DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – International Motor Sports Ass’n President Scott Atherton will retire at the end of this year, ending a professional motorsports career that spanned more than 34 years.

Atherton, who has held the title of IMSA president since November of 2013, will remain on the IMSA Board of Directors after his retirement.

Atherton started his professional motorsports career as a sponsor marketing executive in the CART (IndyCar) Series in 1985. He later served as president and general manager of Laguna Seca Raceway (now WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca), before joining Penske Motorsports as president of Nazareth Speedway and then California Speedway (now Auto Club Speedway). He was president and CEO of Panoz Motor Sports Group for thirteen years before co-leading the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) through the merger with the Grand American Road Racing Ass’n (Grand-Am) under the IMSA banner, at which point he was named to his current role.

“Scott is a racer at heart, but also a businessman and his dedicated, thoughtful leadership has positioned IMSA for continued growth as we begin the next 50 years of our racing heritage,” said Jim France, IMSA Chairman. “We are very grateful for all that he has done for the sport and wish him the absolute best during his well-deserved retirement.”

“As anyone involved in professional motorsports knows, it’s not a job – it’s a lifestyle,” Atherton said. “For the past 34 years it has been an honor and a privilege to work with some of the most iconic venues and personalities in the industry. I am thankful for the countless men and women I have worked with who enabled me to have a career that has far exceeded my wildest dreams. But I especially want to thank my family who have supported me every step of the way. IMSA is stronger than ever and I am confident it will continue to grow and prosper.”

Ed Bennett will continue as chief executive officer of IMSA and expects to name Atherton’s successor shortly after conclusion of the season.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Buffalo Sabres defenseman Brandon Montour will miss the remainder of training camp because of a hand injury, and it's uncertain whether he'll be ready for the start of the season in two weeks.

The Sabres released no details of Montour's injury on Thursday.

The team said it will provide an update on his status at the end of camp. It's unclear when Montour was hurt; he logged more than 17 minutes in a 4-1 preseason loss at Columbus on Tuesday.

Montour is a fourth-year NHL player and is projected to play a top-four role on Buffalo's blue line. He was acquired in a trade with Anaheim in February.

Buffalo definitely will start the season minus defensemen Zach Bogosian and Lawrence Pilut, who are recovering from offseason surgery.

The Sabres also announced that forward Scott Wilson and defenseman Casey Fitzgerald are listed as day-to-day with lower-body injuries.

The Ottawa Senators have reached the basement, but they are banking on one building block, signing promising young defenseman Thomas Chabot to an eight-year extension.

The deal, which the team announced Thursday, carries an annual average value of $8 million and keeps him under contract through the 2027-28 season. Chabot is going into the final year of an entry-level deal with an AAV of $1.223 million.

"Thomas is an exceptional talent and an outstanding teammate, who is impactful both on and off the ice," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said in a statement. "He is the type of player that can develop into a core member of a championship-level team in the National Hockey League. He is an NHL All-Star; an elite skater and puck-mover who plays with pace and determination. We are convinced Thomas will have a significant impact on the Ottawa Senators as we develop and grow into a highly competitive team over the coming seasons and we are extremely proud that Thomas will continue to be a key part of our team's future success moving forward. Today is a great day for the Ottawa Senators franchise."

Chabot, 22, followed up a 25-point rookie season with 14 goals and 41 assists last season, earning All-Star honors for the first time. His production came despite the Senators finishing with a league-low 64 points and missing the playoffs for the second season in a row.

In fact, the Senators have been trading top-notch players in a full rebuild. Gone are Erik Karlsson, Mike Hoffman, Matt Duchene, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel in just the past few seasons.

Remember "Fight Club?" Of course you do. It was one of the seminal films of 1999, an enduring classic that functions both as a satire of consumer culture and an astute comment on masculinity.

You know what else it was? A flop. It's the 30^th highest-grossing of Brad Pitt's career. It was the 54^th highest-grossing moving of 1999, behind such cinematic treasures as "Inspector Gadget" and "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo."

The lesson here is that impressions made 20 years ago can be drastically different after two decades of reconsideration and revision. This is also the case for the National Hockey League.

