Golf

The accolades for Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods continue to pour in ... it was just revealed the two sports legends will now be inducted into the newly created Orange County Hall of Fame in California later this week!!

The late NBA superstar and the golfing icon will join eight others -- including Gwen Stefani and Walt Disney -- as part of the new HOF's first-ever class.

The ceremony will kick off on Friday at the County Administration North (CAN) Building in Santa Ana -- about an hour southeast of Los Angeles.

The HOF was launched early last year to recognize those who "shaped Orange County through their remarkable contributions" ... and officials deemed the Black Mamba and the Big Cat as two people who it just had to recognize first.

Bryant, of course, played in Southern California for 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers ... spending most of those years living in Newport Beach with his family before his tragic death in 2020.

Woods, meanwhile, grew up in Orange County ... learning how to strike balls in Cypress before his golfing career really took off.

Both athletes have previously gotten honors in the county -- officials declared Aug. 24 as Kobe Bryant Day following his passing ... while Woods has his own Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim that's helped over two million students through its programs.

In addition to Woods, Bryant, Stefani and Disney ... American diver Greg Louganis -- who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Games -- and seven-time Olympic swimming medalist Amanda Beard will also be inducted Friday.

Bill Medley, Frank Jao, General William Lyon of the United States Air Force, and Henry Segerstrom, who was the founding chairman of the Segerstrom Centers for the Arts in Orange County, round out the class.

Nike acaba de emitir un comunicado sobre la ruptura... agradeciendo a Tiger Woods por todos sus años como socio.

“Tiger,” escribió la marca en un post de Instagram, “desafiaste a tu competencia, estereotipos, convenciones, la forma antigua de pensar. Desafiaste a toda la institución del golf. Nos desafiaste. Y, sobre todo, a ti mismo. Y por ese desafío estamos agradecidos.”

La histórica asociación de Tiger Woods con Nike llegó a su fin… el legendario golfista acaba de revelar que se ha separado de la marca después de 27 años.

Con 48 años, anunció en su página de X hace solo unos minutos, agradeciendo a Phil Knight… mientras rememoraba los “increíbles momentos y recuerdos” que ha tenido con el gigante de la ropa deportiva.

“Si empezara a enumerarlos,” comentó sobre sus momentos más memorables con la marca, “podría seguir para siempre”.

Woods firmó su primer acuerdo con Nike cuando todavía era un golfista amateur… y llegó a convertirse en sinónimo de la marca, luciendo el logo en su equipo en cada una de sus victorias en torneos importantes.

Sin embargo, Woods dejó indicios recientemente sobre una posible ruptura… sobre todo cuando se le vio usando FootJoys en el Masters de 2022, un año después de que sufriera una grave lesión en la pierna en un accidente automovilístico.

Woods tampoco confirmó su futuro con Nike cuando los periodistas le preguntaron al respecto en el PNC Championship el mes pasado… diciendo solo: “Sigo usando su producto.”

No está claro hacia dónde se dirigirá Woods a futuro en lo que respecta a asociaciones de marca… solo comenta en su comunicado del lunes por la mañana: “La gente se preguntará si hay otro capítulo. Sí, ciertamente habrá otro capítulo.”

“¡Nos vemos en LA!”

Nike just released a statement on the breakup ... thanking Tiger Woods for all his years as a partner.

"Tiger," the Swoosh wrote in an Instagram post, "you challenged your competition, stereotypes, conventions, the old school way of thinking. You challenged the entire institution of golf. You challenged us. And most of all, yourself. And for that challenge we’re grateful."

Tiger Woods' historic partnership with Nike is no more ... the golfing legend just revealed he's split with the Swoosh after 27 years.

The 48-year-old made the announcement on his X page just minutes ago, thanking Phil Knight ... while reminiscing on the "amazing moments and memories" he's had with the athletic apparel giant.

"If I started naming them," he said of his most memorable times with the brand, "I could go on forever."

Woods first inked a deal with Nike back when he was still an amateur golfer ... and he went on to become synonymous with the brand -- wearing swooshes on his gear for every one of his major tournament wins.

However, Woods dropped breadcrumbs recently that a breakup could be coming ... most notably when he was seen wearing FootJoys at the 2022 Masters -- a year after he seriously injured his leg in a car crash.

Woods also wouldn't confirm his future with Nike when reporters asked him about it at the PNC Championship last month ... saying only, "I'm still wearing their product."

Unclear where Woods will go next when it comes to brand partnerships ... he said only in his statement Monday morning, "People will ask if there is another chapter. Yes, there will certainly be another chapter."

"See you in LA!"

