American golfer Eric Cole raced into an early PGA Championship lead following a scintillating start at Oak Hill Country Club on Thursday.

The world No. 122 tallied six birdies across just 14 holes before darkness suspended play with 11 groups left to complete their first rounds. Players would likely have finished had it not been for frost delaying the start of the tournament by an hour and 50 minutes in Rochester, New York.

At five-under par, Cole holds a one-stroke advantage over compatriot Bryson DeChambeau, who shot an impressive four-under 66 to momentarily lead the field.

Having turned pro in 2009, the California-born Cole played predominantly on the Korn Ferry Tour before earning his PGA Tour card for the 2023 season. In March, he came agonizingly close to a first PGA Tour title at The Honda Classic before losing in a playoff to Chris Kirk.

Now, on his PGA Championship debut and only his second major appearance, the 34-year-old is enjoying a look at the leaderboard.

“It’s nice, I like it a lot,” Cole told reporters.

“Whenever you play, you want to compete to win. That’s the spot I like to see my name at, and hopefully it is there more often.”

Three golfers trail 2020 US Open champion DeChambeau by a stroke, including fellow LIV Golf star Dustin Johnson. The two-time major winner had looked set to join DeChambeau in a tie for second before dropping back with a double bogey at the final hole.

Johnson is level at three-under par with Canada’s Corey Conners and world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler. A potential Scheffler shootout with Jon Rahm, the only player enjoying a better 2023, had dominated much of the build-up to the 105th edition of the event, yet April’s Masters champion made a horror start to his chase for a second consecutive major crown.

Six bogeys and a double bogey saw the Spaniard slide to six-over 76, leaving him 11 shots adrift of leader Cole. The world No. 1 is bidding to become only the fourth golfer – and the first since Jack Nicklaus in 1975 – to win both the Masters and the PGA Championship in the same season.

Jordan Spieth will need a strong response if he is to achieve golfing immortality come Sunday, as the three-time major champion opened with a three-over 69. The American is a PGA Championship title away from becoming only the sixth men’s golfer to win all four majors in the modern era.

Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa, four-time and two-time major champions respectively, are among those at one-over par. The duo are one stroke ahead of defending champion Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka, who won back-to-back PGA Championships in 2018 and 2019.

DeChambeau lighter and brighter

Big-hitting DeChambeau reaped the rewards of a heavyweight approach to driving the ball as far possible in 2020, but it’s a leaner version of “The Scientist” chasing the lead at Oak Hill.

DeChambeau put on 40 pounds during the Covid-19 pandemic in his pursuit of distance, a strategy that paid off with US Open glory headlining a flurry of top-10 finishes. However, injuries and subsequent surgeries have contributed to a fall from the summit, and he is now over two years without victory.

Such struggles were compounded by substantial diet changes. After discovering he was allergic to corn, wheat, gluten, and dairy, a marked drop in calorie intake saw the American lose substantial weight – as much as 18 pounds in 24 days across one period.

“Pretty much everything I liked, I couldn’t eat,” DeChambeau told reporters.

“Started taking it out in August and over the course of time I’ve lost all this inflammation, lost a lot of fat and slimmed down like crazy … it wasn’t fat, it was all water weight. You know how I looked before. I was not skinny.”

With his driving prowess evidently well intact, DeChambeau is content.

“I want to be just stable now,” he said. “I’m tired of changing, trying different things.

“Could I hit it a little further, could I try and get a little stronger? Sure. But I’m not going to go full force.”

Friday’s second round is set to begin at 7 a.m ET (12 p.m BST).

At first glance, the idea of a former NFL legend and a former US Women’s National Team star wanting to bring “global eyeballs” to an English soccer club might seem an unusual ambition.

Burnley FC will play in the Premier League next season and that the soccer club is a beacon of pride and light for a northwest English town with a population of just under 100,000 people.

Yet the town has had its fair share of tough times, both economically and socially. Its inhabitants have also been hit particularly hard by the UK’s cost of living crisis, which hasn’t been lost on JJ Watt and his wife, Kealia.