Dial your brains back to 1999-2000. The New Jersey Devils, who actually scored some goals that season, thwarted a back-to-back Stanley Cup attempt by the Dallas Stars. The St. Louis Blues were the regular season's best team. Mark Messier was still a Vancouver Canuck. Neither Jack Hughes nor Kaapo Kakko were born.

Jumping on the nostalgia train for all things 1999, here's a revisionist look back at the season. Some things have aged as well as Brad Pitt striking a pose as Tyler Durden. And other things have aged as well as "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo."

Also in this week's Wysh List: Jersey Foul | Puck headlines
Winners and losers of the week

NHL Awards audit

Hart: Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues
Norris: Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues
Selke: Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings
Vezina: Olaf Kolzig, Washington Capitals
Calder: Scott Gomez, New Jersey Devils
Jack Adams: Joel Quenneville, St. Louis Blues

This was the most remarkable MVP race in NHL history. Pronger captured the Hart by a single vote over Jaromir Jagr. This is because Jagr, despite leading the league with 96 points and leading the Penguins to the postseason by scoring 30 points (!) more than the next guy, was actually left off of four ballots entirely. It was also because Dave Molinari, venerable Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat writer, put Pronger over Jagr and then wrote a lengthy justification that focused on Jagr missing 19 games as the reason.

Due respect to Chris Pronger and the elbow I'm expecting next time I see him: Jagr should have won MVP.

Everything else here is pretty defensible. Quenneville's team won the President's Trophy. Kolzig had an NHL-best 24.11 goals saved above replacement and a 14.6 goalie points share. Gomez won the Calder with 95.34 percent of the vote. And Yzerman was in his full "scoring deity gets old and reconsiders his on-ice priorities" salad days.

Basically, the hockey equivalent of "The Phantom Menace" (regular season edition)

The Montreal Canadiens. Diagnosing this disappointment is pretty easy when Martin Rucinsky (49 points) is their leading scorer and one of only two guys to play more than 80 games. It's really easy when you take into account that Saku Koivu was limited to 24 games due to injury. But what a bummer, when Jose Theodore ties for the NHL lead in save percentage (.919), the Habs are a better defensive team than 13 playoff teams and they end up missing the playoffs by one win. Ugh.

Basically, the hockey equivalent of "The Phantom Menace" (playoff edition)

The St. Louis Blues. Remember all those Blues fans who testified to the absolute devastation they experienced in the years leading up to their "Play Gloria" moment of Stanley Cup euphoria? They were talking about stuff like this: 114 points in the regular season, and all it gets them is a Game 7 loss on home ice to the San Jose Sharks, in which they went down 3-0. The third best offensive team in the regular season managed six goals in four losses. Woof.

Best trade

The Colorado Avalanche acquire Ray Bourque and Dave Andreychuk from the Boston Bruins for Brian Rolston, Samuel Pahlsson, Martin Grenier and a 2000 first-round draft pick that would become right wing Martin Samuelsson. Bourque asked for trade out of Boston, and admitted that the toxic atmosphere of the franchise might have forced him into retirement. Instead, he stuck around for another year and finally won the Stanley Cup and gave ESPN's Gary Thorne one of the greatest calls in NHL history.

Worst trade

The New York Rangers trade winger Mike Knuble to the Bruins for winger Rob DiMaio. This is in total hindsight, as Mike Knuble became hockey's version of LCD Soundsystem and didn't figure his groove out until he was over the hill, hitting 30 goals for the first time when he was 30. But the other side of the trade is putrid: DiMaio played 12 games with the Rangers before floating off into the journeyman ether.

Why didn't this guy become a thing?

Before he became better know as Mr. Candace Cameron and a St. Helena winemaker, Valeri Bure was ... OK, he was Pavel's little brother. But, 35 goals and 40 assists in 1999-2000 set career highs for him with the Calgary Flames, part of an impressive three-season run in which he scored as many goals (88) as Jarome Iginla and Jeremy Roenick. Injuries derailed things for him in the latter years, but he was remarkably good in this season.

Underappreciated gem

Tony Amonte, who had 43 goals and 84 points, both career highs, with the Chicago Blackhawks, a giant mess of a team that suffered through an in-season coaching change during a stretch of mediocrity where the Hawks missed the playoffs in nine of 10 seasons. Well, at least no one in Chicago could watch his nonsense, thanks to Bill Wirtz.