Thirty-seven hours and 2,627 strokes later, Barstool Sports personality Jersey Jerry finally did it -- he hit a hole-in-one on a golf simulator ... after huge names like Tom Brady rallied behind the guy on his grueling journey.

For those who haven't been keeping up, the beloved Barstool employee does weekly challenges on his "Jerry After Dark" show ... and this time around, he tasked himself with playing virtual golf until he carded an ace.

As it turns out, Jerry's self-imposed quest was a LOT harder than expected ... and he quickly lost hope in achieving the feat.

Some big stars in the sports world voiced their support for Jerry -- golfers Brooks Koepka and Max Homa ... and even TB12 himself, who sent an encouraging X post to stay the course.

"It's darkest before dawn," the 7-time Super Bowl champ said Thursday morning.

Just minutes later, the moment of glory happened -- Jerry hit his perfect shot, and the entire room erupted in celebration.

Even the PGA Tour chimed in on the accomplishment ... congratulating JJ on the "LegenJerry" performance.

Jerry gave a speech shortly after reaching glory ... and naturally, the diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan used it as an opportunity to ask T.J. Watt out to dinner.

"T.J. Watt, listen," an emotional and fatigued Jerry said. "I love you so much, bro. We couldn't make dinner happen last year, my dream is to have dinner with T.J. It could be one-on-one, it could be multiple people. I don't care. I just want to have a nice steak, mashed potatoes, asparagus, mac and cheese with T.J. Watt."

ScHoolboy Q hasn't released a new album in over 4 years ... a quiet streak the rapper says he plans on ending next year!!!

While attending Top Dawg Entertainment's 10th annual Christmas toy drive on Wednesday, Q gave props to his team -- he says they actively help the community even when it's not a holiday but still loved seeing everyone come together.

Q also performed classic cuts, like his 2016 platinum Kanye West collab "THat Part" ... but did promise he'll return in 2024 with "something special."

L.A. rapper EastSide K-Boy suggested Q should get his comedy show -- an idea Q didn't reject -- but his fans wouldn't be surprised if his homecoming somehow incorporated golf ... a sport he's gotten into much more, and not just for fun.

Q's been playing in big, legit tournaments -- he competed in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2022 and even appears in the "PGA Tour 2K23" video game.

Tiger Woods was so fired up to watch his son hit an insane golf shot on Friday morning -- he just had to let an f-bomb fly right on the course!!

The hilarious moment happened as The Big Cat and his 14-year-old boy, Charlie, were getting set to compete in the PNC Championship's Pro-Am event at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando.

Charlie was hitting some shots around a practice green with Dad -- when he attempted a flop shot that most amateur golfers would blade straight into nearby parking lots.

Charlie, though, apparently hit the stroke beautifully -- which wowed Tiger.

"We're ending on that right there," the golfing legend yelled. "That was nasty. F***ing nasty!"

Charlie appeared super pleased -- and then the two walked off together to prep some more for their upcoming round.

Of course, at this point, Charlie's golf game shouldn't surprise many ... after all, he just helped his high school team win a Florida state championship last month.

Producers of The Match might want to get a load of this ... Tom Brady says he's super down to get a round of golf in with country music superstar Morgan Wallen!!!

The "Last Night" crooner first initiated the offer to the NFL's G.O.A.T. on Wednesday morning ... after Brady had posted a highlight reel of golf shots to his Instagram page with some of Wallen's most popular songs playing in the background.

And, following Morgan's comment ... it only took a matter of minutes for Brady to accept the musician's challenge.

"LFG [let's f***ing go] @morganwallen," Brady wrote.

Wallen hasn't been spotted golfing publicly often -- so it's unclear how good his game is -- but odds are, Brady would be the overwhelming favorite if the two got in 18.

Brady, widely believed to be a scratch golfer, has put on a bit of a show each time he's participated in The Match -- and you've gotta think he'd do the same against Wallen.

Está claro que el talento se hereda en la familia Woods, porque el hijo de Tiger, Charlie, acaba de ayudar a su instituto a ganar un campeonato de golf.

El estudiante de primer año de 14 años de edad, compitió junto a otros cuatro para el equipo masculino de la Escuela Benjamin en el campeonato estatal de Florida FHSAA esta semana, y con sus dos puntuaciones de 78 y 76 ayudó a su equipo a levantar el codiciado trofeo durante la tarde del miércoles.

Charlie terminó cuarto de cinco en su equipo y empató en el puesto 26 del torneo. Papá estuvo animando a su hijo durante toda la competición.

Además de hacerse con una medalla, Charlie protagonizó uno de los mejores momentos de la semana, anotando un punto a larga distancia a lo Tiger por parte del adolescente.

Charlie ahora tiene derecho de jactarse de sus habilidades, ya queTiger nunca ganó un campeonato estatal cuando era joven.

