Romero bounces back with historic Sunday round
Oregon golfer Kiara Romero showed incredible mental toughness at the Women's U.S. Open Golf Tournament at Erin Hills Golf Course in Erin, Wisconsin.
A day after carding a 12-over 84 on Saturday, she picked herself up to shoot a five-under 67 on Sunday, the lowest single round by an amateur in Open history. She moved from dead-last in the field to a tie for 45th at 8-over-par, fourth best among amateurs.
Sweden's Maja Stark won the event with a 7-under 281.
Romero improved her round by 17 strokes from Saturday to Sunday with a reset of her attitude. She told Brentley Romine of Yahoo Sports,
“I think just knowing that I was literally in dead last kind of freed me up into knowing I had absolutely nothing to lose and just playing my game. Knowing I've been playing some good golf. I made the cut to get here. I knew I had it in me, and I just tried to stay patient and put that round behind me.”
She made the cut after the first two rounds by shooting 73-72, getting a birdie on 18 Friday to make the field for the weekend.
On Sunday she played the first three holes in even par, then got going with a birdie on the par-four fourth hole, a birdie on nine, then birdies on 12, 13 and 15. The resilience that fired her comeback is something she can draw on as her career continues.
USC adopts unsustainable recruiting strategy-- $10 million for one player
The football recruiting news all spring has been about USC's resurgence in high school recruiting as the Trojans have amassed the nation's No. 1 class with 27 recruits, 17 of the them blue-chips.
It's a crazy rate of success, but the explanation is simple. Taylor Hartman of Athlon Sports reported that the latest SC commit, 5-star tight end Mark Bowman of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, is getting an NIL package worth $10 million.
The House Settlement, which has still not been finalized but was originally supposed to go into effect by July 1, limits colleges to a budget of 20.5 million for direct payments to athletes, with 80% going to football, about $15 million.
Under the settlement any NIL deals above $600 would be reviewed by an independent clearing house to see if they reflected "fair market value" for the athlete's services, the intention being to eliminate "pay-for-play" arrangements.
That aspect of the settlement will surely be tested in court, and seems likely to fail.
Either way, the idea of paying one player that kind of money at the college level seems ridiculous and potentially locker room-destroying. Only 14 tight ends in the NFL make $10 million or more.
It will take a smart strategy to survive the upcoming upheaval in college football. What fans are seeing at Oregon is the first stage of a smart strategy. Overpaying for players didn't work at Texas A&M or Florida State, and it won't work in the future.
A staff has to have balance between the portal, high school recruiting and a sound plan for individual athletes. The Ducks have a tremendous 2026 tight end recruit in Kendre Harrison, and his deal will be in line with the rest of team and veteran players.
Upcoming pivotal Oregon recruiting visits include Florida wide receiver Calvin Russell, 5-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, Maryland 5-star tackle Immanuel Iheanacho, Messiah Hampton, Jett Washington, Tommy Tofi, Matt Ponatoski, TJ Hodges and Jalen Lott.
Oregon tennis welcomes Will Semler
Will Semler, a three-time 6A state champion from Lincoln High School in Portland signed with the Ducks yesterday, the No. 24 prospect in the nation in men's tennis.
Welcome home, Will Semler!#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/9fl7FbYoUe
— Oregon Men's Tennis (@OregonMTennis) June 2, 2025