Unlike sports of a fast, furious, flashy nature like professional football and basketball, some sports build their fan bases off of building their legacies as tried-and-true classics. This is certainly the case with baseball, and it’s also part of the reason that golf is still so popular. It is one of those classic games that requires true skill and grace to compete well, and players who do well must have unparalleled mental focus. It also doesn’t hurt that golf is a pretty game to look at, especially on today’s HD TVs, and tournaments like the British Open are a real treat to watch. In this year’s Open Championship, fans not only get to see a beautiful backdrop and classic skill and mental prowess on display; they also get to see a changing of the guard as it were.

Newer, younger stars are starting to emerge on the golf scene today, leaving the old guard behind. In the 144th Open Championship, colloquially called the British Open, fans get to see perhaps the highest concentration of young, evenly matched players in generations. Who will win this year’s title? Last year’s champion Rory Mcllroy had pretty solid golf odds, but unfortunately didn’t end up playing. Other favorites include Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Jason Day. Though some big names are noticeably absent from those favorites.

Today’s Contenders and Yesteryear’s Champions

The British Open is actually the oldest of the big-four majors in golf. It’s also the only major played off of US soil. The British Open takes place at St. Andrews in Scotland, and it’s actually a large mash-up of professional tours, including the PGA tour, of course, the European tour, and the Japan Golf tour. This year’s tournament, which seems to be all about the youth, isn’t actually the first time fans have witnessed a dramatic changing of the guard.

In 2000, an aging Jack Nicklaus was playing his farewell tournament at the Open Championship, and as he made it through the tournament and waved at the crowd, a young, up and coming golfer named Tiger Woods was stealing the Golden Bear’s fanfare by playing amazing golf. Jack didn’t win one for the old guard that day, but Tiger Woods did end up breaking the record with -19 to par.

This year’s passing of the torch isn’t nearly that dramatic. What you have are a few older, popular players who are still playing rather well considering, yet they’re simply unable to best today’s youthful players. Tiger Woods, as of the second day of play, is in 140th place, well out of contention for the second cut and well behind his overall game that he’s been known for going on two decades. Tiger’s fall from grace has been a long time coming, and his poor play at the Open Championship just cements his current legacy as a notable golfer and a fan favorite who simply doesn’t win.

Phil Mickelson, currently 24th after two of four days, is in a much better position for the second cut, but he’s out of contention compared to these younger players. Dustin and Zach Johnson, Paul Lawrie, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth – today’s Open is all about the new pros climbing the polls. The old pros of yesteryear will undoubtedly stick around a while, but the theme to keep an eye on is how the new guard does all the winning.

Rory up, Tiger down. The 2014 PGA Championship contested this year at the rain-soaked Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky enters weekend play with a future Hall of Famer clutching his back and missing the cut. And the world’s #1 ranked golfer is making his claim as the next big name on the tour. Tiger Woods has had many physical issues the last few years, and was seen clutching his back after a disappointing back-to-back 74 – 74 that meant he missed the cut for this year’s PGA Championship. His quest for Major number 15 will have to wait. But on the upside, Rory McIlroy, trailing by one stroke after day one, moved into the lead with a second-round score of 67. That places him 1 stroke above Jim Furyk and Jason Day, who shot the low round on the day at 65, six below par.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are the Vegas odds on favorites to win this year’s Masters golf tournament. Phil Mickelson is looking to collect green jacket number four, and won the Masters as recently as 2010. Many people forget he was in the hunt right until the end last year, and finished in a tie for third. Mickelson has four majors overall, and certainly knows how to play Augusta National. Then there is this other fellow named Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods won eight majors and three Masters from 1997 to 2002, but as hot as he was playing at that time, he was only getting started knocking down major titles.

The Professional Golf Association (PGA) tour is often all about streaks. When a player can’t seem to get out of the rough or keep his ball in the fairway during one tournament, that poor play often spirals into a three or four tournament stretch where he cannot do anything right. Fortunately for the hot PGA pro, the opposite can also be the case. One good tournament builds confidence, and suddenly that players drivers, irons and putter seem to have laser-guided accuracy. That having been said, there are a few players heading into this year’s Masters at Augusta who are definitely riding a hot hand.

The Penn State football program was hit hard by the NCAA this morning. The NCAA leveled a 60 million dollar fine; scholarship reductions of 10 immediately and 20 over the next four seasons, a four year bowl ban, and the program must vacate all victories from 1998 to 2011. What will really cripple the program are the scholarship reductions. Penn State will have 75 scholarship players this season and that number will fall to 65 after this coming season. The allowable limit for Division One teams is 85 scholarship players. Because of the bowl penalties Penn State players can transfer to another BCS level team and be eligible to play immediately.

The Dwight Howard saga took another strange twist on Thursday. It was rumored that Howard was willing to sign a contract extension with the Los Angles Lakers then later in the day word comes that he is going to test free agent market at the end of 2012-2013 season. The latest proposed trade involving Howard was Howard going to the Lakers, current Laker center Andrew Bynum to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao to Orlando along with a package of future first round picks. Many fans thought the new collective bargaining agreement between the players and the owners would prevent this type of situation. It seems like nothing has changed. You still have players forcing teams to do their bidding and they are still getting paid big money.

The free agent signing period began on Sunday and there have been some interesting moves. The Houston Rockets have signed Chicago Bull free agent Omer Asik to a three year 25 million dollar contract. The interesting part of this contract is the third year of the deal Asik will be paid 15 million dollars this type of deal is called a “poison pill” contract. The Rockets by structuring the contract with a large third year payout makes it nearly impossible for the Bulls to match it.

The $8 million purse is certainly attractive, and the Olympic Club Lake Course in San Francisco looks incredible, and just flat being able to make a living playing golf has got to make every PGA Tour professional wake up with a smile on his face. But the 112th U.S. Open is after all a Major event, and since most of these guys really don’t have a problem paying their bills, it’s all about that Major Grand Slam title. Many of those in the running have never taken down one of the four major grand slam golf championships, and the active player with the most grand slam titles, a guy by the name of Tiger Woods you may of heard of, is lurking and ready to pounce.

The Miami Heat played the perfect game to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder last night. It was not perfect in appearance but it was perfect in strategy. Miami slowed the game down and attacked the Oklahoma City defense with quick, decisive, and powerful moves. LeBron James stopped playing a finesse game and used his major asset on offense: power. What can you say about Shane Battier the first two games? He is playing the way he did with the Rockets and Grizzlies. Battier gives the Heat a solid outside shooter and above average defender on the wings. Also he is a smart player that is not going to make stupid mistakes to hurt your cause.