The tee clearly doesn't fall far from the green in the Woods family ... 'cause Tiger's son, Charlie, just helped his high school win a golf championship!!

The 14-year-old freshman competed alongside four others for The Benjamin School's boys team at Florida's FHSAA Class A state championship this week ... and with his two scores of 78 and 76, he helped his squad raise the coveted trophy on Wednesday afternoon.

Charlie finished fourth out of five on his team ... and tied for 26th overall in the tournament. Dad was at the scene for the entirety of the week -- cheering on his boy throughout the competition.

In addition to snagging a title medal, Charlie also had one of the best highlights of the week ... sinking a long chip that elicited a very Tiger-like fist pump from the teenager.

Charlie now has some bragging rights over his Pops ... as Tiger never won a state championship when he was growing up.

Golf influencer Paige Spiranac is addressing the speculation surrounding her boobs once again -- adamantly denying she got any work done ... claiming it's just the result of weight gain.

The social media star -- who boasts nearly 4 million followers on Instagram alone -- was interacting with fans on Wednesday ... when she was asked if she's fed up with people asking whether she got implants.

As it turns out, Paige says it's not annoying -- she actually understands why people would be curious ... saying, "No, because they've actually gotten a lot bigger."

"So, I can see a lot of people being confused by like, [how they were] when I first started this."

Paige -- who went on to say she's "always had a chest, but not like this" -- explained her boobs get bigger and smaller whenever her body type changes ... and there's nothing more to it.

"It's just ... the human body is a magical thing."

The former Maxim Sexiest Woman Alive has a history of getting candid about her body -- as we previously reported, she once had to delete comments on one of her posts to combat the idiots who were shaming her weight.

"Honestly the amount of men calling me 'fat' on this post is next level lol," the 30-year-old said back in September 2022.

Apenas cinco meses después de colgar los palos de golf, Michelle Wie West le cuenta a TMZ Sports que hay una mínima posibilidad de que se retire en el futuro.

"Nunca digas nunca", dijo esta semana en el aeropuerto de Los Ángeles.

Sin embargo, Wie West, que le puso punto y final a su carrera en julio, tras el US Women's Open de este año, cree que es casi seguro que haya terminado para siempre.

En cuanto a su retiro, Wie West dijo que el golf sigue formando parte de su rutina semanal, pero que no es ni de lejos lo que solía ser cuando era un fenómeno de grandes campeonatos.

"Definitivamente no practico, eso es seguro", dijo con una sonrisa. "Sólo juego".

Wie West dice que también ha estado haciendo un poco de jardinería... y siendo madre de su hija.

Si pensabas que ahora que su tiempo en los greens profesionales ha terminado, la vida de Michelle se ha vuelto relajada... ella dijo que no es el caso, diciéndo: "Soy madre, ¡no me relajo!".

Just five months into hanging up her golf spikes, Michelle Wie West is admitting to TMZ Sports there's at least a modicum of a chance she unretires at some point in the future.

"Never say never," she said out at LAX this week.

Then again, Wie West -- who called it a career in July following this year's U.S. Women's Open -- said she believes she's almost certainly done for good.

As for what she's been up to in retirement ... Wie West said golf is still part of her weekly routine -- it's just nowhere near what it used to be when she was a phenom hunting for major championships.

"I definitely don't practice, that's for sure," she said with a smile. "I just play."

Wie West says she's also been doing a little gardening ... and being a mom to her daughter.

And, if you thought any relaxation was involved now that her time on pro greens is over ... she said that's simply not the case, hilariously telling us, "I'm a mom -- I don't relax!"

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya's breaking down Francis Ngannou's odds of beating Tyson Fury in the boxing ring Saturday night ... putting his chance squarely at "ZERO," flat out telling us it ain't happening!

TMZ Sports was chatting with ODLH -- as he was promoting boxing star Ryan Garcia's upcoming return to the ring -- when we asked him about today's fight in Saudi Arabia ... pitting The Predator, MMA's most feared striker, vs. The Gypsy King, the best heavyweight boxer in the world.

"I think I have a better chance at beating Tiger Woods in golf," Oscar told us ... not mincing a single word.

We followed up ... no chance at all?!

"Zero," De La Hoya responded.

"I'll tell you one thing about Tyson Fury and Ngannou. It's gonna be entertaining, while it lasts I believe. Tyson Fury, you have to realize, he went in there against [Deontay] Wilder. He goes in there vs. Wladimir Klitschko, so he's a fighter all his life inside the boxing ring."

Despite clearly seeing no way the former UFC champ can win, Oscar still gave him credit for accepting the bout.