“I want to bring global eyeballs to Burnley to shine a light on how special the people are there, to how special that town is.”

Once upon a time Burnley did have plenty of global eyeballs on it. It was a major engineering hub during the industrial revolution and became one of the world’s foremost cotton producers – claiming to boast a longer length of cotton than anywhere else in the world.

According to the Centre for Cities, Burnley still has the highest proportion of manufacturing jobs of any town, but whereas the sector provided three in four jobs in 1911, it’s now just under one in four.

But Burnley is a strong community, and this is one of the reasons why the couple were attracted to the place – they want to help change perceptions of the soccer club and the town.

“I personally believe Burnley gets a bad rap. I mean, I walk around London and I wear a Burnley cap and some people ask me, ‘What’s that?’,” the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year explains.

“All I want to do is help tell their story. Tell the story of the town, tell the story of the supporters and tell the story of that beautiful club.”

The Watts are already helping to bring eyeballs to the town and Alastair Campbell, a former spokesman for Tony Blair when he was UK Prime Minister and also a passionate Burnley fan, echoed this.

‘The exact right fit’

On the pitch, Burnley has just enjoyed a fairytale season.

At the start of the 2022-23 campaign, Burnley found itself in English football’s second tier. The club had been relegated to the Championship after six seasons in the Premier League, but with a new head coach, a relatively new owner, and a new philosophy, there was hope of a new dawn.

Under head coach Vincent Kompany the club roared back to the Premier League at the first time of asking and along with the news of promotion came the news of star new minority investors.

“I’ve been a football fan for a long time, and I knew that as my career started to come to an end, I wanted to find a way to stay involved in sports,” outlined Watt. “I’ve been looking for a football club to be a part of for a little while now, and Burnley just happened to check all the boxes and be the exact right fit for us.”

The Watts’ admiration for the club dates back to over a decade ago.

The former defensive end laughs as he reminisces about watching Burnley with a friend and enjoying the “scrappy, tough, rough style,” they employed against some of the Premier League’s best sides.

Watt was recommended to speak to American businessman Alan Pace, who became Burnley chairman when ALK Capital took over the club in December 2020. The former Houston Texans star did some research and says, “everything fell in line.”

The Watts recently made a trip to Lancashire and the former NFL star says the experience was “unbelievable.”

The husband-and-wife investors were able to soak up the celebrations of Burnley’s Championship victory alongside the community – which Watt reinforces was key to the investment.

“My wife and I are very, very keen on just proving ourselves to the community, proving ourselves to the people of Burnley, proving that we have that same passion, that same energy, that same excitement for their club that they do.”

English soccer fans are sometimes a bit suspicious of foreign investors, though Watt says that he is no stranger when it comes to the task of changing people’s opinions.

“When I got drafted in Houston, they booed me on draft night. They didn’t want me there. So, I’m used to not being welcome somewhere and I’m used to trying to help win over people.”

In good Kompany

One of the football club’s biggest assets is their head coach and Watt believes that Burnley has a special leader in the 37-year-old Kompany.

The Belgian defender had a wealth of experience on the pitch in English football – winning multiple trophies at Manchester City – but Burnley is his first managerial job in the country and, so far, he has excelled.

“When you talk to Vince, when you talk to the players who play for Vince, when you talk to people around the club, you understand why he is so special.

“There’s a reason that players from all over Europe are calling, wanting to play for Burnley and Vincent Kompany.”

Burnley’s style of football has changed drastically over the last 12 months with Kompany instilling a more attacking, possession-based approach than his predecessor Sean Dyche. The Clarets scored 87 goals on their way to collecting a staggering 101 points last season.

‘A lot of work to do’

Following the success of the men’s first team, the Watts are also keen to help improve women’s football in Burnley.

“My wife started in the beginning of the NWSL in America, so she’s seen it go through ups and downs and she’s seen it grow into an incredible league,” says Watt.

Kealia played for the Houston Dash from 2014-19 before moving to the Chicago Red Stars between 2020-21.

