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Mar 5, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Rory McIlroy walks on the 14th green during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images When the Masters tees off Thursday, neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson will be present at Augusta National for the first time since 1994.
There’s something symbolic about the two best players of their generation, now in their 50s, being simultaneously absent. It isn’t goodbye forever — Mickelson, for example, is out as he attends to a private family health matter, but he has rarely factored into the majors since the LIV Golf schism.
As for Woods, well, that’s another column. His fourth car accident and subsequent vow to seek treatment for recurrent painkiller abuse has engendered pity and exhaustion of patience in equal measure.
But the younger generation(s) of golfers have taken over, and the spotlight at the year’s first major will focus on them even more without Woods or Mickelson walking the property.
Let’s rank the five biggest names to watch at the Masters — not necessarily in terms of their odds to win, but the five whose play this week could shape both the leaderboard and the storylines that follow.
1. Rory McIlroy
How do you follow up a career-defining, stomach-turning, all-time Masters triumph that vanquished a 10-year major drought and earned you the career Grand Slam? How about by winning another? Anything McIlroy does this week will be headline news; he’s the main character in a way Woods and few others have experienced. McIlroy’s stumbling block may be the back tweak he picked up at the Arnold Palmer; he hasn’t competed since going four rounds at The Players Championship, where he never shot better than 71.
2. Scottie Scheffler
Jan 25, 2026; La Quinta, California, USA; Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of The American Express golf tournament at Pete Dye Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images The fact that the 2022 and 2024 Masters champ won 20 PGA Tour events in a four-year span is an immense credit to the man. But let’s see how Scheffler fares at Augusta after experiencing a touch of adversity to begin the year. A string of slow starts eventually ended his lengthy top-10 streak, and now he’s entering major season with just one sub-70 round in his past eight. (Scheffler also missed his Masters tune-up, the Valero Texas Open, as his wife gave birth to their second child.)
3. Bryson DeChambeau
Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images In an alternate universe, we’re discussing DeChambeau as the defending champ this week. He’s grown better at Augusta with wisdom and reps, but in 2025 he wilted late and turned an early lead on Sunday into a disappointing T5. The face of LIV Golf couldn’t ask for better pre-Masters results, winning back-to-back weeks in Singapore and South Africa.
Does it translate into a DeChambeau dub? (Imagine the YouTube content he could make …)
4. Patrick Reed
Apr 13, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Patrick Reed plays a shot from a bunker on the second hole during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images You’re forgiven if you’ve lost track of Reed since he went to LIV.
He has actually left LIV and in his best form since 2018, when Captain America donned his green jacket. Playing a DP World Tour schedule before his inevitable return to the PGA, Reed went win-T2-win in a three-start stretch this winter. He’s finding greens, making putts and returning to one of his best courses (five Masters top-10s, including third last year). That’s someone who can shake up a weekend leaderboard.
5. Tommy Fleetwood
There’s a number of ways we can go with the final spot to meet our self-imposed limit of five. Jon Rahm? Owner of a green jacket and the best form on LIV Golf apart from DeChambeau. Brooks Koepka? A five-time major winner, sure, but he’s in pretty “meh” form in his first year back on the PGA Tour. Jordan Spieth? If he can just go out in 30 on Sunday …
I’m going to zag and take Fleetwood, arguably the third-best player on the PGA Tour and certainly the best player without a major title. Fleetwood never had a signature win until his breakthrough at the 2025 Tour Championship. But he has top-fived at every major, including T3 at Augusta in 2024. Watch what the consistent Englishman does this week. It may be his time.
Mar 5, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Rory McIlroy walks on the 14th green during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images When the Masters tees off Thursday, neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson will be present at Augusta National for the first time since 1994.
There’s something symbolic about the two best players of their generation, now in their 50s, being simultaneously absent. It isn’t goodbye forever — Mickelson, for example, is out as he attends to a private family health matter, but he has rarely factored into the majors since the LIV Golf schism.
As for Woods, well, that’s another column. His fourth car accident and subsequent vow to seek treatment for recurrent painkiller abuse has engendered pity and exhaustion of patience in equal measure.
But the younger generation(s) of golfers have taken over, and the spotlight at the year’s first major will focus on them even more without Woods or Mickelson walking the property.
Let’s rank the five biggest names to watch at the Masters — not necessarily in terms of their odds to win, but the five whose play this week could shape both the leaderboard and the storylines that follow.
1. Rory McIlroy
How do you follow up a career-defining, stomach-turning, all-time Masters triumph that vanquished a 10-year major drought and earned you the career Grand Slam? How about by winning another? Anything McIlroy does this week will be headline news; he’s the main character in a way Woods and few others have experienced. McIlroy’s stumbling block may be the back tweak he picked up at the Arnold Palmer; he hasn’t competed since going four rounds at The Players Championship, where he never shot better than 71.
