U.S./World Sports category, Page 252
NCAA may consider single site for part of future tourneys
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA used the single-site concept for its marquee championship out of necessity. Now it could become part of the tournament’s future. A day after crowning a national champion for the first time since 2019, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt told reporters the successful men’s...
Guards stayed at Baylor, paving way for Scott Drew’s dream NCAA championshipVideo
Becoming national champion was a far-fetched dream when Scott Drew first uttered that possibility during his introduction as Baylor’s coach after taking over a decimated and scandal-plagued program nearly 18 years ago. Yet a title felt oh-so-reachable for All-American guard Jared Butler and his backcourt mates MaCio Teague and Davion...
Masters notes: Phil Mickelson is a Masters champion and Anna Pavlova expertVideo
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Phil Mickelson has a confession to make: He often is full of nonsense. Except, as it turns out, when it comes to pavlova. Augusta National has a rule banning cellphones on the course, and it also applies to the Champions dinner. So when Adam Scott got to...
Column: The color of Masters in April is missing a red shirtVideo
AUGUSTA, Ga. — From the dogwoods and their white blooms to thousands of azalea bushes bursting with purple and pink, all the April colors have returned to Augusta National except for one. No red shirt. Tiger Woods in his traditional Sunday color has become an indelible part of the Masters...
Hubert Davis begins process of putting own touches on North Carolina programVideo
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Hubert Davis understands the challenge ahead of him in taking over at North Carolina. He is a first-time college head coach. He is following a Hall of Famer in Roy Williams. And Davis is now leading a program that has six NCAA championships and ranks among...
Justin Thomas will be trying to build off Masters finish in NovemberVideo
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Justin Thomas joined a prestigious group when he won The Players Championship last month. He would add his name to an even smaller subset of PGA Tour stars if he continues his steady progress at Augusta National and wins the Masters this week. Thomas fired weekend rounds...
Lee Westwood, at 47, still seeking his Masters victory moment
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Lee Westwood made his Masters debut in 1997 and went out for a Saturday night shopping excursion when he realized he would play the final round the following day with Jack Nicklaus. He bought a photo — the iconic image of Nicklaus raising his putter as he...
Analysis: Baylor’s strengths shine in title-game blowout
You could have turned off the national championship after about three minutes and had a good idea how the game went. On Baylor’s first possession, Mark Vital missed a shot, got his own rebound, missed again, got his own rebound again — and eventually Davion Mitchell made a jumper. The...
At the Masters, past champions are welcomed back to field
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Fred Couples was playing a practice round at Augusta National this week, with the other members of his foursome all sharing a few things in common. None of them were even half his age. They all bombed their tee shots past his. And they listened to every...
This date in sports history: April 6Video
1896 — The first modern Olympic Games begin in Athens, Greece. James B. Connelly wins the first event — the hop, step and jump. 1936 — Horton Smith edges Harry Cooper by one stroke to win the Masters. 1941 — Craig Wood beats Byron Nelson by three strokes to win...
Baylor wins 1st national title by denying Zags perfectionVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Baylor knew it would need to play to near-perfection to end Gonzaga’s flawless season. The Bears just about did. Jared Butler and their dynamic backcourt hit their first five 3-pointers and never cooled off. Undersized big man Mark Vital delivered as many headaches as bruises. Their bench was...
Back to winning ways, Jordan Speith turns focus to the MastersVideo
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Jordan Spieth was a 20-year-old with a 30-year-old head on his shoulders when he first played the Masters and nearly won until Bubba Watson rallied over the last 11 holes to beat him. Now he’s a 27-year-old who has reason to feel much younger. It’s amazing what...
North Carolina assistant Hubert Davis tabbed as Roy Williams’ successorVideo
North Carolina has turned to former Tar Heels player and assistant coach Hubert Davis to lead the storied men’s basketball program as the successor to Hall of Famer Roy Williams. The 50-year-old Davis played for the Tar Heels under Dean Smith before a long NBA career, and he spent the...
