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Why the Tar Heels Made a M Gamble on Michael Malone | Deadspin.com   The biggest reason why Michael Malone is the new head coach at North Carolina is that he knew he wasn’t getting the type of NBA coaching job he’d want this offseason.The other big reason is that guys named Tommy Lloyd (Arizona) and Dusty May (Michigan) feel they have better jobs than the one in Chapel Hill, N.C.So the big Malone experiment is a full-go at North Carolina. And, oh yeah, that other huge reason is the six-year, -million contract plus incentives he’s getting without even one day of college head-coaching experience.You can look it up, only legendary Bill Self (.8M) has a higher average salary than Malone (.3M). Even John Calipari (.0M) earns less.That’s quite a financial commitment for North Carolina’s first outside-the-program hire since 1952.Malone, 54, was fired by the Denver Nuggets with three games left in the 2024-25 regular season despite leading the franchise to the NBA title just two campaigns earlier.There was reportedly a lot of tension in the organization, particularly between Malone and then-general manager Calvin Booth, who was fired at the same time.Malone’s meticulous nature apparently rubbed some players the wrong way. And you could see why it became an issue.It’s easy to accept hard coaching methods when you’re trying to win a title. After everyone gets a ring, they want to relax a little.Malone isn’t much for relaxing.So he wasn’t on an NBA bench this season and perhaps he needed a break. Good for him. He deserved a little time away from coaching basketball.Malone was surely sizing up what jobs would come open after this season. And he could see there were no winners to be had.No reason to take a bad job in which you might lose 50 or 60 games. And, well, the Sacramento Kings aren’t a possibility since that franchise infamously fired Malone after just 106 games in 2014.No matter how you slice it, coaching the Tar Heels is superior to coaching the Kings.So Malone takes his 11-plus seasons as an NBA head coach and 12 as an NBA assistant back to college. He last was on a college staff at Manhattan in 2001 and the landscape is entirely different.Just picture all those trees all around Chapel Hill disappearing overnight – that’s how much different.The coaching part ought to be the easiest segment of the job for Malone. The egos will be largely reduced and a guy with 510 wins on the resume and an NBA title ring on his finger ought to be able to get teenagers and 20-year-olds to listen.The NIL equation — the compensation is being upgraded by North Carolina — shouldn’t be a problem. Malone is used to being around players who are getting paid. Plus, college basketball is often an entire-staff effort so others can handle the things Malone isn’t initially up to speed on.He surely knows the talent is a drop-off from having guys like three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic or sharpshooter Jamal Murray. But North Carolina is supposed to be in the hunt for all the blue-chippers.Perhaps former coach Hubert Davis wasn’t landing as many as Duke the past few years. So part of Malone’s success rate may rely on beefing up those scores against the Blue Devils and other national powers.Malone will come under early season scrutiny – as he should – but I suspect by January that everything will be about game-planning and competing hard and winning games.The hard thing to analyze is just how long will Malone want to hang out on the campus not far from bustling Franklin Street? Is this something he wants to do the rest of his career?Obviously, he wants to restore North Carolina back among the top programs in the nation, but will he see an NBA opening three or four years down the road and want to take another spin? There are no academic advisors and other college red-tape annoyances in the NBA.One thing we do now – this is not a Bill Belichick hire. Malone is not about to retire on the job, no matter how many Brink’s trucks are needed to drop off his money.   #Tar #Heels #50M #Gamble #Michael #Malone #Deadspin.com

Why the Tar Heels Made a $50M Gamble on Michael Malone | Deadspin.com

The biggest reason why Michael Malone is the new head coach at North Carolina is that he knew he wasn’t getting the type of NBA coaching job he’d want this offseason.

The other big reason is that guys named Tommy Lloyd (Arizona) and Dusty May (Michigan) feel they have better jobs than the one in Chapel Hill, N.C.

So the big Malone experiment is a full-go at North Carolina. And, oh yeah, that other huge reason is the six-year, $50-million contract plus incentives he’s getting without even one day of college head-coaching experience.

You can look it up, only legendary Bill Self ($8.8M) has a higher average salary than Malone ($8.3M). Even John Calipari ($8.0M) earns less.

That’s quite a financial commitment for North Carolina’s first outside-the-program hire since 1952.

Malone, 54, was fired by the Denver Nuggets with three games left in the 2024-25 regular season despite leading the franchise to the NBA title just two campaigns earlier.

