Recent content from Jim Souhan
Souhan: Wisconsin's U.S. Open course did little to stir emotions
The problem is that Erin Hills is not interesting. It doesn't challenge players off the tee, and it doesn't look interesting either from the gallery or the couch.
For Fowler and Thomas, the wait for a major title continues
Both faded in pursuit of their first major crown.
Souhan: Powerful Koepka wins U.S. Open for first major championship
Brooks Koepka went the lowest of the low with a final-round 67 to finish 16 under par as the Erin Open became the seventh consecutive major to produce a first-time major winner.
Souhan: Pound for pound, perhaps the finest 63 in U.S. Open history
Justin Thomas' arms are the thickness of penne noodles, but he has the hip movement of an Olympic powerlifter. He overpowered Erin Hills on Saturday, breaking a U.S. Open record by recording a round of 9 under.
Amateur Cameron Champ outdriving everyone at U.S. Open
Texas A&M golfer hitting nearly 340 yards off tee.
Souhan: Mysterious venue could see obscure winner crowned champion
No one in the top 18 on the midway point leaderboard at Erin Hills has won a major championship.
World's top three golfers miss cut at U.S. Open
Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jason Day, world ranking leaders, missed the cut and made history.
U.S. Open leaderboard takes on topsy-turvy look
Most of the world's best struggled, while lesser-known players went low.
Souhan: Know these terms as U.S. Open begins play in Wisconsin
Fescue: The tall, wispy grass that is the visual calling card of this U.S. Open is just one of the words you should add to your golf glossary as Erin Hills takes center stage.
Souhan: Still no 'next Tiger' emerging among golf's young guns
The longer Tiger Woods is away from golf the more you appreciate his dominance. No one has risen to take over as the sport's can't-miss star.
Souhan: First-round bust would be bad for Twins, but it can be overcome
From 1976 through 2011, the Twins chose 14 players with top-10 picks. Only two became impact players for them — Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer.
Twins' top-10 draft pick hits and misses (mostly misses)
From 1976 to 2011, the Twins had 14 top 10 overall selections in the Major League Baseball draft. Some panned out, but most didn't — at least, not in Minnesota.
Souhan: Erin Hills' path to U.S. Open lined with drama, even death
Erin Hills near Milwaukee is primed to host the U.S. Open this week. All while a key figure in the rise of the course is in jail for killing his wife and another figure destroyed his businesses and personal wealth.
Souhan: Carleton-bound sprinter starts foundation for Alzheimer's research
Zach Kulstad, a state-caliber runner at Prior Lake, is the proud founder of The Memento Foundation, which he set up to help those with dementia and Alzheimer's.
Souhan: PED offenders steal thunder from Albert Pujols' 600th HR
The Angels slugger's milestone Saturday night showed that steroids ruined home runs even for those who did not take them.
Souhan: LeBron James' recent incident proof that racism is alive and unwell
You can't turn on a television without observing how far race relations have to go in our country, or how far they have regressed.
Souhan: Even with this bullpen, Twins good enough to hang around
The 2017 Twins never should have been confused with true contenders. That doesn't mean they can't pretend for a while longer, especially with a favorable schedule ahead.
Souhan: Twins' Mauer does what he does best, reaching base seven times
Try this sentence on for size: Joe Mauer made his first out of the game in the bottom of the 15th inning, 6 hours, 23 minutes after the first pitch.
Souhan: Loons another viable Twin Cities sports option
Given reason to cheer, fans at TCF Bank Stadium became impressively loud, and impressively organized.
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Souhan: Showalter's Twins observations all might be on target
Buck Showalter heaped praise on the Twins organization as a whole - and he just might be right on all his observations
Souhan: Zimmer would help Vikings by ditching workaholic thing
What's most important for Mike Zimmer and the Vikings is for him to make it through the 2017 season with good health and a healthy attitude. The time to start is now.
Souhan: From prospect to pitcher, Berrios making the successful leap
Young Twins starter Jose Berrios has quality stuff and multiple pitches. And he has learned to dominate each level of the game once he becomes comfortable.
Souhan: Twins improved without solving many of their problems
Statisticians might say the rise to first place is illusory and temporary, and they're probably right. But the view from the clubhouse is different.
Souhan: Fowles' play in Lynx opener impresses all but her coach
One of the hallmarks of the Lynx during a decade of excellence has been a mind-set best described as optimistic realism. So coach Cheryl Reeve didn't spend her postgame news conference praising Fowles; instead she pushed the buttons of a player who will be crucial to her team this season.
Souhan: Wolves coach Thibodeau facing a long fix-it list
With the NBA draft lottery set for Tuesday night, Tom Thibodeau's tenure in Minnesota is not in trouble but his reputation is in need of bolstering.