2. Scottie Scheffler
Jan 25, 2026; La Quinta, California, USA; Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of The American Express golf tournament at Pete Dye Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images The fact that the 2022 and 2024 Masters champ won 20 PGA Tour events in a four-year span is an immense credit to the man. But let’s see how Scheffler fares at Augusta after experiencing a touch of adversity to begin the year. A string of slow starts eventually ended his lengthy top-10 streak, and now he’s entering major season with just one sub-70 round in his past eight. (Scheffler also missed his Masters tune-up, the Valero Texas Open, as his wife gave birth to their second child.)
3. Bryson DeChambeau
Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images In an alternate universe, we’re discussing DeChambeau as the defending champ this week. He’s grown better at Augusta with wisdom and reps, but in 2025 he wilted late and turned an early lead on Sunday into a disappointing T5. The face of LIV Golf couldn’t ask for better pre-Masters results, winning back-to-back weeks in Singapore and South Africa.
Does it translate into a DeChambeau dub? (Imagine the YouTube content he could make …)
4. Patrick Reed
Apr 13, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Patrick Reed plays a shot from a bunker on the second hole during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images You’re forgiven if you’ve lost track of Reed since he went to LIV.
He has actually left LIV and in his best form since 2018, when Captain America donned his green jacket. Playing a DP World Tour schedule before his inevitable return to the PGA, Reed went win-T2-win in a three-start stretch this winter. He’s finding greens, making putts and returning to one of his best courses (five Masters top-10s, including third last year). That’s someone who can shake up a weekend leaderboard.
5. Tommy Fleetwood
There’s a number of ways we can go with the final spot to meet our self-imposed limit of five. Jon Rahm? Owner of a green jacket and the best form on LIV Golf apart from DeChambeau. Brooks Koepka? A five-time major winner, sure, but he’s in pretty “meh” form in his first year back on the PGA Tour. Jordan Spieth? If he can just go out in 30 on Sunday …
I’m going to zag and take Fleetwood, arguably the third-best player on the PGA Tour and certainly the best player without a major title. Fleetwood never had a signature win until his breakthrough at the 2025 Tour Championship. But he has top-fived at every major, including T3 at Augusta in 2024. Watch what the consistent Englishman does this week. It may be his time.
Mar 5, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Rory McIlroy walks on the 14th green during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images When the Masters tees off Thursday, neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson will be present at Augusta National for the first time since 1994.
There’s something symbolic about the two best players of their generation, now in their 50s, being simultaneously absent. It isn’t goodbye forever — Mickelson, for example, is out as he attends to a private family health matter, but he has rarely factored into the majors since the LIV Golf schism.
As for Woods, well, that’s another column. His fourth car accident and subsequent vow to seek treatment for recurrent painkiller abuse has engendered pity and exhaustion of patience in equal measure.
But the younger generation(s) of golfers have taken over, and the spotlight at the year’s first major will focus on them even more without Woods or Mickelson walking the property.
Let’s rank the five biggest names to watch at the Masters — not necessarily in terms of their odds to win, but the five whose play this week could shape both the leaderboard and the storylines that follow.
1. Rory McIlroy
How do you follow up a career-defining, stomach-turning, all-time Masters triumph that vanquished a 10-year major drought and earned you the career Grand Slam? How about by winning another? Anything McIlroy does this week will be headline news; he’s the main character in a way Woods and few others have experienced. McIlroy’s stumbling block may be the back tweak he picked up at the Arnold Palmer; he hasn’t competed since going four rounds at The Players Championship, where he never shot better than 71.
2. Scottie Scheffler
Jan 25, 2026; La Quinta, California, USA; Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of The American Express golf tournament at Pete Dye Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images The fact that the 2022 and 2024 Masters champ won 20 PGA Tour events in a four-year span is an immense credit to the man. But let’s see how Scheffler fares at Augusta after experiencing a touch of adversity to begin the year. A string of slow starts eventually ended his lengthy top-10 streak, and now he’s entering major season with just one sub-70 round in his past eight. (Scheffler also missed his Masters tune-up, the Valero Texas Open, as his wife gave birth to their second child.)
3. Bryson DeChambeau
Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images In an alternate universe, we’re discussing DeChambeau as the defending champ this week. He’s grown better at Augusta with wisdom and reps, but in 2025 he wilted late and turned an early lead on Sunday into a disappointing T5. The face of LIV Golf couldn’t ask for better pre-Masters results, winning back-to-back weeks in Singapore and South Africa.
Does it translate into a DeChambeau dub? (Imagine the YouTube content he could make …)
4. Patrick Reed
Apr 13, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Patrick Reed plays a shot from a bunker on the second hole during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images You’re forgiven if you’ve lost track of Reed since he went to LIV.
