unlike anything ever seen at The Open? Something wild is coming Sunday. Maybe it's this.