Souhan: With Cook and Floyd, Vikings again calculate risk, reward
Despite spectacular exceptions, the Vikings have generally fared well when making these sorts of ventures.
Souhan: Minnesota rugby's 'first family' helping Hopkins girls soar
Olympian Katie Johnson has helped coach Hopkins to the national high school club championships.
Santana vs. Sale: The duel becomes a dud
The expected pitchers' duel between Ervin Santana and Chris Sale didn't quite materialize as both starters were just slightly off their games.
Souhan: Best use of Santana for Twins is to keep him
Unless another team offers a young ace, the Twins should be happy to keep Santana, and other teams are very unlikely to offer a young ace.
Souhan: Fewer pitchers could solve baseball's pace of play problem
Here's an idea: Legislate an 11-man pitching staff. You'll see fewer mid-inning interruptions, more rallies, more intriguing late-game pinch-hitting and an endgame that will be worth staying awake to see.
Souhan: Gibson's latest failure again highlights Berrios' importance
Jose Berrios will be the next young pitcher asked to rise to the top of the Twins' rotation, and Kyle Gibson's collapse heightens the pressure.
Souhan: Twins' vision of revival led by Sano, Buxton could be near
Tuesday's upper-deck home runs by Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton showed what those in the Twins organization have been waiting for since 2013.
Souhan: Peterson's Week 1 return is latest in Vikings' ongoing drama
The Vikings are the local champions of sports drama. And as Vikings history proves, "dramatic" is not synonymous with "successful."
Souhan: Wild GM's moves were logical yet fruitless
Chuck Fletcher has much for which to answer, but most of his recent mistakes or misjudgments stemmed from managing an inflexible roster.
Souhan: Wild, again, not good enough when it matters
Since owner Craig Leipold spent about $200 million on two premier players, his team is 2-5 in playoff series and has not advanced beyond the second round.
Souhan: Elimination game doesn't morph into a head game for Dubnyk
Devan Dubnyk on Wednesday produced his first shutout since Dec. 20 and was the better goalie in part because of his controlled performance in a critical spot.
Souhan: The Wild can make it a series vs. Blues if it heeds this advice
We watch sports to be surprised. Here are 10 ways the Wild belatedly can make this a competitive series and stop whining about "puck luck."
Souhan: Three losses in, it's time: Show us something, Wild
Treating Game 4 like Game 7 is one suggestion. Another is to realize what's happening is not working.
Wild hasn't been in position to get its best shots vs. Blues
St. Louis' strategy has limited quality, not quantity chances.
Souhan: For Wild, doubts creeping in thanks to Yeo, Blues
Former Wild coach Mike Yeo is coaching the Blues this series almost as if he knows the Wild's flaws.
Souhan: Shooting's fine, but Wild needs scorers to step up
Sometimes in hockey shots are viewed as a sign of dominance. But, as Game 1 showed for the Wild, dominating puck possession and shot totals means nothing if you can't score.
Souhan: Round 1 goes to the Blues' Allen in matchup of goalies
The Wild entered the opening-round playoff series with the better goalie in Devan Dubnyk but St. Louis brought Jake Allen, the hotter goalie who was on full display in Game 1.
Souhan: Boudreau's postseason failures have earned him doubts
In his first season, Bruce Boudreau has led the Wild to a team record for points. But in the past, Boudreau's teams have not won in the playoffs when it matters most.
Souhan: Garcia just the latest golf champion who rose to the occasion
This week, Sergio Garcia handled major championship pressure better than he ever had before, altering his persona in America from talented whiner to matured achiever.
Souhan: Suddenly, Sergio no longer is best golfer without a major
Sergio Garcia had argued that he was a different person than the player known for choking away majors and complaining about Augusta National. He proved that all week.
Spieth falters, calls his round 'a bit bizarre'
He closed with a 75 at the Masters after being poised to challenge.
Spieth trails by 2, ready to 'go for broke' in Masters final round
The 2015 winner, in the Sunday hunt again, is a reachable two shots back.
Souhan: Star-filled Masters leaderboard should lead to special Sunday
The leaderboard at the Masters has a Ryder Cup-look to it, with Europeans Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia just ahead of Americans Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Ryan Moore.
Souhan: With Masters lead, Garcia must battle demons and the field
Sergio Garcia, who has never won a major and is no stranger to comments and controversy in his professional career, is in a four-way tie for the lead after Round 2 at the Masters.
Ryder Cup star Pieters keeps task simple at Masters
Thomas Pieters, a novice at majors, hasn't buckled under the Augusta aura.
Memories of Palmer endure at Augusta National
In a touching early-morning ceremony at the Masters, friends and patrons recalled Arnold Palmer's popularity and kindness.
Spieth says he's ready to 'tear up' Augusta in return to the Masters
Spieth's Masters record is both stunning and disappointing. At 23, he can choose to be proud or regretful. The way he talks about that success and failure is interesting.
