Welcome back to Keeping Score, our Friday column that highlights the personalities, teams and games that sports fans are talking about — by the numbers.
3
How many points Great Britain & Ireland trailed the US on the final of last weekend’s Walker Cup before making a historic comeback to win
Ian Poulter knows how to pull off dramatic comebacks in team golf. He helped spark Team Europe’s rally at the “Miracle at Medinah” at the 2012 Ryder Cup, and his son Luke continued the family tradition at the Walker Cup last weekend.
The biennial exhibition between the best amateur men in Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) and the US has been played since 1922, but the event has never had a finish like this one, with GB&I making a Sunday charge in singles to overcome a 9½-6½ deficit and win 13½-12½.
The Ryder Cup hasn’t seen many comebacks like this, either. In the history of the Ryder Cup, only two teams have come back from a bigger deficit than the 2026 Walker Cup GB&I team. The Americans came back from four points down in Sunday singles to win the 1999 Ryder Cup at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass., and the Europeans came back from the same 10-6 score to win the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago.
However, the GB&I team’s win was equally impressive. With just 10 players, not 12 as in the Ryder Cup, GB&I needed to win 7 out of 10 possible points (70%) on Sunday. In the “Miracle at Medinah” victory, the Europeans needed to win 8½ out of 12 points (roughly 71%).
Luke Poulter beat American Ethan Fang 3 & 1 on Sunday to grab one of those points, and his father Ian led the “Olé, Olé, Olé” chants during the post-match celebration at a local pub Sunday night and then picked up the tab.
Paul McGinley, captain of the European 2014 Ryder Cup team, found the spirit of the Walker Cup refreshing.
“The Walker Cup has potential to be a brilliant addition to the ‘premier’ golfing calendar.” McGinley wrote on X. “Crowds on fairways, stories of emerging stars & the lack of commercialism just a few things to be leaned into & not away from.”
The courses are usually pretty special, too. I remember watching a young Rickie Fowler at the Walker Cup at Merion in 2009. More recent Walker Cups have been held at Cypress Point, Seminole and the Old Course at St. Andrews, and tickets for last weekend’s event were just $50 with kids getting in free. See you at Bandon Dunes in 2028.
54
Years since a Black American man reached the US Open final
Arthur Ashe was the last to do so, in 1972. The streak will end tonight as Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe will become the first two Black American men to meet in a Grand Slam semifinal in the Open era. On Sunday, one of them will have a chance to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam tournament since Andy Roddick in 2003.
$225,000
Average amount that a college football starting kicker in a Power Four conference will earn this season
Players who kick together stick together. That’s the takeaway from a recent Wall Street Journal article about how college football kickers are sharing their earnings information with each other. As a result, the kickers are asking for more money, and they’re getting it. The Journal reports that kickers had the second-highest paycheck growth (60.9%) of all positions this year, behind only tight ends, and the highest paid kicker in college football is making $600,000 this season.
50
Seasons that Philadelphia broadcaster Merrill Reese has been the ‘Voice of the Eagles’
The only way a true Philadelphia Eagles fan watches their team on TV is to turn the volume of their TV down—especially Troy Aikman—and listen to the radio broadcast by Merrill Reese. This year marks Reese’s 50th season behind the mic, and he’s not ready to retire anytime soon.
“I don't want anybody to think that it's a farewell tour because I hope to do it for years to come,” Reese told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “My love for the game hasn't changed. … They talk about a quarterback as he becomes a veteran seeing the game better and it all slows down. I see the game better now than I did 30 years ago. I know where to look. I anticipate better. Certain things you just improve in the experience makes you more capable of handling every situation.”
9
Percentage of Americans who say soccer is their favorite sport, just one point behind baseball (10%)
Football still reigns supreme as America’s favorite sport, but soccer is gaining on baseball and basketball. According to a new Gallup poll, 31% of Americans say football is their favorite sport, followed by basketball (11%), baseball (10%) and soccer (9%). Soccer is getting a post-World Cup bounce in the US; only 5% of Americans said soccer was their favorite sport when Gallup last did this poll in 2023.
7’4
Listed height of China’s 19-year-old center Ziyu Zhang at the FIBA Women’s World Cup
WNBA fans got a sneak preview of one of the expected top players in the 2027 draft when Team USA faced China’s towering center Ziyu Zhang at the FIBA Women’s World Cup opening game in Berlin. Team USA won easily 94-61, but Zhang made an impression. She scored 13 points, grabbed six rebounds and made two blocks in 18 minutes against the Americans. Caitlin Clark had never seen anything like Zhang.
“This was a different type of basketball game that I’ve probably ever played in my entire life,” Clark said. “I’ve never played against a woman of that size. She obviously presented some challenges for us.”
The WNBA’s surging popularity is carrying over to the FIBA Women’s World Cup, with 1.3 million viewers tuning into Team USA’s win over Italy. The Americans play Spain in the semifinals at 2 pm ET on Saturday.
29
Athletes who have hosted Saturday Night Live in the show’s 51-year history. Jalen Brunson will join this list when he hosts on Sept. 26.
Jalen Brunson displays a dry wit during post-game press conferences and his Roommates podcast with teammate Josh Hart, so he should do better than most athletes in his Saturday Night Live debut when the new SNL season premieres on Sept. 26.
Brunson will be the 30th athlete to host the show (we’re not counting professional wrestlers, coaches or team owners). The consensus choice for best athlete host ever is Peyton Manning in 2007, but for a quick jolt of 1990s nostalgia, nothing beats Michael Jordan on Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley.
2
Spanish soccer teams that Lionel Messi will own after completing his purchase of second-division club Eldense.
The Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry could live on forever in the second division of Spanish soccer. Messi is close to completing a deal to buy CD Eldense, which competes in La Liga 2, the same division as the Ronaldo-owned UD Almeria. (Ronaldo owns 25% of the team.)
Messi also owns the Spanish fifth-division club Cornella, a Barcelona-based team with close ties to FC Barcelona. Former Barcelona defender Jordi Alba and Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya both played at Cornella.
Forbes estimates Messi’s net worth at $1.1 billion.
1,000
Pitches over 100 mph that Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski has thrown this season
Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski is having a season for the ages. The Miz is leading the National League in ERA (1.97), strikeouts (227) and opponent batting average (.155). On Tuesday, he achieved another astounding stat: he threw his 1,000th 100 mph pitch. Since pitch-tracking began in 2008, no other starting pitcher has reached 1,000 100 mph pitches in their entire career. The MLB’s all-time flamethrowing legend Nolan Ryan has taken notice.
“My observation of him is, I thought he had the best arm I’ve seen in baseball since I don’t know since when,” Ryan told The Athletic in June. “I really think he has a gift there.”
35
Wind speed in miles per hour during the opening round of the Irish Open at Doonbeg
The Amgen Irish Open got off to a slow start on Thursday as gusting winds led to nearly six-hour rounds for Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and others. After posting a 3-under 67, Shane Lowry called it the longest round he ever played, and fellow eloquent Irishman Padraig Harrington said, “It’s a bit like rush-hour traffic in bad driving conditions.” ⛳
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