“I think when you look over here in England, I believe the Women’s FA Cup just sold out Wembley Stadium, which is unbelievable, but there is still a lot of work to do from a youth standpoint, from an academy standpoint for young girls,” said Watt.

“One of the things we’ve talked to a few young girls up in Burnley about is the fact that their schools aren’t offering the same as boys for soccer, for football. So, it’s an opportunity for us to come in and help elevate the women’s game and also to help tell their story as well.”

The Watts are also taking inspiration from the success of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham FC.

“I think that they have done something truly incredible and especially in the way that they’ve done it,” Watt said of Wrexham’s transformation. “Wrexham’s story is a beautiful one and there’s a reason people latch on to it so much.

“I have spoken to Ryan, and he’s been incredible. He gave me so much of his time and was willing to share insights and tell me some of the things that work, some of the things that you can do better.”

One of the reasons football fans have fallen in love with Wrexham is because of the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ series, and before finishing the conversation, Watt said that Burnley “currently have something in the works.”

“I know Alan [Pace] and the boys have been working on something for a long time in ‘Mission to Burnley’,” said Watt. “We’ve been documenting things just in case for down the line.”

The phrase “nobody’s perfect” just might not apply to José Mourinho when it comes to European soccer finals.

The 60-year-old Mourinho has won all five of the European finals in which the teams he has coached have appeared, and he now has an opportunity to add to his 100% record after Roma reached the Europa League final on Thursday, drawing 0-0 against Bayer Leverkusen to secure a 1-0 victory on aggregate in their semifinal.

Even after all those trophies, emotion still poured out of Mourinho as he was left in tears at the final whistle, after his team had somehow frustrated an utterly dominant Leverkusen.

It marks a second European final in as many years for Roma under Mourinho, after a 31-year absence for the Italian club, but the Portuguese coach was quick to downplay his own achievements.

“My concern isn’t marking my place in the Roma history books,” Mourinho told Sky Sports after the match.

“It’s helping these kids (players) to grow and achieve important things. It’s also helping the Roma fans who have given me so much since day one. It’s an immense joy to get to another final.”

Entering the tie with a 1-0 lead after Edoardo Bove’s goal in the first leg, Roma’s defense held firm throughout the match despite the German team having 72% possession, and engineering 23 shots compared to the Giallorossi’s one.

Forward Moussa Diaby perhaps came closest to that elusive goal for Leverkusen but his effort hit the crossbar.

Roma will now face Sevilla in the Europa League final at Budapest’s Puskás Aréna on May 31. The Spanish team is likely to be a formidable foe – not least because Sevilla has won all six of its previous Europa League finals.

As well as providing a chance for Mourinho to add to his already sizeable trophy haul, victory in Budapest would secure a spot in next season’s Champions League which otherwise seems unlikely given that Roma is currently sixth in Serie A.

Recently Mourinho has been linked with a move to one of the richest clubs in world football – Paris Saint-Germain – though he has brushed off the speculation.

“If they called, they didn’t find me,” he quipped in a Sky Sport Italia interview ahead of the semifinal first leg, when asked about the PSG reports.

Nonetheless, football journalist James Horncastle suggests Mourinho may be tempted to try and win the Champions League again with another club – a tournament he’s already won with Porto and Inter Milan – if Roma ultimately fail to qualify.

“He sees Roma as a way to bounce back to another big job,” Horncastle said on the Football Daily podcast.

“José is someone who ultimately wants to win wherever he goes and I think he feels that at Roma, unless they start changing the strategy and start spending more money, they’re not going to be able to deliver a league title.

“He would like a project that is befitting his legacy again, which would be the chance to compete for a Champions League.”

West Ham players confronted a group of AZ Alkmaar fans at the end of the teams’ match on Thursday after the section of the stadium containing the Premier League side’s friends and families came under attack.

The ugly scenes inside the AFAS Stadion in the Netherlands followed West Ham’s 1-0 victory in the UEFA Conference League semifinal second leg, a win that secured the English club its first European final since 1976.