Tim Benz: In a strange way, a near defeat may actually heighten Gonzaga’s legacy
That Gonzaga-UCLA Final Four game Saturday was the sporting event this country needed. I mean, when was the last time everybody in America on Twitter agreed that something was good? Well, aside from FS1’s Skip Bayless. Generally speaking, though, if he doesn’t like something that’s all the more proof of...
Stanford holds off Arizona to win women’s NCAA titleVideo
SAN ANTONIO — Tara VanDerveer hugged each of her Stanford players as they climbed the ladder to cut down the nets, capping a taxing whirlwind journey and ending an exhaustive championship drought for the Cardinal. After 29 years and having to be on the road for 10 weeks this season...
Jordan Spieth ends drought with victory at Texas Open
SAN ANTONIO — Jordan Spieth tapped in for par to win the British Open for his third major and 11th victory in just five years on the PGA Tour. He never imagined he would go 1,351 days before he felt that way again. He went 82 events on tour without...
Gonzaga’s last hurdles: a quick turnaround, surging BaylorVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Now comes the hard part for Gonzaga. Less than 16 hours after walking off the floor with one of the most scintillating wins in the game’s history, the barely still-unbeaten Bulldogs returned to the practice court Sunday to get ready for the national championship game. Their opponent, Baylor,...
Augusta National now a 10-day celebration at home of Masters
AUGUSTA, Ga. — A stream of people young and older walked on a path along the driving range at Augusta National, most of them carrying bags from the golf shop, some of them taking home a prized trophy. To their right was Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson, smashing drivers into...
Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic out with another hamstring injuryVideo
Christian Pulisic left Chelsea’s match against West Bromwich Albion because of another hamstring injury. Pulisic scored in the first half Saturday, his first goal for Chelsea since Dec. 5 against Leeds. Christian Pulisic scores his first goal under Thomas Tuchel ?(? via @NBCSportsSoccer)pic.twitter.com/qFiAFGWUhg— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 3, 2021 He...
Hubert Hurkacz wins Miami Open title by beating Jannik Sinner
MIAMI — Hubert Hurkacz of Poland won the biggest title of his career Sunday by beating 19-year-old Jannik Sinner of Italy, 7-6 (4), 6-4, in the Miami Open final. Hurkacz, 24, improved to 10-0 in Florida this year, including the Delray Beach title in January. Ranked 37th, he beat two...
Baylor trio of Jared Butler, MaCio Teague, Davion Mitchell headed to title gameVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — The only reason Baylor’s backcourt can’t be considered a true brotherhood is the blood coursing through their veins. Whether they were declaring together for the NBA Draft or withdrawing from it, transferring from other schools or helping newcomers acclimate to coach Scott Drew’s program, Jared Butler, MaCio Teague...
It’s on: Gonzaga vs. Baylor for the national championship
INDIANAPOLIS — Baylor made a mockery of the first Final Four game, stifling Houston for a chance at the program’s first national title. Gonzaga made miracles happen, winning on one of the greatest shots in NCAA Tournament history. The showdown between Baylor and Gonzaga that was called off in December...
Gonzaga beats buzzer in overtime for Final Four win vs. UCLA
Gonzaga has given fans the NCAA championship game they wanted with a shot for the ages. Jalen Suggs banked in a shot from near midcourt at the buzzer, giving the heavily favored Zags a 93-90 overtime victory against upstart UCLA. Gonzaga, the No. 1 overall seed, will play second-seeded Baylor...
Banner year for Pac-12 as Arizona, Stanford meet for NCAA women’s titleVideo
SAN ANTONIO — The last time Tara VanDerveer and Stanford were playing for a national championship, the Pac-12 had just 10 schools and the Cardinal were the standard-bearer for the conference. Now 11 years later, the Pac-12 is on top of the women’s basketball world with the Cardinal facing Arizona...
Spieth tied for lead heading into Texas Open’s final roundVideo
SAN ANTONIO — Jordan Spieth shot a 5-under-par 67 on Saturday to move into a tie for the lead heading into the final round of the Valero Texas Open. Spieth and Englishman Matt Wallace are at 12-under after both birdied their final two holes of the day. Wallace also posted...