There was reportedly a lot of tension in the organization, particularly between Malone and then-general manager Calvin Booth, who was fired at the same time.

Malone’s meticulous nature apparently rubbed some players the wrong way. And you could see why it became an issue.

It’s easy to accept hard coaching methods when you’re trying to win a title. After everyone gets a ring, they want to relax a little.

Malone isn’t much for relaxing.

So he wasn’t on an NBA bench this season and perhaps he needed a break. Good for him. He deserved a little time away from coaching basketball.

Malone was surely sizing up what jobs would come open after this season. And he could see there were no winners to be had.

No reason to take a bad job in which you might lose 50 or 60 games. And, well, the Sacramento Kings aren’t a possibility since that franchise infamously fired Malone after just 106 games in 2014.

No matter how you slice it, coaching the Tar Heels is superior to coaching the Kings.

So Malone takes his 11-plus seasons as an NBA head coach and 12 as an NBA assistant back to college. He last was on a college staff at Manhattan in 2001 and the landscape is entirely different.

Just picture all those trees all around Chapel Hill disappearing overnight – that’s how much different.

The coaching part ought to be the easiest segment of the job for Malone. The egos will be largely reduced and a guy with 510 wins on the resume and an NBA title ring on his finger ought to be able to get teenagers and 20-year-olds to listen.

The NIL equation — the compensation is being upgraded by North Carolina — shouldn’t be a problem. Malone is used to being around players who are getting paid. Plus, college basketball is often an entire-staff effort so others can handle the things Malone isn’t initially up to speed on.

He surely knows the talent is a drop-off from having guys like three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic or sharpshooter Jamal Murray. But North Carolina is supposed to be in the hunt for all the blue-chippers.

Perhaps former coach Hubert Davis wasn’t landing as many as Duke the past few years. So part of Malone’s success rate may rely on beefing up those scores against the Blue Devils and other national powers.

Malone will come under early season scrutiny – as he should – but I suspect by January that everything will be about game-planning and competing hard and winning games.

The hard thing to analyze is just how long will Malone want to hang out on the campus not far from bustling Franklin Street? Is this something he wants to do the rest of his career?

Obviously, he wants to restore North Carolina back among the top programs in the nation, but will he see an NBA opening three or four years down the road and want to take another spin? There are no academic advisors and other college red-tape annoyances in the NBA.

One thing we do now – this is not a Bill Belichick hire. Malone is not about to retire on the job, no matter how many Brink’s trucks are needed to drop off his money.

#Tar #Heels #50M #Gamble #Michael #Malone #Deadspin.com

The biggest reason why Michael Malone is the new head coach at North Carolina is that he knew he wasn’t getting the type of NBA coaching job he’d want this offseason.

The other big reason is that guys named Tommy Lloyd (Arizona) and Dusty May (Michigan) feel they have better jobs than the one in Chapel Hill, N.C.

So the big Malone experiment is a full-go at North Carolina. And, oh yeah, that other huge reason is the six-year, $50-million contract plus incentives he’s getting without even one day of college head-coaching experience.

You can look it up, only legendary Bill Self ($8.8M) has a higher average salary than Malone ($8.3M). Even John Calipari ($8.0M) earns less.

That’s quite a financial commitment for North Carolina’s first outside-the-program hire since 1952.

Malone, 54, was fired by the Denver Nuggets with three games left in the 2024-25 regular season despite leading the franchise to the NBA title just two campaigns earlier.

There was reportedly a lot of tension in the organization, particularly between Malone and then-general manager Calvin Booth, who was fired at the same time.

Malone’s meticulous nature apparently rubbed some players the wrong way. And you could see why it became an issue.

It’s easy to accept hard coaching methods when you’re trying to win a title. After everyone gets a ring, they want to relax a little.

Malone isn’t much for relaxing.

So he wasn’t on an NBA bench this season and perhaps he needed a break. Good for him. He deserved a little time away from coaching basketball.

Malone was surely sizing up what jobs would come open after this season. And he could see there were no winners to be had.

No reason to take a bad job in which you might lose 50 or 60 games. And, well, the Sacramento Kings aren’t a possibility since that franchise infamously fired Malone after just 106 games in 2014.

No matter how you slice it, coaching the Tar Heels is superior to coaching the Kings.

So Malone takes his 11-plus seasons as an NBA head coach and 12 as an NBA assistant back to college. He last was on a college staff at Manhattan in 2001 and the landscape is entirely different.