Humblest beginning

Zdeno Chara. This was Z's third NHL season with the New York Islanders, and his minus-27 was the worst for any player not on the Atlanta Thrashers that season. As this point, he was like a surly baby giraffe: a gangly 22-year-old Slovak that hit hard but didn't do much else. So GM Mike Milbury, in his infinite wisdom, would package Chara with right wing Bill Muckalt and a pick that would become Jason Spezza to Ottawa in exchange for center Alexei Yashin, whose bought-out contract the Isles would finally finish paying off 14 years later.

Best fashion decision

The absolute horror show that was the Tampa Bay Lightning third jerseys -- the ones with the rain drops on the front and the 1980s heavy metal band lightning on the sleeves -- is dropped like the Mets in the Subway Series.

Worst fashion decision

While the black jersey crazy of the 1990s was a scourge on the NHL, the Dallas Stars all-blacks at least had the prestige of being part of a Stanley Cup legacy. Instead, they made their giant green Patrick The Starfish alternate jerseys their primary road jerseys, and it would remain that way until 2007.

Best rules change

Four-on-four overtime. This balanced out the fact that the NHL started handing out charity points for overtime losses in 1999-2000. It's unfathomable to think that fans used to suffer through 5-on-5 overtime in an already protracted regular season. Then again, they used to allow smoking in the arena, too. Four-on-four eventually begot three-on-three, and all would be right in the world, outside of the lingering pox that is the shootout.

Worst rules change

The NHL retiring Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 league-wide. That fact that the Flames were forced to retire Wayne Gretzky's number remains one of the most sacrilegious mandates in sports history.

Finally, the 2000 NHL redraft

1. New York Islanders: Marian Gaborik, RW. Roberto Luongo remains the Islanders' goalie for the next decade, and Gaborik scores 50 goals on Alexei Yashin's wing at the start of a stellar NHL career. Actual pick: Rick DiPietro, G.

2. Atlanta Thrashers: Henrik Lundqvist, G. The Thrashers get a Hall of Fame goalie who, in reality, went No. 205 overall. Atlanta is backstopped to respectability and Winnipeg is still waiting for a team to relocate. Or Lundqvist is traded by his second contract. One of the two. Actual pick: Dany Heatley, LW.

3. Minnesota Wild: Dany Heatley, LW. He'd end up there eventually, but the Wild get Heatley during those years when he was one of the NHL's top goal scorers. Actual pick: Marian Gaborik, RW.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets: Justin Williams, RW. The 28^th overall pick in our timeline went on to amass 786 points in the NHL. At the very least, the Blue Jackets would have been money in Game 7s ... had they actually made the playoffs. Actual pick: Rotislav Klesla.

5. New York Islanders: Niklas Kronwall, D. Let's assume the Isles go defense after offense and select one of the NHL's heaviest hitters with offensive upside (432 points). Of course, this was Mike Milbury, so it's entirely possible he'll have drafted both Lundqvist and Ilya Bryzgalov with these picks. Actual pick: Raffi Torres, LW.

That's a revised look at 1999-2000. Please join us again next September when we'll discuss Jeff O'Neill's 41-goal season in Carolina.

Jersey Fouls

From reader Jeremy:

@wyshynski #JerseyFoul? From a few years ago at a Seattle Thunderbirds game vs. Portland. Portland won. Guy got drunk and ejected before the game ended. "Portland Sucks 100%" pic.twitter.com/loy3CngmPn

— Jeremy (@airplanenut312) September 12, 2019

One of the great mysteries of Jersey Fouls is the fact that percentage signs just seem to be lying around pro shops to make monstrosities like this.

Winners and Losers of the week

Winner: Gary Bettman. For the reasons stated here, Bettman can rest assured that he's got the NHLPA on its heels even without having to lock them out. The players' decision not to reopen the collective bargaining agreement equates to a tacit endorsement of the status quo, and an undeniable trepidation that any aggressive move in these labor talks would be met with the owners dropping a dozen issues on the table, and/or a work stoppage. Advantage, the commissioner. As usual.

Loser: Don Fehr. Any attempt by the NHLPA leadership to encourage an expedited expiration date for the CBA would have been met with a majority of players that weren't into it. Either because they felt a deal was in the cards, or because -- as is tradition -- they didn't have the spine to fight the owners for a major revision of the league's financial system.