The West Ham players were celebrating their famous victory on the pitch when a group of AZ supporters started instigating trouble, with videos on social media showing the supporters, who were dressed in black, pulling down a fence and then running towards the stands above the dugouts, before throwing punches towards people in the stand.

Videos also showed a number of West Ham players leaping over the hoardings in an attempt to intervene before security arrived to calm the situation.

“We’ll need to wait for the dust to settle to see what it is, but I think the biggest problem was the area where all the players had all their families in,” West Ham manager David Moyes told BT Sport after the game.

“That is where the problem came, and a lot of players were getting angry because they couldn’t get to see if they were OK.”

Moyes said he had family and friends in that particular section and admitted he was worried when he first saw what was unfolding.

“What I don’t want to do in any way is blight our night because it certainly wasn’t West Ham supporters looking for trouble,” he told reporters.

“Security wanted to take me inside, but I had to make sure my players were not going to get involved.”

‘Only a matter of time before someone is killed’

West Ham’s goalscorer on the night Pablo Fornals also said he was worried when he saw the group of fans running towards the stands.

“I was really concerned about how the family of my teammates and the West Ham family are,” he told Sky Sports.

“Hopefully, everyone is OK and the police can do their job and realize who did it.”

Geoff Pearson, an expert in crowd behavior at soccer stadiums, wrote on Twitter that it was “complete failure” from a security point of view.

“Scenes we used to see regularly outside stadia on European matchdays are becoming increasingly common inside. It is only a matter of time before someone is killed,” he said.

“Together with AZ, the municipality of Alkmaar and the public prosecution service we will evaluate last night’s incidents, which we regret having happened. This kind of behaviour has no place in football,” a police statement said.

According to Reuters, there was a similar incident after the first leg in London last week when AZ supporters were accosted by West Ham fans.

“What happened last week was very unfortunate and then you get the same feeling as what happened tonight,” said AZ Alkmaar coach Pascal Jansen, according to the BBC.

“I feel a little bit ashamed it happened in our stadium, but you have to control your emotions.”

Zachary Kussin was ready. The New Yorker had marked the date on his calendar months in advance and checked the Hello Hong Kong website every day for more information, all in hopes of scoring a free airline ticket.

The Hello Hong Kong initiative was introduced to lure back tourists and revitalize the city’s tourism industry, which took major hits as the financial hub was almost impossible to access for three years due to Covid regulations.

At a splashy event in February 2023, city officials announced that some 500,000 free airline tickets would be distributed both to local residents eager for a vacation and international travelers keen to visit Hong Kong.

It sounded too good to be true for Kussin, who has never been to Hong Kong and felt that with the high cost of airfare from the U.S. to Asia he wouldn’t be able to afford to visit on his own.

Supply and demand

Tickets were distributed in stages, broken down by country or region. On May 17, residents of the United States and Canada could try their luck.

To be eligible for the giveaway, users had to sign up for an account with Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flag carrier, then opt-in to receive promotional emails from the airline. On the day of the giveaway, hopeful travelers needed to log into their Cathay accounts, then wait for a promo code, which they could then use to book a gratis ticket.

However, huge demand meant that long digital queues formed even before tickets were available.

“We are very encouraged by the enthusiastic response from our Cathay members who registered for the exclusive ticket offer to Hong Kong,” the rep says. “As the home carrier of Hong Kong, we are excited to be supporting this campaign to welcome visitors from around the globe to discover the beauty of our beloved home city.”

“I was completely stonewalled,” Kussin says. “I’ve been hearing the same story from (other) people. They waited in a massive digital queue, they couldn’t sign in, and if they did they couldn’t find the promo code.”

“Airfare is so up across the board right now, and going to Hong Kong is really expensive. It would have been such a good deal and it would have sorted my vacation for the year.”

Instead, Kussin says, he’s decided to buy a less-expensive ticket to Portugal.

Made up of more than 1,000 islands spread over 90,000 square kilometers, Maldives is a country like no other.