Just picture all those trees all around Chapel Hill disappearing overnight – that’s how much different.

The coaching part ought to be the easiest segment of the job for Malone. The egos will be largely reduced and a guy with 510 wins on the resume and an NBA title ring on his finger ought to be able to get teenagers and 20-year-olds to listen.

The NIL equation — the compensation is being upgraded by North Carolina — shouldn’t be a problem. Malone is used to being around players who are getting paid. Plus, college basketball is often an entire-staff effort so others can handle the things Malone isn’t initially up to speed on.

He surely knows the talent is a drop-off from having guys like three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic or sharpshooter Jamal Murray. But North Carolina is supposed to be in the hunt for all the blue-chippers.

Perhaps former coach Hubert Davis wasn’t landing as many as Duke the past few years. So part of Malone’s success rate may rely on beefing up those scores against the Blue Devils and other national powers.

Malone will come under early season scrutiny – as he should – but I suspect by January that everything will be about game-planning and competing hard and winning games.

The hard thing to analyze is just how long will Malone want to hang out on the campus not far from bustling Franklin Street? Is this something he wants to do the rest of his career?

Obviously, he wants to restore North Carolina back among the top programs in the nation, but will he see an NBA opening three or four years down the road and want to take another spin? There are no academic advisors and other college red-tape annoyances in the NBA.

One thing we do now – this is not a Bill Belichick hire. Malone is not about to retire on the job, no matter how many Brink’s trucks are needed to drop off his money.

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#Tar #Heels #50M #Gamble #Michael #Malone #Deadspin.com

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CSK vs DC, IPL 2026: ‘Criticism is fair when you’re not doing well,’ says Chennai Super Kings coach Fleming <div id="content-body-70848014" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming acknowledged that the criticism directed towards him following the side’s dismal start to the IPL 2026 season was ‘fair’.</p><p>CSK has been winless in its last three encounters and is currently rooted to the bottom of the table, the same position where the side finished last term. It is not a situation fans of the five-time champion have been familiar with. A section of them have questioned if the Kiwi coach, who has been in charge since 2009, deserves to continue in the hot seat.</p><p>The coach, however, was quick to respond to suggestions that he hadn’t been up to speed with the exponential changes in the shortest format over the last half-decade.</p><p>“Criticism is fair when you’re not doing well; that’s part of the position, and the results dictate that. I’m coaching through the year in two other competitions, so it’s not that I just turn off and then come to the IPL without an idea of where the game is going. I have probably not spent more time studying T20 cricket and players around the world [as much as now],” the head coach said on the eve of the encounter against the Delhi Capitals.</p><p>“Yes, we were off the pace last year. [Mine will be] the first hand up. We pivoted quickly. Now, we’ve got some younger players, and I’m very confident about this group. We haven’t shown that as yet [this season]. One of the challenges is the number of players we have changed [from last year]. That means there is a bit of a settling-in process which we are trying to accelerate,” he added.</p><p><b>MATCH PREVIEW | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/csk-vs-dc-ipl-2026-chennai-super-kings-delhi-capitals-brevis-dhoni-axar-miller-preview-latest-news/article70847643.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Wounded Delhi Capitals faces floundering Chennai Super Kings in search of momentum</a></b></p><p>Fleming cheekily attributed his long-term association with the team, an aspect that has been dwindling across both franchise and national teams in this era, to the five IPL and two Champions League titles won under his reign.</p><p>“It is unusual, and I’m very grateful. But we have been able to operate at a consistent level that I guess has allowed the franchise to put faith in the coaching group. We’re proud of what we achieved, but not satisfied. There is a desire to keep adding,” the 53-year-old said.</p><p>The head coach swayed away from the suggestion that he has not been given his due credit despite winning countless championships. “It’s purely the players for me. The coaching off the field is important, but it’s the performances that win titles and eventually what coaches are judged by. I’ve worked with one of the greatest captains of all time, and I’ve been incredibly lucky to do that as a coach,” he said, paying an ode to former skipper M.S. Dhoni, who continues to miss out on action through a calf injury.</p><p>Fleming added that Dhoni was ‘working hard to get back’ from a calf strain without giving a timeline for his return.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 10, 2026</p></div> #CSK #IPL #Criticism #fair #youre #Chennai #Super #Kings #coach #Fleming

India will name its squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup — to be held from June 12 to July 5 — on Saturday, with Amita Sharma-chaired selection committee facing its toughest test so far.