Winner: Mitch Marner. All those wacky numbers that were leaked during Marner's restricted free agent negotiation with the Toronto Maple Leafs turned out not to be so wacky, as Marner reupped with a six-year deal with an average annual value worth $10.893 million. He rejected logical comparables, used the Auston Matthews contract as his northern star and sailed on to the contract he wanted. An impressive win without missing a game.

Loser: Joe Sakic. Many GMs wanted to treat Marner's contract like an outlier, much in the say way they dismissed Leon Draisaitl's deal with the Oilers as an anomaly. No such luck for the Avalanche, as Mikko Rantanen's agent said that Marner's deal is his point of comparison for the Colorado RFA's new contract. No player on the cap-perfect Avalanche makes more than the $6.3 million AAV of Nathan MacKinnon. That's going to change in short order with Rantanen.

Winner: New Jersey Devils fans. The addition of P.K. Subban and Jack Hughes has had a remarkable affect on the Devils' ticket sales. According to StubHub, the Devils had the second biggest increase among NHL teams in ticket sales, at 200 percent growth in sales since last season. Only the champion St. Louis Blues had a greater jump (277 percent).

Loser: Winnipeg Jets fans. The uncertainty over Dustin Byfuglien's future in the NHL means the Jets could potentially lose the entire right side of their defense from last season, what with Jacob Trouba in New York and Tyler Myers in Vancouver (not to mention Ben Chariot in Montreal). Has another team gone from Stanley Cup champ-in-waiting status to potential bubble team more quickly?

Listen To ESPN On Ice

The full season archive of our podcast can be found on iTunes. The show returns next week with guests including Henrik Lundqvist and Matt Duchene.

Auston Matthews, name dropper

Scott Sabourin is a 27-year-old right wing who has bounced around the American Hockey League since 2013, looking for his shot at the show. He's in camp with the Ottawa Senators this season.

Now you know his name. Auston Matthews, as you can see, did not.

Auston Matthews trying to figure out who this guy is pic.twitter.com/CyMZWhowja

— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) September 19, 2019

That's from a preseason game on Wednesday, and it's absolutely savage. It's one of the most brutal "AND YOU ARE?!?" moments in recent sports history.

Hockey jester Paul Bissonnette was a former teammate of Scott's and reached out to him over text. Said Sabourin: "I told [Matthews] hey man, just looking for some exposure. Guess it worked."

Puck headlines

Greg Mulhall, a 19-year-old Yorkton Terriers forward was slapped with a 25-game suspension on Monday for his gutless hit on Melville Millionaires goaltender Berk Berkeliev.

Powerful stuff from Brock Boeser on his father's battle with cancer. "That's what kind of kept me sane through this whole process, just being able to go see him each and every day and be there to support him. Seeing him these last couple of days, it really kind of let me relax a bit to see how well he's doing and how well he's coming along."

Alex Ovechkin is getting the Wayne Gretzky Award.

What are the Lightning going to do with Brayden Point?

Colton Orr is now a coach in the National Women's Hockey League.

Doomsday for Winnipeg if Dustin Byfuglien retires. "Wherever this story goes, it projects to be a tough season in Winnipeg." ($)

Does Patrik Laine have a reason to gripe about his usage with the Jets?

Hockey tl;dr (too long; didn't read)

A lovely feature on Mats Zuccarello of the Wild.

In case you missed this from your friends at ESPN

The top 100 prospects in the NHL, via Chris Peters.

It was an hour before Game 7 in the 2017 second-round playoff series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, and Penguins players were assembled around the visiting locker room preparing for a tense game. Some guys were kicking around a soccer ball, others were stretching, some were zoning out listening to music through headphones.

Phil Kessel was sipping a coffee and talking to Rick Tocchet, then a Penguins assistant coach. Kessel noticed a chin-up bar.

"I bet you can't do 12 chin-ups," Kessel told Tocchet.

"Really?" said Tocchet, who was 53 but had played 18 seasons in the NHL.

"OK, what do you think? I'll bet you 100 bucks," Kessel said.

"Make it 200," Tocchet said.

Kessel said fine. Tocchet took off his suit jacket as Kessel called for his teammates to come watch.