Souhan: Golfers teed off over rules adjudicating in majors
It's Masters week, which means the world's best golfers are all in one place. And most sound disgusted by the way the rules of the game are enforced.
Souhan: New catcher Castro can take Twins' win and frame it
On his first Opening Day at Target Field, Jason Castro collected the Twins' first hit, drew a walk and lined a two-run single during a five-run seventh. He was also behind the plate for Ervin Santana's two-hit gem.
Souhan: Hope roams in the Twins' outfield
Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Eddie Rosario could give the Twins their best fielding outfield since Kirby Puckett, Dan Gladden and Shane Mack were mastering the Metrodome's idiosyncrasies.
Souhan: Twins' new bosses inherit the worst and hope for the best
There is no better job in sports than taking over a broken franchise. Mathematically and aesthetically, Derek Falvine's new team can't get worse.
Souhan: Twins new bosses show their own 'March Madness' by cutting Park
It seems highly unlikely that a 13th pitcher will help produce a Twins victory this month, and ByungHo Park earned his shot to show what he can do in the major leagues.
Souhan: Wild threaten to start playoffs with higher seeding, lower expectations
No matter how the Wild wants to phrase it, the team's spoken goal has changed from winning the division to eking out an occasional point.
Souhan: Observations from spring training, a week from Opening Day
One man's takeaways from Florida spring training.
Souhan: Cuddyer enjoying life as a former baseball player
Always a friendly presence, former Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer this spring is more relaxed than he has ever been in a baseball clubhouse. "It's great," he said of the retired life.
Souhan: About to turn 34, Mauer comes to a career crossroad
As of 2013, Joe Mauer remained on pace to finish his career as one of the greatest-hitting catchers in baseball. He'll enter 2017 as a light-hitting first baseman with, perhaps, the end of his career in sight.
Souhan: Buxton ready to show this will be his year
When a top prospect struggles, everyone in the organization wants to help, leading to a cacophony of advice. "You're going to have to fail to learn how to succeed," Byron Buxton said.
Souhan: After trade talk, Dozier wants to take game to another level
When the new Twins bosses discussed trades of second baseman Brian Dozier this winter, Dozier sought refuge at a rural cabin two hours from his Mississippi home.
Souhan: NFL free agency means different fates for different folks
NFL free agency is rarely a vehicle for greatness. Instead of it being the foundation, it fixes the cracks.
Souhan: Gophers defense goes to great lengths to improve
With Reggie Lynch intimidating shooters near the basket and Amir Coffey hurling his long frame and arms at shooters on the perimeter, the Gophers' defense has improved immeasurably - and measurably.
Souhan: Yeo, Blues deliver a little fly in the ointment to Wild
Nearing the end of the best season in Wild history, the Xcel Energy Center sounded awfully quiet Tuesday night. The St. Louis Blues were in town with a coach named Yeo, and it doesn't take much to make Minnesota sports fans worry about curses and hexes, franchise history and old acquaintances.
Souhan: Fletcher wagered right amount in trade with Coyotes
The GM's fearlessness has built the best team in the Western Conference, and Sunday he again demonstrated that he doesn't know why anyone would bother putting yellow on a traffic light.
Souhan: Gophers' turnaround season is fun for Pitino, too
Richard Pitino presided over one of the worst seasons in Gophers basketball history last year. He initiated one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Gophers sports history this year.
Souhan: Rubio just the latest in long line of Wolves' point guard issues
The franchise history of point guards explains why the Timberwolves have ended all but one season without winning a playoff series.
Souhan: Old nemesis Blackhawks return, but Wild has new stature
For once, the Blackhawks won a game against Minnesota and could feel they proved something, because this is the best Wild team in history.
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Souhan: Freshman Curry becomes newest big man on campus
During the Gophers' 83-78 overtime victory over Michigan, Curry, the freshman from Memphis, borrowed Reggie Lynch's job and ran with it.
Souhan: Wolves feel King James' presence in loss
There remain athletes who can awe regardless of familiarity and LeBron James is one of them. In person he looks more powerful than he appears on any screen.
Souhan: Koivu's inspired play is no joking matter for Wild
As earnest an athlete as you'll meet, Mikko Koivu isn't the kind of guy who's going to make you slap your knee but this season he has earned pats on the back.
Souhan: Twins offer constant reminder that things could be worse
As the least-anticipated Twins spring training in decades begins, let's count our blessings.
Souhan: Boudreau's brilliance with Wild channels two Twin Cities greats
Boudreau has helped the Wild rise to the top of the Western Conference by blending the philosophies and habits of two of the most skilled coaches and managers in Twin Cities history, former Twins manager Tom Kelly and former Wild coach Jacques Lemaire.
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