It will be Sharma’s first World Cup call since taking over the reins, and it comes at an interesting juncture. India enters the tournament as reigning ODI World Cup champion, having ended a long wait for a global title at home last November. But in the shortest format, the trajectory has been less convincing.

India failed to make the semifinals in the 2024 edition, and T20Is have remained a work in progress in the post-pandemic phase. The recent results reflect that inconsistency.

READ | South Africa series exposes India’s familiar squad-selection woes ahead of T20 World Cup

Since the ODI triumph, India swept Sri Lanka 5-0 at home in December, followed it up with a 2-1 series win in Australia earlier this year, but then slipped to a 1-4 defeat in South Africa last month.

That South Africa tour could prove particularly influential. The team management used the series to experiment extensively, handing opportunities to several untested players and even resting vice-captain Smriti Mandhana for the final two T20Is.

The question now is how much of that experimentation translates into World Cup selection. Young prospects like Anushka Sharma, the promising top-order batter from Madhya Pradesh, and Vaishnavi Sharma have pushed their cases during the recent outings. Considering swinging conditions in England, pace-bowling allrounder Bharti Fulmali was also recalled in South Africa after a long time.

Whether the selectors back youth or fall back on experience for a global event will be closely watched.

The meeting will not be limited to the World Cup squad alone. The committee is also set to pick teams for the upcoming home assignments against England — a three-match T20I series and a one-off Test — as well as the India A squads for the three one-dayers and three T20Is against England A.

Published on May 01, 2026

#Womens #T20 #World #Cup #India #squad">Women’s T20 World Cup 2026: India to name squad on May 2  India will name its squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup — to be held from June 12 to July 5 — on Saturday, with Amita Sharma-chaired selection committee facing its toughest test so far.It will be Sharma’s first World Cup call since taking over the reins, and it comes at an interesting juncture. India enters the tournament as reigning ODI World Cup champion, having ended a long wait for a global title at home last November. But in the shortest format, the trajectory has been less convincing.India failed to make the semifinals in the 2024 edition, and T20Is have remained a work in progress in the post-pandemic phase. The recent results reflect that inconsistency.READ  |   South Africa series exposes India’s familiar squad-selection woes ahead of T20 World CupSince the ODI triumph, India swept Sri Lanka 5-0 at home in December, followed it up with a 2-1 series win in Australia earlier this year, but then slipped to a 1-4 defeat in South Africa last month.That South Africa tour could prove particularly influential. The team management used the series to experiment extensively, handing opportunities to several untested players and even resting vice-captain Smriti Mandhana for the final two T20Is.The question now is how much of that experimentation translates into World Cup selection. Young prospects like Anushka Sharma, the promising top-order batter from Madhya Pradesh, and Vaishnavi Sharma have pushed their cases during the recent outings. Considering swinging conditions in England, pace-bowling allrounder Bharti Fulmali was also recalled in South Africa after a long time.Whether the selectors back youth or fall back on experience for a global event will be closely watched.The meeting will not be limited to the World Cup squad alone. The committee is also set to pick teams for the upcoming home assignments against England — a three-match T20I series and a one-off Test — as well as the India A squads for the three one-dayers and three T20Is against England A.Published on May 01, 2026  #Womens #T20 #World #Cup #India #squad

South Africa series exposes India’s familiar squad-selection woes ahead of T20 World Cup

Since the ODI triumph, India swept Sri Lanka 5-0 at home in December, followed it up with a 2-1 series win in Australia earlier this year, but then slipped to a 1-4 defeat in South Africa last month.

That South Africa tour could prove particularly influential. The team management used the series to experiment extensively, handing opportunities to several untested players and even resting vice-captain Smriti Mandhana for the final two T20Is.

The question now is how much of that experimentation translates into World Cup selection. Young prospects like Anushka Sharma, the promising top-order batter from Madhya Pradesh, and Vaishnavi Sharma have pushed their cases during the recent outings. Considering swinging conditions in England, pace-bowling allrounder Bharti Fulmali was also recalled in South Africa after a long time.

Whether the selectors back youth or fall back on experience for a global event will be closely watched.

The meeting will not be limited to the World Cup squad alone. The committee is also set to pick teams for the upcoming home assignments against England — a three-match T20I series and a one-off Test — as well as the India A squads for the three one-dayers and three T20Is against England A.