The majority of the nation’s 160-plus resorts sit on individual islands, many of which are accessed by float plane from capital Male’s Velana International Airport.

A private island paradise in a country that’s 99% water, famed for having some of the world’s most stunning coastal scenery? Not a tough sell for most travelers.

But there are a few downsides. Being on a remote island can limit dining options. And opportunities to learn about Maldives’ fascinating history and the challenges it faces as the world’s lowest-lying nation are in short supply.

That’s where CROSSROADS Maldives comes in. Just a 15-minute air-conditioned speedboat ride from the international airport, it’s the country’s first multi-island leisure and lifestyle destination, designed to target both international tourists and locals looking for a day escape from the capital.

Arriving guests pull into a picturesque 30-berth marina – where they’re likely to spot a superyacht or two – that connects to an open-air dining and retail zone. From there, they’re shuttled via electric buggy to one of two resorts – the SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton or the Hard Rock Hotel Maldives – which occupy their own individual islands, all connected by narrow bridges. Daytrippers can head for the SAii Beach Club, a separate venue with its own private beach and dining options.

A rare chance to learn about Maldivian history

Though the stunning white sands and blue waters are what draw most tourists to Maldives, CROSSROADS also seeks to educate visitors on the country’s extensive history, which dates back to 2,000 BCE, as well as the environmental challenges it faces today.

These issues are front and center in the Maldives Discovery Center, located near the marina.

Here, visitors learn about the country’s culture, people, history and climate struggles through a series of colorful interactive displays.

“This is important because Maldives is always considered a luxury destination, but nothing more,” says Mohamed Firash, CROSSROADS Maldives’ marketing and communications manager.

“It’s also a country with a rich history.  There was a disconnect before, and this will help rebuild that relationship between tourism and local culture.”

CROSSROADS was inspired by Maldives’ role as an important stop on trading routes, connecting East and West through the ages. This philosophy carries over into the dining zone, too. It’s home to the country’s first and only fine dining restaurant dedicated to Maldivian cuisine – Kalhu Odi.

“If you have been to other resorts in Maldives, usually they serve a bit of Maldivian cuisine or host a Maldivian night,” says Firash.

“But there’s no fine dining restaurant available for tourists to experience the local cuisine. This restaurant serves different types of food available throughout the country. The experience is incredible.”

Kalhu Odi is one of more than a dozen different dining outlets at CROSSROADS. There’s also an outpost of Sri Lanka’s famed Ministry of Crab, the Hard Rock Café, Japanese restaurant Nihonbashi Blue, Indian eatery Kebab and Kurry and Chinese restaurant Jiao Wu. Those in search of a Thai fix can head for Kinkao.

Coral propagation in the Marine Discovery Centre

Like most resorts in the Maldives, CROSSROADS has a watersports center for those looking to get out on boards and JetSkis or plan scuba and snorkel excursions in the surrounding reefs.

Adjacent to it is the Marine Discovery Centre, which teaches visitors about the importance of sustainable practices. An onside coral propagation nursery offers a hands-on experience that gives broken pieces of coral a second chance at life.

“We collect the broken pieces from the reefs and then we bring it here,” explains research assistant Ali Shaamy as he demonstrates the process.

“The pieces are glued to a dead rock. We call it the stone attachment method. After a week, we move them to the resort’s lagoon.

“It’s important because the islands, the ocean, the fish… the whole marine biodiversity is connected to the coral reefs. If we don’t have the corals, we don’t have the beauty or the fish, and then guests don’t come.”

According to the World Bank, tourism directly and indirectly accounts for two-thirds of the country’s GDP. Striking a balance between the need to welcome tourists while also protecting the country’s natural resources is an ever-present issue in this country of just over half a million people.

As part of efforts to fulfill its own commitment to environmental preservation, CROSSROADS recently became the latest destination in Maldives to receive its Green Globe Certification (GGC) following a rigorous sustainability audit.