He has actually left LIV and in his best form since 2018, when Captain America donned his green jacket. Playing a DP World Tour schedule before his inevitable return to the PGA, Reed went win-T2-win in a three-start stretch this winter. He’s finding greens, making putts and returning to one of his best courses (five Masters top-10s, including third last year). That’s someone who can shake up a weekend leaderboard.
5. Tommy Fleetwood
There’s a number of ways we can go with the final spot to meet our self-imposed limit of five. Jon Rahm? Owner of a green jacket and the best form on LIV Golf apart from DeChambeau. Brooks Koepka? A five-time major winner, sure, but he’s in pretty “meh” form in his first year back on the PGA Tour. Jordan Spieth? If he can just go out in 30 on Sunday …
I’m going to zag and take Fleetwood, arguably the third-best player on the PGA Tour and certainly the best player without a major title. Fleetwood never had a signature win until his breakthrough at the 2025 Tour Championship. But he has top-fived at every major, including T3 at Augusta in 2024. Watch what the consistent Englishman does this week. It may be his time.
Mar 5, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Rory McIlroy walks on the 14th green during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images When the Masters tees off Thursday, neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson will be present at Augusta National for the first time since 1994.
There’s something symbolic about the two best players of their generation, now in their 50s, being simultaneously absent. It isn’t goodbye forever — Mickelson, for example, is out as he attends to a private family health matter, but he has rarely factored into the majors since the LIV Golf schism.
As for Woods, well, that’s another column. His fourth car accident and subsequent vow to seek treatment for recurrent painkiller abuse has engendered pity and exhaustion of patience in equal measure.
But the younger generation(s) of golfers have taken over, and the spotlight at the year’s first major will focus on them even more without Woods or Mickelson walking the property.
Let’s rank the five biggest names to watch at the Masters — not necessarily in terms of their odds to win, but the five whose play this week could shape both the leaderboard and the storylines that follow.
1. Rory McIlroy
How do you follow up a career-defining, stomach-turning, all-time Masters triumph that vanquished a 10-year major drought and earned you the career Grand Slam? How about by winning another? Anything McIlroy does this week will be headline news; he’s the main character in a way Woods and few others have experienced. McIlroy’s stumbling block may be the back tweak he picked up at the Arnold Palmer; he hasn’t competed since going four rounds at The Players Championship, where he never shot better than 71.
2. Scottie Scheffler
Jan 25, 2026; La Quinta, California, USA; Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of The American Express golf tournament at Pete Dye Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images The fact that the 2022 and 2024 Masters champ won 20 PGA Tour events in a four-year span is an immense credit to the man. But let’s see how Scheffler fares at Augusta after experiencing a touch of adversity to begin the year. A string of slow starts eventually ended his lengthy top-10 streak, and now he’s entering major season with just one sub-70 round in his past eight. (Scheffler also missed his Masters tune-up, the Valero Texas Open, as his wife gave birth to their second child.)
3. Bryson DeChambeau
Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images In an alternate universe, we’re discussing DeChambeau as the defending champ this week. He’s grown better at Augusta with wisdom and reps, but in 2025 he wilted late and turned an early lead on Sunday into a disappointing T5. The face of LIV Golf couldn’t ask for better pre-Masters results, winning back-to-back weeks in Singapore and South Africa.
Does it translate into a DeChambeau dub? (Imagine the YouTube content he could make …)
4. Patrick Reed
Apr 13, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Patrick Reed plays a shot from a bunker on the second hole during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images You’re forgiven if you’ve lost track of Reed since he went to LIV.
He has actually left LIV and in his best form since 2018, when Captain America donned his green jacket. Playing a DP World Tour schedule before his inevitable return to the PGA, Reed went win-T2-win in a three-start stretch this winter. He’s finding greens, making putts and returning to one of his best courses (five Masters top-10s, including third last year). That’s someone who can shake up a weekend leaderboard.
5. Tommy Fleetwood
There’s a number of ways we can go with the final spot to meet our self-imposed limit of five. Jon Rahm? Owner of a green jacket and the best form on LIV Golf apart from DeChambeau. Brooks Koepka? A five-time major winner, sure, but he’s in pretty “meh” form in his first year back on the PGA Tour. Jordan Spieth? If he can just go out in 30 on Sunday …
I’m going to zag and take Fleetwood, arguably the third-best player on the PGA Tour and certainly the best player without a major title. Fleetwood never had a signature win until his breakthrough at the 2025 Tour Championship. But he has top-fived at every major, including T3 at Augusta in 2024. Watch what the consistent Englishman does this week. It may be his time.
The newly-appointed Sri Lanka women’s cricket team head coach Jamie Siddons on Tuesday urged the players to work hard to improve their skill sets to compete more meaningfully against top teams like India, Australia and England.
