Sports and celebration

Yesterday was a special day here in my country and in many others. It was Father's Day. While I understand that this commemoration of all fathers is more of a commercial issue than anything else, it has been established for many years. All of us who have had the great fortune of procreating or adopting children celebrate without considering how, when, or why we are given this opportunity to be pampered and loved specially.

And the celebration took place at home. I had to prepare the barbecue for a few guests. I do it with pleasure since cooking is an activity that pleases me more than anything else, and I do it with the greatest pleasure, even if it means I have to work on a day dedicated to me.

There were several sports, major sports events around the world, and it was likely I'd miss some. Luckily, the planets aligned, and both my brother-in-law and son-in-law wanted to watch the Formula One race at home. It was at a time that didn't bother lunch, and we decided to eat early, and that's what we did. By the time the event started, we even had the dishes washed and the coffee steaming.

I was able to watch the race, and the hope of a standout performance from our local team didn't last long. When I saw him pit for a tire change so early in the race, I realized his chances of scoring any points had vanished. Perhaps having watched so many races, paying attention to every detail allows me to assume things that are going to happen or are happening, even before the commentators and commentators realize it. I knew that by the end of the race, those tires they'd fitted would be in very poor condition. He had too many laps left. Perhaps they speculated in the pits with a yellow flag and would have saved the day. Making a second change with his pace so inferior to others without that help would condemn him to the back of the field.

The yellow flag came out when least expected, and even less so when the McLarens were expected to crash into each other. Lando Norris despaired and made a tremendous mistake that ruined the race for himself and nearly ruined it for his teammate. At this point, it's clear he's far more focused than the other driver, who continues to make mistakes.

That flag and the subsequent Pace Car saved Franco Colapinto from losing a few more positions, and the checkered flag fell on all the drivers with the safety car in front of them, a welcome one among so many disappointments. The Argentine driver's car indeed made a significant leap forward, allowing him to qualify in 12th place, although penalties later forced him to start in 10th. However, many problems persist. Watching the onboard camera, as he continually has to correct them, is the clearest proof that the car isn't responding in critical moments around corners. Add to that the fact that the Renault engine is slower than the others, which is the combination that causes these poor results. It's no wonder Alpine has dropped several places this year in the Constructors' Cup points standings compared to last year.

And Russell won, confirming that his great performance in all of free practice and qualifying was no fluke. Behind him was Verstappen, who did his best and continues to prove that he's faster than his car. Third was the surprising Antonelli, who was also saved by the yellow flag and Norris's collapse as both papaya-colored cars were coming to pass him. However, that doesn't take away from the merits of the youngest driver on the grid, who is on the podium for the first time.

In the afternoon, when the festivities ended, I was able to watch some of the finals of the US Open golf tournament, the third major of the year, and the toughest course on the circuit was showing its teeth after a heavy downpour, a temporary suspension due to a thunderstorm, and a lot of water on the fairways and greens. The leaders, only three under par at the start of the round, were losing strokes, and by the end of the final round, five players were tied for first place at +1; in other words, no one was beating the course. The finish was thrilling; several crashed out, including my compatriot Grillo and Mexican Carlos Ortiz, who had been mixed in among the leaders. The Argentine made three bogeys in the last four holes to finish at +7. Ortiz was among the top 5 at +1, but a double bogey on the final holes ended up burying his hopes of becoming the second Latin American to win such an important tournament.

And the only American among the leaders won, JJ Spaun at -1. He won his first major tournament, and he did so as the only player under par. He accomplished the feat by birdieing the last two holes and taking a two-stroke lead over Scotland's Robert Macintyre and a three-stroke lead over Norway's Victor Hovland. Mexican Ortiz, American Cameron Young, and Englishman Tyrrell Hatton finished in fourth place.

Exciting until the end, although I missed several important parts, and I couldn't watch any of the Club World Cup. You can't do everything on Father's Day.