Published on May 01, 2026

#Womens #T20 #World #Cup #India #squad">Women’s T20 World Cup 2026: India to name squad on May 2

India will name its squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup — to be held from June 12 to July 5 — on Saturday, with Amita Sharma-chaired selection committee facing its toughest test so far.

It will be Sharma’s first World Cup call since taking over the reins, and it comes at an interesting juncture. India enters the tournament as reigning ODI World Cup champion, having ended a long wait for a global title at home last November. But in the shortest format, the trajectory has been less convincing.

India failed to make the semifinals in the 2024 edition, and T20Is have remained a work in progress in the post-pandemic phase. The recent results reflect that inconsistency.

READ | South Africa series exposes India’s familiar squad-selection woes ahead of T20 World Cup

Since the ODI triumph, India swept Sri Lanka 5-0 at home in December, followed it up with a 2-1 series win in Australia earlier this year, but then slipped to a 1-4 defeat in South Africa last month.

That South Africa tour could prove particularly influential. The team management used the series to experiment extensively, handing opportunities to several untested players and even resting vice-captain Smriti Mandhana for the final two T20Is.

The question now is how much of that experimentation translates into World Cup selection. Young prospects like Anushka Sharma, the promising top-order batter from Madhya Pradesh, and Vaishnavi Sharma have pushed their cases during the recent outings. Considering swinging conditions in England, pace-bowling allrounder Bharti Fulmali was also recalled in South Africa after a long time.

Whether the selectors back youth or fall back on experience for a global event will be closely watched.

The meeting will not be limited to the World Cup squad alone. The committee is also set to pick teams for the upcoming home assignments against England — a three-match T20I series and a one-off Test — as well as the India A squads for the three one-dayers and three T20Is against England A.

Published on May 01, 2026

#Womens #T20 #World #Cup #India #squad
Deadspin | Stewart Cink, Alex Cejka lead Regions Tradition, 2nd senior major  Stewart Cink tees of on 10 during the Galleri Classic Pro-Am at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., on Thursday, March 27, 2025.   Stewart Cink birdied his final hole to tie Germany’s Alex Cejka for the lead after one round of the Regions Tradition on Thursday in Birmingham, Ala.  Cink won the first major of the PGA Tour Champions season, the Senior PGA Championship, two weeks ago. Now he’s in prime position to contend for the second.  He and Cejka shot 7-under-par 65. They hold a one-shot advantage over South Korea’s Charlie Wi, Australia’s Scott Hend and New Zealand’s Steven Alker.  “I was excited at how boring today was. Does that make sense?” Cink said. “It wasn’t like the kind of day where you’re chipping in and holing putts, dramatic stuff happening everywhere.”  Cink, 52, did get off to a quick start by birdieing the first three holes of Greystone Golf & Country Club. After picking up his only bogey at the par-5 fifth, he bounced back with birdies at Nos. 8, 10, 11 and 13 before two-putting for birdie at the par-5 18th.  “It’s a systematic way to approach the golf course. I love this style of golf,” he said. “This is one of my favorite things about the puzzle of golf is doing these systematic approaches and sticking to it and letting the results just sort of happen. We’re staying in the process so much that the results are almost like sneaking up on us.”   Cejka set the clubhouse lead earlier in the day with a bogey-free, seven-birdie round. He played his first nine, the back nine, in 5-under 31.  “There’s certain courses, they fit the players’ eyes,” said Cejka, who won the Regions Tradition in 2021. “I’ve been playing here well in the past and today I played solid. I didn’t really make stupid mistakes. I putted well when I had birdie chances. And when you see the leaderboard, the guys are going low so you’ve got to — if you have a birdie chance, you’ve got to take advantage.”  Wi, Hend and Alker combined for 18 birdies and zero bogeys across their cards.  Tied for sixth at 5-under 67 are Dicky Pride, Irishman Padraig Harrington, Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee. Another shot back at 4-under 68: Retief Goosen of South Africa (last week’s winner at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic), Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen, South Korea’s Y.E. Yang, Harrison Frazar and Canada’s Stephen Ames.  Defending champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina opened with an even-par 72.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Stewart #Cink #Alex #Cejka #lead #Regions #Tradition #2nd #senior #majorStewart Cink tees of on 10 during the Galleri Classic Pro-Am at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., on Thursday, March 27, 2025.

Stewart Cink birdied his final hole to tie Germany’s Alex Cejka for the lead after one round of the Regions Tradition on Thursday in Birmingham, Ala.