Sri Lanka will come across England, New Zealand and the West Indies in the Women’s T20 World Cup later this year, and Siddons wanted to see a tangible improvement.
“I just think we need to develop more skills, hit the ball hard, score more boundaries without being reckless,” he told reporters here.
This will be Siddons’ first stint with a women’s team, having had a long record of coaching men’s cricket sides, including Bangladesh from 2007-11.
His sole international appearance for Australia came in 1988 in an ODI against Pakistan.
Siddons said he was aware that Sri Lanka had fared poorly in the last two women’s World Cups, winning a single match. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Siddons said he was aware that Sri Lanka had fared poorly in the last two women’s World Cups, winning a single match. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Siddons said his first task would be to guide the tea during its tour to Bangladesh starting on April 20. “That is where we will look to set our style of play”, he said referring to the three-match T20 and ODI series.
Siddons said he was aware that Sri Lanka had fared poorly in the last two women’s World Cups, winning a single match.
“That is where we need to see how we can perform better,” Siddons said.
He said currently India, Australia, New Zealand and England are the top teams and Sri Lanka was looking forward to doing well against England in the opening match of the World Cup in June.
“We are focusing on the first game against England, on their home ground and home soil,” Siddons said.
Siddons took over from Ramesh Ratnayake, who led the women’s team to victory in the 2024 Asia Cup final beating India.
Published on Apr 07, 2026
#Sri #Lanka #coach #Siddons #set #style #play #Bangladesh #tour">Sri Lanka head coach Siddons looks to set style of play in Bangladesh tour
The newly-appointed Sri Lanka women’s cricket team head coach Jamie Siddons on Tuesday urged the players to work hard to improve their skill sets to compete more meaningfully against top teams like India, Australia and England.
Sri Lanka will come across England, New Zealand and the West Indies in the Women’s T20 World Cup later this year, and Siddons wanted to see a tangible improvement.
“I just think we need to develop more skills, hit the ball hard, score more boundaries without being reckless,” he told reporters here.
This will be Siddons’ first stint with a women’s team, having had a long record of coaching men’s cricket sides, including Bangladesh from 2007-11.
His sole international appearance for Australia came in 1988 in an ODI against Pakistan.
Siddons said he was aware that Sri Lanka had fared poorly in the last two women’s World Cups, winning a single match. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Siddons said he was aware that Sri Lanka had fared poorly in the last two women’s World Cups, winning a single match. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Siddons said his first task would be to guide the tea during its tour to Bangladesh starting on April 20. “That is where we will look to set our style of play”, he said referring to the three-match T20 and ODI series.
Siddons said he was aware that Sri Lanka had fared poorly in the last two women’s World Cups, winning a single match.
“That is where we need to see how we can perform better,” Siddons said.
He said currently India, Australia, New Zealand and England are the top teams and Sri Lanka was looking forward to doing well against England in the opening match of the World Cup in June.
“We are focusing on the first game against England, on their home ground and home soil,” Siddons said.
Siddons took over from Ramesh Ratnayake, who led the women’s team to victory in the 2024 Asia Cup final beating India.
Published on Apr 07, 2026
Apr 6, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) grabs his left shoulder during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama will not play in the second half of Monday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after suffering a left rib contusion during a first-half collision with the 76ers’ Paul George.
Wembanyama went to the Spurs’ locker room twice in the second quarter after the collision but finished the half on the court. He scored 17 points, took five rebounds and had three blocked shots in more than 16 minutes of court time, which counts as an official game for the purpose of postseason award consideration.
Wembanyama, 22, is in the mix for Most Valuable Player in his third year in the NBA. He entered the game averaging 24.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-high 3.1 blocks per game.
Monday was Wembanyama’s 63rd game of the season. Players must appear in 65 games to qualify for postseason awards. The Spurs have three games remaining after Monday.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Spurs #Victor #Wembanyama #shoulder #wont #return #76ers">Deadspin | Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (shoulder) won’t return vs. 76ers Apr 6, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) grabs his left shoulder during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
#Deadspin #Spurs #Victor #Wembanyama #shoulder #wont #return #76ers
Apr 6, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) grabs his left shoulder during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama will not play in the second half of Monday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after suffering a left rib contusion during a first-half collision with the 76ers’ Paul George.
Wembanyama went to the Spurs’ locker room twice in the second quarter after the collision but finished the half on the court. He scored 17 points, took five rebounds and had three blocked shots in more than 16 minutes of court time, which counts as an official game for the purpose of postseason award consideration.
Wembanyama, 22, is in the mix for Most Valuable Player in his third year in the NBA. He entered the game averaging 24.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-high 3.1 blocks per game.
Monday was Wembanyama’s 63rd game of the season. Players must appear in 65 games to qualify for postseason awards. The Spurs have three games remaining after Monday.
–Field Level Media
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