Travelers don’t need to look far to see why the need to adhere to strict sustainable practices is necessary. At sunset, not far offshore near the SAii Lagoon resort pool, dolphins can often be spotted leaping into the air on the horizon.

During the speedboat transfer back to the airport during a recent visit, several pods of dolphins emerge to swim and jump beside the boat, their grey fins cutting through the crystal-blue waters, not far from cargo ships docked at a Male port.

A destination for locals, too

In addition to SAii Lagoon and the Hard Rock Hotel, CROSSROADS is preparing to open a third resort, SO/ Maldives, later this year.

It will feature a selection of 80 overwater and beach luxury villas. SAii, meanwhile, has 198 suites and villas – both overwater and beach-access, while Hard Rock Hotel has 178 rooms including family suites, beach villas and one and two-bedroom overwater villas.

Guests of the two resorts can choose from a variety of meal plans, including an all-inclusive package that offers free dining at most CROSSROADS venues.

Though travelers could easily spend a few days at CROSSROADS, it’s also a great option for visitors needing a place to stay near the airport, depending on flight schedules, as float planes can’t fly after dark.

Those who just want to come for the day can visit the marina, beach club and retail/dining zone, as well as the discovery centers. And that includes local Maldivians.

“This is the first project that is open for the general public and tourists as well,” says Firash.

“Because Maldives resorts are private, locals or even visitors are not allowed to go unless you have a booking to stay. So this is the first facility that is open for locals and visitors to visit for a day use, or maybe just to experience dining facilities we have.”

The reaction from the locals since it first opened in 2019 has been impressive, he says.

“They really appreciate that they have something other than the city to come out and experience during their weekend, and bring their families out of Male. It’s a bit congested, so this is a good opportunity for them to be away from the busy life.”

A toddler has died after a boat ferrying more than 30 villagers across the Shire River in Malawi’s Nsanje district was attacked by a hippo, causing it to overturn, authorities said.

A police spokesperson, Agnes Zalakoma, said the incident happened early Monday and 23 of the boat’s 37 passengers were missing and feared dead in the water, which is infested with crocodiles and hippos.

“Well-wishers managed to rescue 13 people while 23 others went missing and the dead body of the toddler has been found,” Zalakoma said in a statement Monday, adding that the deceased child was only one-year-old.

Rescuers are continuing searching for the missing persons, Zalakoma’s statement added.

“It is too dangerous because it (the river) is too shallow and in this river there are crocodiles that most of the time attack people and also hippopotamus that cause incidents like the one we’re dealing with,” Zalakoma said.

According to a lawmaker for the Nsanje district, Gladys Ganda, the villagers were crossing the Shire River to get to their farms at the Malawian border with Mozambique when their boat was hit by a hippo.

Hippos are one of the world’s most dangerous animals, and they can snap a canoe in half with their strong jaws, according to National Geographic.

They are found naturally in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, especially in east and southern Africa.

Hippo attacks are also common in sub-Saharan Africa. In December, a two-year-old Ugandan boy was attacked by a hippo which swallowed half of his body before spitting him out, Uganda’s police said.

Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to connect with a trained counselor or visit the Lifeline site.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year it seems to coincide with a flurry of violent headlines. For many, this constant bad news adds to the stress of everyday life, which may already feel overwhelming.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, each year in the US, one in five adults experience mental illness and one in six children aged 6 to 17 experience a mental health disorder. That’s millions of people. In 2021, less than half of adults received treatment.

America’s mental health crisis is having a widespread impact that touches everyone.

Michele Neff Hernandez: Mental health is as important as physical health

For Neff Hernandez, whose organization helps widowed people connect with each other in a community of support, it’s important for everyone to know they aren’t alone in their struggle. Mental illness is common, yet the stigma surrounding it is often a hurdle for people seeking the treatment they need.