"I had 20 players around me," Tocchet recalls. "They counted it off. I think I did 13 or 14. Phil looked at me and shook his head. He said, 'All right, Ricky' -- he calls me Ricky -- went into the locker room, grabbed 200 bucks and put it in my hand.

"The reason I like that story is because it shows who Phil is. It's a pressure situation, and we had some young guys. But Phil kept the guys loose. He brought the guys together, in a funny light. And yeah, we went on to win the game. I don't think it was because of that, but he knew the right time to get the guys loose."

The Penguins won the Stanley Cup that spring, and Tocchet was subsequently hired as head coach of the Arizona Coyotes. Two years later, he was reunited with Kessel when the Coyotes traded for the star winger this summer. It's an acquisition team president Ahron Cohen calls "among the biggest moves we've ever had as an organization." Since 2008-09, Kessel ranks fifth among NHL players in goals (327) and eighth in points (757). The 31-year-old -- known for his speed off the rush and being a lethal power-play threat -- is an Olympian and two-time Stanley Cup champion.

In other words, he brings a winning pedigree to a young team on the cusp. The Coyotes -- despite a rash of injuries and thanks to an impressive late-season push -- just missed the playoffs last spring, extending their postseason drought to seven years.

"In Phil's career so far, he's put up some unreal numbers, won championships and made a lot of dough," Tocchet said. "Now he's coming to an organization that has been trying to find their way over the years. We're trying to turn the corner. Phil comes in here, and if he can make this team better, just look at his legacy. It's going to skyrocket."

The Coyotes are hoping Kessel can boost their reputation, too. The winger's $6.8 million-per-year contract runs through the next three seasons.

"Historically, people have said, 'These guys aren't really spending that much,'" Cohen said. "This offseason, thanks to new ownership coming in [Alex Meruelo assumed majority ownership in July], we had an opportunity to bring Phil in. We're spending more money than we had previously. That sends a strong message to the fans."

Immediately after Kessel signed, Cohen reported a 600% increase in season-ticket sales. "And it was right over July 4th week, which is usually a slow time for doing anything, especially here when it's 120 degrees," Cohen said. There were significant spikes in social media engagement and media hits. The team also began selling "Phil The Thrill" T-shirts, which Cohen said are "selling very well."

Now available in The Den! pic.twitter.com/tlgBtDDgA5

— theCoyotesDen (@theCoyotesDen) July 20, 2019

As the NHL learns the importance of marketing its stars, bringing in a household name can do wonders -- especially for a team in a nontraditional market still working to build a fan base. That means the Coyotes will be asking Kessel to be more forward-facing.

The only problem?

It's not the pressure that will get to Kessel. After all, he was the fifth overall pick by Boston in 2006, and he has played for intense markets such as Toronto and Pittsburgh. He has been unflappable on the ice at every stage.

The issue is that Kessel -- after years of getting burned by stories and becoming meme-worthy for NHL fans due to his unique personality -- typically hates putting himself out there.

"Obviously, I think it comes with the territory," Kessel said. "I'll do what I have to do. I don't mind it, but I don't care to do it either."

Kessel was traded to the Penguins from Toronto in 2015 because, as Tocchet said, "Pittsburgh wanted to change a little personality in the dressing room." Getting along with teammates was never an issue.

"Phil marches to his own drum, but he has this way about him where anyone on the team really likes him," Tocchet said. "That's what I like about Phil. Phil being Phil, he doesn't really realize it, but he can fit in to any dressing room. Sidney Crosby loves him. Kris Letang loves him. The young guys love him."

Kessel would often complain to Tocchet that practices were too hard. It wasn't because he actually thought they were too hard but because it would make his teammates laugh and get them loose.

Head coaches typically have a hard time reaching every player, so in Pittsburgh, the assistants split the roster. Jacques Martin had his guys. Sergei Gonchar talked to Evgeni Malkin a lot. Tocchet created a relationship with a few players, including Kessel.

Kessel said he was instantly drawn to Tocchet "because he's a good person."

"We like a lot of the same things in life," Kessel said. "Golf, fishing, stuff like that."

People noticed that Tocchet and Kessel were close, and soon the coach gained a nickname: "The Phil Whisperer." Tocchet hated the nickname.

"Phil doesn't need a whisperer," Tocchet said. "He's misunderstood. A lot of the stuff people say about him, 90 percent of it isn't true."