"Ngannou, I commend him for even trying this. I take my hat off to him for even trying this. He's gonna make a s***load of money. I just think when Tyson Fury gets his number and his rhythm, he's gonna play with him and probably knock him out."

FYI, Francis last fought in January 2022 -- a UFC contest -- against heavyweight contender, Ciryl Gane. Ngannou won by unanimous decision. Tyson last fought and beat Derek Chisora by TKO in December 2022.

Fury is regarded as not just the best heavyweight boxer of his era, but of of the greatest ever, period. Meanwhile, Ngannou, a striker who puts fear in his opponents, has never boxed professionally.

Bottom line, there might not be anyone out there who knows boxing better than De La Hoya ... but as they say, there's a reason they play the game, or in this case, have the fight.

Brooks Koepka's wife, Jena Sims, just reached a major milestone in her modeling career -- she's going to be in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue!!

The golf star's partner shared the big news on Friday ... revealing after a long audition process, she was one of seven finalists to get picked out of the 2023 open casting call to be a "rookie" in next year's magazine.

Sims was understandably emotional about the announcement ... saying, "I just cried in public."

"I think I'm still in shock. Like, I cannot believe it."

Joining Sims in the issue are Penny Lane, Brittney Nicole, Berkleigh Wright, Achieng Agutu, Nina Cash and Sharina Gutierrez. It's the first time the publication chose to welcome all seven finalists to the S.I. Swim family.

As we previously reported, Sims joined the search back in 2022 ... saying it was her lifelong dream to be featured in the annual swimsuit edition.

Now, she's joining fellow sports WAGs like Camille Kostek, Christen Harper, Olivia Culpo and Kate Bock who have also landed the honor of posing in the mag in the past.

It's been an amazing year for the Koepkas -- they welcomed their first child together, Crew, back in July.

The golf world is mourning the death of Ivor Robson -- better known as the "Voice of The Open" -- including Tiger Woods who thanked the icon for making each Open Championship "so memorable."

The Open released a statement on Tuesday announcing the death of Robson at 83.

Tiger paid tribute once the sad news broke, writing, "Thank you Ivor for making each one of my Open starts so memorable," Woods said on X.

Other golfers honored Robson, as well. Thomas Bjorn called him "a real legend in our world who will be deeply missed" and Paul McGinley described him as "the most famous & popular first tee starter golfer has ever had."

McGinley added ... "His legacy will be that iconic and quintessential British voice of his."

Robson began his career at The Open in 1975 ... and was one of the most admired announcers in sports until his retirement in 2015 after 41 Championships.

In fact, Robson, who established the famous "On the tee" introduction, was known to not even take bathroom breaks during the Championships.

Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A (Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews), expressed sadness over Robson's passing.

"He was popular and well respected among all golfers who played in The Open and I know that they will share in our sadness at this news," Slumbers said.

"On behalf of all of us at The R&A, I would like to convey our heartfelt condolences to his wife of 61 years, Lesley, and the Robson family."

In 2015, when Ivor called his last Open Championship, he said ... "It has been a wonderful career. It's been a great honor," Robson said at his final announcement. The way I have been treated by players, officials, sponsors ... thank you all very much."

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are taking their on-field chemistry to a completely new sport -- the Kansas City Chiefs superstars are teaming up as investors in the Alpine Formula One team ... part of a massive, $210 million investment!!

Otro Capital announced a star-studded list of sports superstars that are joining its partnership with Alpine on Tuesday ... which includes the pair of two-time Super Bowl winners, golfer Rory McIlroy, boxer Anthony Joshua and soccer players Trent Alexander-Arnold and Juan Mata.

Otro said it hopes the addition of popular athletes from all different parts of the sports world will bring new fans to Alpine ... and help in areas like media, tickets and merch.

Mahomes spoke about the business move ... saying, "I've always had a passion for all sports. The opportunity to lead an investor group with Travis in Alpine F1 alongside Otro Capital was one I couldn’t pass up."

"It's an exciting time for the sport and this is an opportunity to bring our shared values to the world stage. I’m looking forward to being a part of its growth."

Kelce added ... "I am thrilled to lead an investor group and join forces with Patrick and the team at Otro Capital on this exciting venture with Alpine F1. Our shared passion for excellence and innovation forms the cornerstone of this partnership."

"It’s about being able to contribute to a sport that demands precision, teamwork, and relentless pursuit of success. I am looking forward to this new chapter and can’t wait to see what we achieve together."

Alpine -- which also has financial backing from actors Ryan Reynolds, Michael B. Jordan and Rob McElhenney through Maximum Effort Investments -- is currently sixth in the constructor standings thanks to drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly ... so it'll be interesting to see if the Chiefs duo's success can rub off on them.