April 11, 2021 7:31 am
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The storms that stopped play for a little more than hour Saturday at the Masters were expected. The masterpiece delivered by Hideki Matsuyama after the break was not. Matsuyama played the final eight holes in 6-under par, turning a two-shot deficit into a four-shot lead. With four flawless swings and three putts late on the back nine at Augusta National, he went from part of a logjam on the leaderboard to the cusp of becoming the first Japanese player to win a major. The final touch was a superb par save from 25 yards behind the 18th green for a 7-under 65, the only bogey-free round this week at the Masters. It all started in his car, where the 29-year-old waited out the storm delay. Part of the time was playing on his phone. He also thought about his last shot, a drive into trees right of the 11th fairway. Matsuyama was at 11-under 205, four shots clear of Xander Schauffele (68), Justin Rose (72), Marc Leishman (70) and Masters rookie Will Zalatoris (71).
April 10, 2021 3:56 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – An usher who spent more than 80 years guiding Pittsburgh Pirates fans to their seats through varying stages of success and failure by the team has died. Phil Coyne was 102. The team said Coyne died Friday. Coyne began working for the Pirates in 1936. For the next eight decades he served as a fixture in the stands as the franchise moved from Forbes Field to Three Rivers Stadium to PNC Park. Pirates chairman Bob Nutting called Coyne a true legend.
April 10, 2021 3:50 am
(AP)- Bryan Rust scored twice and Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists in leading the streaking Penguins to a 6-4 victory over the Devils. Jared McCann, Brian Dumoulin and Colton Sceviour also scored as the banged-up Pens won their second game in as many nights to get within two points of the East Division lead. Casey DeSmith made 25 saves in snapping a personal two-game losing streak.
April 10, 2021 3:47 am
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) -Justin Rose continues to lead the Masters, but his advantage has shrunk from four to one shot over Brian Harman and Will Zalatoris. Rose is 7 under following his even-par 72 that included three birdies on the back nine. Zalatoris climbed the leaderboard with a 4-under 68, while Harman signed off on a 69. Jordan Spieth (speeth) and Marc Leishman are two strokes back and one ahead of six others, including Justin Thomas. Defending champ Justin Thomas missed the cut, as did Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka.
April 10, 2021 3:53 am
(AP) – Athletes, coaches and advocates are calling on the NCAA to act in response to state laws banning transgender athletes from competing in organized sports. The NCAA has had a transgender inclusion policy since 2011 and requires states that host championships to provide an environment that is “safe, healthy and free of discrimination.” The organization has said it is monitoring the wave of proposed bills and laws enacted that impact transgender student-athletes. Conservative lawmakers in at least 28 states have introduced legislation to ban or limit transgender athletes from competing on teams or sports that align with their gender identity.
April 9, 2021 3:50 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Kris Letang and Evan Rodrigues scored in the second period and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Rangers 5-2. Radim Zohorna and Jason Zucker each added a goal and an assist, Mark Jankowski also scored and Letang and Rodrigues also each had an assist. Tristan Jarry stopped 22 shots to help Pittsburgh snap a two-game skid. The Penguins beat the Rangers for the sixth time in eight games this season. Colin Blackwell and Kevin Rooney scored for the Rangers, who were 3-0-1 in their last four games. Igor Shesterkin finished with 27 saves.
April 9, 2021 3:53 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Jayy Baez hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning and the Chicago Cubs’ struggling offense came to life in a 4-2 over Pittsburgh. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo also homered for Chicago as the Cubs pounded out a season-high 11 hits against Tyler Anderson (0-2) and four Pittsburgh relievers. Baez, Rizzo, Bryant and Jake Marisnick had two hits each as Chicago raised its major-league worst team batting average from .143 to .157. Adam Frazier and Gregory Polanco had two hits each for the Pirates but couldn’t stop Pittsburgh from dropping its sixth straight.
April 9, 2021 3:56 am
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) – A Rose looked very good amid the azaleas at Augusta national. Justin Rose opened with a 5-under 65 to grab a four-stroke lead in The Masters. He played the last 11 holes at 9 under and shot 30 on the back side, one off the tournament record shared by Mark Calcaveccia and David Toms. Rose’s 65 looked even better on a day so tough only 12 players broke par, and the average score was 74.5. He tied a Masters record by taking at least a share of first-round lead for the fourth time. Rose has a pair of runner-up finishes at Augusta, including a playoff loss to Sergio Garcia four years ago. Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama share second, one ahead of Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Will Zalatoris, Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Harman was the last player to get into the 88-man field. Defending champion Dustin Johnson struggled after setting the record last year at 20-under 268. He failed to break par at Augusta for the first time since the opening round in 2018, closing with a three-putt for double bogey on the 18th to complete a 74.
April 8, 2021 3:49 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Vancouver Canucks say 25 players and coaches have tested positive in a COVID-19 outbreak involving a variant of the virus. All players and staff are in quarantine, and 19 of the 22 players on Vancouver’s active roster were listed on the NHL’s COVID protocol list Wednesday. The Canucks say the team has confirmed that a variant is involved in the outbreak, and full genome sequencing is being conducted by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control to determine which specific variant.
April 8, 2021 3:53 am
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) – Don’t expect a repeat of Dustin Johnson’s record-shattering 20-under win as the Masters tees off. The pandemic that forced tournament officials to move last year’s event to November produced softer-than-usual conditions that just about every golfer in the field pounced on. Club Chairman Fred Ridley practically vowed that won’t be the case this time around. “I think we have the golf course where we want it,” he said. What’s that mean? “They’re not concrete yet,” former champion Fred Couples chuckled, referring to the greens, “but they’re brown and they’re going to get there fast.”