Tocchet pointed to the most infamous story attached to Kessel. After Kessel was traded to Pittsburgh, a Toronto Sun columnist wrote that the person who would miss the winger the most in Toronto was the hot dog vendor he allegedly visited daily.

"He won't say it, but he doesn't even like hot dogs," Tocchet said. "Everybody talks about Phil and hot dogs. I don't think he's had even two hot dogs in his life. But for whatever reason, everyone thinks he likes hot dogs. He laughs about it. He doesn't try to squash it. He just laughs at it."

Asked why he doesn't try to clear his name or show off his true personality, Kessel is flippant. "I don't care," he said. "People can write what they want. They don't know me. Obviously only my close friends, who I share my inside life details with, they know me. They know me, and they know who I am. [Others] can think or write what they want."

Still, it's unrelenting. Kessel is the subject of a disproportionate amount of rumors and fascination. Just last week, a report by The Athletic said Malkin requested a trade if Kessel were to return to Pittsburgh's roster this season. Both players have denied any rift.

"I'm pretty sure the media likes to make up a lot of B.S.," Kessel said. "They always look for something to write about. It's mostly negative rather than positive for most guys, so it is what it is. I don't really care."

The Phoenix market is filled with transplants and snowbirds, and that's not news to the Coyotes. There are also plenty of hockey fans who attend Coyotes games because it's a destination. "They want to see their Pittsburgh Penguins or Boston Bruins, and they're going for a road trip to come see that," Cohen said. "Quite frankly, all the Phoenix teams deal with that as well. The Cardinals played their home opener, and 50 percent of the fans in the stands were Detroit Lions fans."

The Coyotes aspire for their arena to one day be filled with die-hard Coyotes fans. Said Cohen: "It's tough to get some of the older people who have strong allegiances to their other teams -- we're hoping to, and we're doing everything we can to turn them into Coyotes fans -- but our focus is more on getting the next generation of fans."

Cohen has seen plenty of studies that suggest millennials and Generation Z feel "more of a connection to individuals than teams or league," as he put it. The Coyotes have made a concerted effort to show off their players' personalities off the ice. The team puts out plenty of original video content, and it hired former player Paul Bissonette -- who amassed more than a million followers with a humorous Twitter account -- to the media team. Bissonette's most popular segment is a web series called "Pillow Talk," which is, well, exactly what it sounds like, featuring a rotating cast of Coyotes players.

"In terms of marketing Phil, that's where I think it's very important for us bringing in that marquee name that hockey fans -- both casual and avid -- do know," Cohen said. "I think Phil knows what he means to this team and this community as well. We're looking for good opportunities to showcase him and his personality. But I do know the best way to create excitement is winning games and getting people excited about this team."

Tocchet said that in Pittsburgh, it was easier for Kessel to opt out.

"In Pittsburgh, he was allowed to blow off the media and take off because there's enough people there to talk to," Tocchet said. "Here, he's probably going to take a big leadership chunk. He'll have to do a couple more things for us. He knows. He embraces it.

"But saying that, too, I don't want him out of his element. I don't want him where he's definitely having to talk to the media every day, where we're parading him around like a showpiece, where there's so much on his plate where he doesn't have to worry about hockey."

Kessel wasn't acquired just to sell tickets. Leveling up is the best way to generate interest, and Kessel can help this young team get there. Kessel's blasé attitude -- especially as it is portrayed in the media -- is actually one of his best on-ice assets. He's not linemate-dependent, he's not team-dependent, he doesn't get fazed by situations. He just produces.

And he doesn't seem fazed by any of the hype in Arizona. Asked if a team had ever created T-shirts for him like the "Phil The Thrill" ones the Coyotes put out, Kessel said, "I honestly don't know. And I don't know if you'll see that many. It is what it is. I don't really care either way."

Akshay Bhatia is taking the PGA Tour's recent youth movement to an entirely new level.

At just 17 years old, Bhatia bears the fresh face and thin frame you might expect of a typical high school senior. His golf game, however, is ready for the big time. At least that's the assertion of Bhatia and his close-knit team, as the teen sensation gets ready to make his pro debut this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship without ever setting foot on a college campus.

