Sports review: international, national, statewide, and NGU sports recap
Andrew Copp, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
International
Team Europe staved off a late Sunday surge by Team USA to win its second straight Ryder Cup on American soil. The Ryder Cup is a biennial team golf tournament between a team made up of all Americans against a team of all Europeans. It is a highly contentious event, often considered the biggest event of the year for golf fans. The location trades between a European location and an American location every other year, with the home team always favored. For the American team, it was a disappointing defeat and, if not for a late comeback, would have been the biggest landslide the event had ever seen. (ESPN)
The Women’s Rugby World Cup came to a close with England winning the tournament at home, 33-13, against Canada. England, affectionately named the “Red Roses,” had lost the past two World Cup championships to New Zealand, but after Canada took care of the Black Ferns in the semifinals, the road was paved for them to win. English star Ellie Kildunne, the World Rugby Player of the Year, led the team to a victory they will not forget. (BBC)
National
Bad Bunny was announced as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show performer. The Super Bowl is widely considered the largest yearly sporting event, with viewership in the hundreds of millions. The halftime show is also seen as one of music’s biggest events of the year, with last year’s performance by Kendrick Lamar being the most viewed halftime show of all time. Bad Bunny is currently one of the biggest Latin American music artists. He has been a top three most-streamed artist on Spotify for the past five years. (CNN)
The MLB playoffs are beginning, with the Philadelphia Phillies favored to win, led by stars Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. The star-studded and reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers are second, followed by the Seattle Mariners. (ESPN)
State
Local college football teams are off to a rough start. South Carolina has eased to wins against unranked opponents but is 0-2 against ranked opponents Missouri and Vanderbilt. Sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers has dealt with injuries early in the season, but when he has been healthy, he has been in the Heisman conversation.
Clemson football is a different story. After beginning the season ranked No. 4 in the nation, the Tigers have had multiple upset losses, with many in the media questioning if longtime successful coach Dabo Swinney should still hold his job.
The University of North Carolina had lots of excitement in the offseason, hiring eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick. Belichick is widely considered the greatest coach of all time at the professional level, but the Tar-Heels are off to a rocky start at the college level, beginning 2-2 and 10th in the conference.
North Greenville University
Football’s season has been highlighted so far by two close losses to No. 13 West Alabama and No. 3 West Florida. The team looks to get past these as it enters conference play.
Women’s volleyball returned from a trip to Virginia, splitting its games with Ferrum College and Belmont Abbey. The team also looks to make a push as it enters conference play.
Men’s and women’s soccer are off to strong starts, with two combined losses early in the season. graduate student Enrico Onzi and junior Finley Lloyd lead the way in scoring so far for their respective teams.
Men’s golf finished its first tournament in a strong fifth place. Freshmen Nolan Witham and Jaelan Fisher led NGU as they tied for ninth place.
Women’s golf started the season with two top ten team finishes, placing fourth and ninth. Junior Brenna Miller led the team with a fourth-place finish in both tournaments. (NGU Athletics)