Michele Neff Hernandez: When our body isn’t working well, going to a doctor to seek the cause or to help alleviate symptoms is considered normal and even responsible. Yet, when we are struggling with our mental health for any reason – including grieving a death, experiencing a traumatic event, even coping with the global and national crises that are a part of our daily narrative – we so often hesitate to seek mental health support. The pervasive stigmatizing narrative that implies that seeking mental health support shows weakness or that a mental illness or the breakdown of our mental health for any reason is something to be ashamed of has a significantly negative impact on our society, especially our young people.

We have to model good mental health care by learning about mental health with the same vigor we use to learn about physical health. Imagine if meditation were as popular as weight loss. Or if picking up your mood stabilizing medication was viewed in the same way as picking up your blood pressure medication. Normalizing caring for and seeking help with mental health is a gift we can give ourselves and the next generation. We all need mental health support at many times in our lives; what a gift it would be if accessing that help were viewed as just part of normal life.

We see this in grief all the time: No one wants to allow people to be sad. We seek to fix instead of listen. We pressure grieving people to “get over it” to make others more comfortable. We set the definition of success after a traumatic event as “returning to normal,” even when returning to a past normal is impossible. The truth is we are always changed by the challenges we overcome, and integrating what we’ve learned about ourselves in the aftermath is one of the key elements of building resilience. When we stigmatize mental health care, we create an environment that ensures that the people who most need help will suffer alone.

Annette March-Grier: ‘Make self-care a priority’

March-Grier stresses the importance of putting yourself first to enhance mental well-being.

Annette March-Grier: Everyone is looking for some kind of balance, yet few are finding it. Your state of mind is where it all begins. Make self-care a priority for your mental wellness. “Self-care is not selfish.” It is a truth that if you don’t take care of yourself, you will have nothing to give others. This includes healthy relationships that can be jeopardized because of stress, burnout, and lack of self-care. Your physical health is also connected to your mental health. Negative thoughts and suppression of these can cause dis-ease, and over time this leads to disease.

Self-care means taking time out for self, creating a gratitude list, journaling, dancing, laughing, breathing fully, smelling the fresh air, being aware of surroundings, being in the moment, enjoying the stillness when you can, taking time out for self, playing with your pet, exercising, reflecting on the past, dreaming about the future, eating healthy, helping someone in need. All of these self-care activities increase the body’s endorphins and bring on relaxation and balance.

Scott Strode: Combine community and fitness

Strode’s work focuses on the intersection of exercise and personal connection to benefit mental health.

Scott Strode: Social connection is a powerful tool for creating positive mental health. At The Phoenix, every day we see the profound impact that belonging and social connection has on our members’ confidence and overall well-being. Just spending a few minutes daily in the presence of others can be inherently powerful, and thankfully it is now easier than ever to make these vital connections.

Whether it’s getting together for an activity or just talking about challenges being faced, social connectivity can help us all overcome mental health challenges.

Exercise can also be a powerful tool to improve mental health. We encourage you to get out for a 15- to 30-minute walk or run and consider inviting a friend to join you. Sharing these physical activities with supportive peers can create the vulnerability to begin to share about what else you might be experiencing.

Mary Cortani: ‘Do not judge what you cannot see’

Cortani emphasizes that not all wounds are visible, and silence is not a treatment for mental illness.

Mary Cortani: If the world has taught me anything, it has taught me to remember to be kind, do not judge what you cannot see. Pain is invisible. With all the craziness going on every day, breathe. It is okay to feel down, to feel overloaded, overwhelmed, sad, frustrated. Try not to hold onto it. Seek help, talk to your family, friends, pastor, priest – talk to someone. And for those listening, really hear, pay attention, because sometimes the silence says more than the words. There is no shame to ask for help. It takes courage, and we all have it within us.

It takes all of us to realize mental health needs to be talked about, not buried under the rug. We need open, honest conversations; we have a mental health crisis in this country that is only getting worse as we become more divided. Fear only adds to it. Mental health doesn’t just affect veterans and first responders; it can affect everyone. Trauma is trauma, and enough repeated exposure changes the brain. There is hope, and there can be healing, but we all need to work together to help those who need our help.

We need to stop the silence surrounding mental health and model healthy behaviors so that we can assist with support and help guide towards resources. We are not in this alone, nor are those suffering from mental health issues.