Bhatia's game is well-regarded in the amateur ranks. He won the prestigious Jones Cup, was ranked No. 5 in the world and just this month helped the U.S. to a Walker Cup victory at Royal Liverpool. Bhatia received social media well-wishes Wednesday from former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, whose academy in South Carolina has been a frequent destination for the bespectacled southpaw as he honed his game.

Bhatia's fast track to the pros has not been an overnight decision. When he made his PGA Tour debut in March, missing the cut with rounds of 74-72 at the Valspar Championship, he told reporters that he and his parents had talked about his option to skip college since he was in the eighth grade.

"I have never liked school," Bhatia said. "I've never been very smart going in, sitting in a classroom, and I have the worst attention span when it comes to it. So I just love being outside, I love playing golf, and I just love competing. So my dad was like, 'You know what, let's just not go to college. Let's just not do it.' And I was like, 'Yeah, that's fine.' I'm an eighth-grader, of course I'm going to say no to school."

Bhatia's route since then has certainly been unique. While many teens toil on high school teams and municipal driving ranges, Bhatia would hit balls at Johnson's academy under the watchful eye of director of instruction Alan Terrell. He also works with George Gankas, another noted swing instructor who has worked with multiple Tour pros including Adam Scott and Matthew Wolff.

He's even made a splash on the equipment scene before hitting his first professional shot. While Bhatia was decked out in Taylor Made equipment at Innisbrook earlier this year, he announced this week that he had signed an equipment contract with Callaway. It all helps to build up expectations surrounding a phenom taking an uncharted path, one who insists he's not buying into his own hype.

"Expectations, I mean, I don't really have any," Bhatia told reporters Wednesday in Mississippi. "My coach, George, and I talked about not having any expectations going into every week. What happens, happens. I'm not going to dwell if I don't play well, or go ballistic if I do play well."

While Bhatia's accolades are numerous, the fate of players who have followed his college-free path is mixed. Ty Tryon became a cautionary tale after earning his PGA Tour card at age 16, while global teen sensations like Ryo Ishikawa and Matteo Manassero have faded from the spotlight in recent years.

Bhatia can take confidence from the recent success of Wolff, Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland, but his credentials are far less tested than any of the three were when they turned pro earlier this year. Instead he hopes to emulate last week's winner, Joaquin Niemann, who skipped college and found quick success as a pro before earning his first win at The Greenbrier at age 20.

"To see him finally break through and win, it was probably the coolest thing," Bhatia said. "It's inspiring to see that. I'm ready to get it going and see what I can do."

Bhatia will have a few chances to prove himself in the coming weeks. He was originally expected to make his pro debut next week at the Safeway Open, and he'll still play in Napa on a sponsor invite. The same goes for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open the following week in Las Vegas. After that, he'll likely head to second stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School in an effort to earn some full-time status for 2020.

But it all starts this week in Mississippi, where he'll look to earn his first paycheck while proving that college experience isn't a requirement to be considered a young gun on the modern PGA Tour.

"Doesn't feel any different, actually. It's weird," Bhatia said. "I didn't know what to expect. It hasn't felt much different. I feel very comfortable this week, especially having the opportunity to play Valspar earlier this year which was kind of getting that 'wow' factor over with."

American viewers looking to watch a new four-man skins game exhibition in Japan featuring Tiger Woods and newly-minted FedExCup champ Rory McIlroy will be able to watch it on Golf Channel.

The event, called "The Challenge: Japan Skins" and also featuring Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama, will be played Oct. 21 ahead of the inaugural Zozo Championship. All four players are slated to participate in the 72-hole event, with both the exhibition and regular tournament played at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan.

American viewers can tune into coverage on Golf Channel beginning at 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20. Viewers outside the U.S. can watch the four-man match via GolfTV.

Woods, who has not played competitively since last month's BMW Championship, is expected to make the Zozo his next start. It will mark his first time inside the ropes in Japan since 2006.

"I haven't played a skins format in quite some time, so it will be fun to try something a little different and add a few strategic elements as we compete," Woods said in a release. "There has always been some friendly banter between us, and that will continue until we get to the first tee."

McIlroy, who is in the field this week at the BMW PGA Championship, won the $15 million prize for claiming the FedExCup title last month at East Lake and was recently voted PGA Tour Player of the Year. Like Day and Matsuyama, he'll be making his debut appearance in a televised exhibition match.

