The Open Championship returned to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland after a 68-year absence — and the golf course destroyed basically all the favorites, none more than the host nation's own Rory McIlroy. 

But he wasn't the only one wanting to punch himself after Round 1.

NFL players have to fight for every guaranteed dollar and have several long-term health concerns, yet their owners seem hellbent on extending their season. It's not happening. The NFL's proposal for an 18-game season with a 16-game max would benefit the owners far more than it would the players. 

The 60 Second Sports podcast is written and produced by Ryan O'Leary. Connect with Ryan on Twitter: @RyanOLearySMG

Novak Djokovic is just what the sport of tennis needs - a sometimes over-the-top villain to rival the two more beloved gentlemen ahead of him -- Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. 

The 60 Second Sports podcast is written and produced by Ryan O'Leary. Connect with Ryan on Twitter: @RyanOLearySMG

With the US Women's National Team, there's no separating sports and politics. A group of women playing the world's most popular sport on the grandest stage — and captivating a nation — is a political statement in itself.

Batters are on pace for a record 6,668 home runs this season, which would be a 19 percent increase from 2018 and shatter the previous mark of 6,105 set in 2017. 

The pitchers, most notably star Justin Verlander, are speaking out. Commissioner Rob Manfred is calling it a conspiracy theory. But the numbers don't lie. In 2019, it's not the players who are juiced, it's the baseballs.

How's this for star-power? Free agent Kawhi Leonard picked the L.A. Clippers ... then basically played GM and traded for Paul George. Sports books in Vegas are already making the Clippers the championship favorites for 2020, but in reality, the 2019-20 NBA season will be as unpredictable as any in recent memory. 

For this league — that's the biggest win it could have hoped for.

The 60 Second Sports podcast is written and produced by Ryan O'Leary. Connect with Ryan on Twitter: @RyanOLearySMG

Zion Williamson's NBA Summer League debut got off to a wild start. First, a knee-on-knee hit forced him out of the game with 11 points and 3 rebounds. Then, a 6.9M earthquake rocked the Vegas area, sending 17,500 fans in a sold-out arena for the exits. 

Bad omen? Maybe. The people definitely want more Zion, but the Pelicans don't gain much from giving it them this summer. 

The 60 Second Sports podcast is written and produced by Ryan O'Leary. Connect with Ryan on Twitter @RyanOLearySMG.

Kawhi Leonard, the quiet and mysterious superstar none of us really know anything about, reportedly could announce his free agent decision sometime today ... On Independence Day. 

The 60 Second Sports podcast is written and produced by Ryan O'Leary. Connect with Ryan on Twitter @RyanOLearySMG.

They saved arguably their most important player, midfielder Megan Rapinoe, to ensure she's healthy for the final, and trolled all of England in the first half with Alex Morgan's cuppa celebration.

The U.S. Women's National Team definitely has swagger — and a record fifth World Cup final appearance to boot.

Just about everyone's billing the London Series featuring the iconic Red Sox-Yankees rivalry over the weekend as a huge success. That's interesting considering the MLB brought the circus to London — not a baseball series.