Cink won the first major of the PGA Tour Champions season, the Senior PGA Championship, two weeks ago. Now he’s in prime position to contend for the second.

He and Cejka shot 7-under-par 65. They hold a one-shot advantage over South Korea’s Charlie Wi, Australia’s Scott Hend and New Zealand’s Steven Alker.

“I was excited at how boring today was. Does that make sense?” Cink said. “It wasn’t like the kind of day where you’re chipping in and holing putts, dramatic stuff happening everywhere.”

Cink, 52, did get off to a quick start by birdieing the first three holes of Greystone Golf & Country Club. After picking up his only bogey at the par-5 fifth, he bounced back with birdies at Nos. 8, 10, 11 and 13 before two-putting for birdie at the par-5 18th.


“It’s a systematic way to approach the golf course. I love this style of golf,” he said. “This is one of my favorite things about the puzzle of golf is doing these systematic approaches and sticking to it and letting the results just sort of happen. We’re staying in the process so much that the results are almost like sneaking up on us.”

Cejka set the clubhouse lead earlier in the day with a bogey-free, seven-birdie round. He played his first nine, the back nine, in 5-under 31.

“There’s certain courses, they fit the players’ eyes,” said Cejka, who won the Regions Tradition in 2021. “I’ve been playing here well in the past and today I played solid. I didn’t really make stupid mistakes. I putted well when I had birdie chances. And when you see the leaderboard, the guys are going low so you’ve got to — if you have a birdie chance, you’ve got to take advantage.”

Wi, Hend and Alker combined for 18 birdies and zero bogeys across their cards.

Tied for sixth at 5-under 67 are Dicky Pride, Irishman Padraig Harrington, Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee. Another shot back at 4-under 68: Retief Goosen of South Africa (last week’s winner at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic), Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen, South Korea’s Y.E. Yang, Harrison Frazar and Canada’s Stephen Ames.

Defending champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina opened with an even-par 72.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Stewart #Cink #Alex #Cejka #lead #Regions #Tradition #2nd #senior #major">Deadspin | Stewart Cink, Alex Cejka lead Regions Tradition, 2nd senior major  Stewart Cink tees of on 10 during the Galleri Classic Pro-Am at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., on Thursday, March 27, 2025.   Stewart Cink birdied his final hole to tie Germany’s Alex Cejka for the lead after one round of the Regions Tradition on Thursday in Birmingham, Ala.  Cink won the first major of the PGA Tour Champions season, the Senior PGA Championship, two weeks ago. Now he’s in prime position to contend for the second.  He and Cejka shot 7-under-par 65. They hold a one-shot advantage over South Korea’s Charlie Wi, Australia’s Scott Hend and New Zealand’s Steven Alker.  “I was excited at how boring today was. Does that make sense?” Cink said. “It wasn’t like the kind of day where you’re chipping in and holing putts, dramatic stuff happening everywhere.”  Cink, 52, did get off to a quick start by birdieing the first three holes of Greystone Golf & Country Club. After picking up his only bogey at the par-5 fifth, he bounced back with birdies at Nos. 8, 10, 11 and 13 before two-putting for birdie at the par-5 18th.  “It’s a systematic way to approach the golf course. I love this style of golf,” he said. “This is one of my favorite things about the puzzle of golf is doing these systematic approaches and sticking to it and letting the results just sort of happen. We’re staying in the process so much that the results are almost like sneaking up on us.”   Cejka set the clubhouse lead earlier in the day with a bogey-free, seven-birdie round. He played his first nine, the back nine, in 5-under 31.  “There’s certain courses, they fit the players’ eyes,” said Cejka, who won the Regions Tradition in 2021. “I’ve been playing here well in the past and today I played solid. I didn’t really make stupid mistakes. I putted well when I had birdie chances. And when you see the leaderboard, the guys are going low so you’ve got to — if you have a birdie chance, you’ve got to take advantage.”  Wi, Hend and Alker combined for 18 birdies and zero bogeys across their cards.  Tied for sixth at 5-under 67 are Dicky Pride, Irishman Padraig Harrington, Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee. Another shot back at 4-under 68: Retief Goosen of South Africa (last week’s winner at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic), Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen, South Korea’s Y.E. Yang, Harrison Frazar and Canada’s Stephen Ames.  Defending champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina opened with an even-par 72.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Stewart #Cink #Alex #Cejka #lead #Regions #Tradition #2nd #senior #major

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