"There are so many fun elements to The Challenge that will have me wanting to take home that title - playing with Hideki on his home turf, Tiger coming back to Japan with a green jacket," McIlroy said. "The motivation is certainly there for me, and I'm a huge fan of the skins format. I love the way it rewards attacking play and think it suits my game quite well."

With a 1 p.m. local time start, the exhibition is expected to finish "under floodlights" according to a release, with each hole assigned a monetary value that will increase as the round progresses. Players will have to win a hole outright to take a skin, and the event will also feature "special in-match challenges and surprises."

It was the kind of start Rory McIlroy wanted in Round 1 of the BMW PGA Championship. And then it all went awry in head-scratching fashion.

McIlroy, teeing off in the morning wave at Wentworth Club in Surrey, England, eagled the par-5 fourth and birdied the par-4 fifth. He was quickly to 3 under par and just one shot off the early lead.

But McIlroy bogeyed the eighth, and then the ninth, and then the 10^th. If not for a lengthy par save at the 11^th, it would have been four consecutive dropped shots.

McIlroy two-putted for birdie at the par-5 12^th, only to give that shot back with a bogey at No. 13 and another at the 15^th.

With two par 5s to finish on the West Course, McIlroy appeared to have a chance to redirect the ship. Instead he sunk.

McIlroy’s tee shot at the 17^th went out of bounds. He re-teed and nearly knocked his second drive – third overall shot – into the same position, but was saved by forgiving tree limbs. He pitched out from the rough and finally hit the green with his fifth shot, making double bogey.

Using 3-wood off the tee at the 18th, McIlroy hit his tee shot way right and then hit a provisional. Because he found his original ball, but deemed it unplayable among the trees, he went back to the tee to hit – officially – his third shot. That went right as well, but just into the rough, from where he salvaged bogey.

The reigning FedExCup champion and PGA Tour Player of the Year, who is currently 34^th in the Race to Dubai standings, eventually signed for a 4-over-par 76, placing him 11 shots back of leader Matt Wallace.

This is likely another miss in McIlroy’s hit-or-miss career at Wentworth. He won the event in 2014, erasing a seven-shot deficit on the final day. Last year, making his first start in the event since 2015, he finished runner-up to Francesco Molinari. Aside from those two showings, however, McIlroy has missed the cut in his three other appearances here since 2012, only once breaking 74.

VIRGINIA WATER, England – For young Viktor Hovland the storybook start to his professional career continued on Thursday at the BMW PGA Championship. His opening 69 at Wentworth is his 18^th consecutive round in the 60s on the PGA Tour and European Tour.

Hovland tied the PGA Tour record for consecutive rounds in the 60s at last week’s Military Tribute at The Greenbrier with a closing 64, and he birdied the last two holes on Day 1 on the West Course to keep the momentum going.

Following his opening round, the 22-year-old rookie was asked if the streak was on his mind.

“Not really,” said Hovland, who pointed out that at last month’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour he posted two rounds in the 70s. “I don't think people noticed that. So, the streak isn't maybe as long as people think it is. But no, I didn't really think about that.”

Hovland had plenty of other reasons to focus on Thursday, including his pairing with next year’s European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington.

“It's cool to be playing in front of them," said Hovland, who was tied for sixth place when he completed his round. "Thankfully I made some birdies today, and I just want to keep that up."

Arsenal boss Unai Emery said he has left Mesut Ozil out of the squad for the Europa League group stage trip to Eintracht Frankfurt because the German midfielder needs a rest, despite having only played 71 minutes of football this season.

Ozil, 30, made his first appearance of the campaign in Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Watford on Sunday, where he started and was replaced on 71 minutes by Reiss Nelson.

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However, he is not part of the squad which has travelled to Germany because Emery said he is keen to rotate.

"We are playing a lot of matches and I want to use different players, and also have some rotation in the first 11 and in the 19 players in the squad for [Frankfurt]," the former Paris Saint-Germain manager said.

"We are going to play another match on Sunday. My decision is because he [Ozil] played, and I decided who the players are who can be the best for tomorrow, and also the players not, and those are Sokratis [Papastathopoulos] and Mesut."

Thursday's clash in Frankfurt would have been Ozil's first return to Germany since he quit the national team after the 2018 World Cup, amid claims of racism.

Asked whether that was behind Emery's thinking, the Spaniard replied: "No."