For Kenny Pigman, qualifying for the PGA Championship offered him the opportunity to rub shoulders with the game’s elite. In reality, one of the game’s elite inadvertently left the PGA Professional rubbing his shoulder.

Pigman, Head Professional at Arrowhead Country Club in California, was preparing to tee off from the 18th tee during his first round at Oak Hill when he was struck by a wayward shot hit by 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau from the nearby 17th fairway.

Broadcast footage showed Pigman cover his head and duck before the ball bounced off his right shoulder. Commentators added that a shout of “fore” had alerted the 34-year-old to the incoming projectile, and Pigman teed off shortly after, eventually bogeying the par-four hole.

It marks the second wayward shot incident in 24 hours at the major, after one of Joel Dahmen’s practice round tee drives careened into the leg of a spectator on Wednesday. A happy ending saw Dahmen give the fan a $100 bill to spend on beers.

Despite managing to find the green with his next shot, DeChambeau – who, like Pigman, had started his round from the 10th hole – bogeyed the 17th. However the American bounced back immediately with a birdie at the 18th to continue his excellent start to the first round.

DeChambeau fired six birdies to shoot a four-under 66 and return to the clubhouse atop the leaderboard. The LIV Golf star is chasing his second major crown after US Open glory at Winged Foot three years ago.

Meanwhile Pigman, one of twenty PGA Professionals to qualify for the major via the PGA Professional Championship in Mexico last month, carded an 11-over 81.

He is making his 2nd PGA Championship appearance after competing at the 99th edition of the tournament at Quail Hollow, North Carolina in 2017, where he missed the cut.

One golf fan has found an unusual way to bypass having to pay for beers at the PGA Championship this week – take a Joel Dahmen tee shot to the leg.

Dahmen was at the first tee of his final practice round Wednesday when his wayward drive struck spectator Caleb McGuire, the spectator said in a tweet.

Pictures showed a sizeable bruise on the fan’s calf, but his pain was eased when the American golfer subsequently asked about the cost of a beer at the major, hosted at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York.

When told each beer cost $17, Dahmen handed over $100 for some refreshments, McGuire said, with the tweet showing the duo posing for pictures with the bill.

Shoutout to @Joel_Dahmen for hitting my calf with a tee shot today on hole #1! He proceeds to ask me how much a beer costs at the tourney and I tell him $17 a pop. He then pulls out a crispy $100 bill and says “I got your beers today.” pic.twitter.com/oLIenCUj5q

— Caleb McGuire (@YourPalCal_) May 18, 2023

Dahmen’s act of generosity comes a year after two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas expressed his disbelief at the reported $18 cost of beer at the 2022 edition of the major in Tulsa.

“Sorry about that! Hope you enjoyed the beers,” Dahmen tweeted in response.

“It was a pleasure just to meet you!” McGuire replied. “We couldn’t stop talking about it for the rest of the day. Go ahead and win this week!”

Dahmen shot to fame following his starring role as the self-proclaimed, self-depreciating, “goofball” of the PGA Tour in “Full Swing”, Netflix’s fly-on-the-wall docuseries released earlier this year.

In an episode titled “Imposter Syndrome,” the show offered a candid insight into the 35-year-old’s wrestles with self-belief.

“I’m a middle of the road PGA Tour player,” Dahmen explained.

“The top players … they’re just built differently. They’re mentally just different. They hit it further and they chip and putt better. I’m not a threat when I walk into these things, really.

“I am not going to be a hall of famer. When I retire from golf, no one’s going to remember who I am. I understand that, I’m fine with it. I’m not playing for legacy. Some people are like, ‘That’s why you’ll never be great Joel, coz you don’t believe it.’”

However, the episode ended on a high note with Dahmen finishing inside the top 10 at the US Open in June last year, a career-best major performance.

The world No. 108 enjoyed a strong end to 2022 but has endured a tough start to the current season, missing the cut in four of his last seven PGA Tour appearances.