A second straight PGA? Only Xander has the chance

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The two words should never be underestimated. Defending champion carries a mark of success, no matter what the activity.  

And for the 107th PGA Championship, which began Thursday, that is the description of Xander Schauffele.

He’s also eyeing another major title—the Open Championship—but that’s still a bit down the road in July. For now, this is the merry month of May, where the golf focus is on Quail Hollow Club in America’s south.

The pros rarely win one of the big four championships, much less two in a row. However, it was most recently done by Brooks Koepka, who won this tournament in 2018 and 2019, and the U.S. Open in 2017 and 2018.

Whether Schauffele is capable of back-to-back victories in the PGA will be evident before the weekend, but he has proved to be a winner since his days at San Diego State. Checking his background, you might say Schauffele, 31, was certain to become a champion.

He grew up in Southern California, coached and encouraged by his German-born father, Stefan, whose own dream of becoming a decathlon star was cut short when a drunk driver hit him on the way to a national training facility. 

Xander, short for Alexander, developed quickly enough, winning numerous tournaments, including the prestigious California State Amateur Championship in 2011. So, perhaps it should be no surprise that once he turned pro, Schauffele would win the Players Championship and then two majors in the same year. The latter hadn’t been done since Jordan Spieth in 2015.

Schauffele had a difficult few months this winter recovering from a rib injury, only coming back in March. “Game’s coming along slowly but surely,” said Schauffele.

At times, Schauffele seems to receive less recognition than deserved, despite his record. 

The attention this week has been on Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, and of course on Rory McIlroy, who not only took the Masters at last to complete his slam, but has won four times at Quail.

If that bothers Schauffele, you wouldn’t know it.  He’s just thinking about what the conditions will be and what he must do.  

“Delays and rain and things of that nature, they can kind of fool you a little bit on this property,” said Schauffele about a layout that is deep in the woods. “Just because they haven’t been able to get the mowers out on the fairways, and the greens are exceptionally firm for getting a few inches of rain the last three or four days.”

Wet or dry, mowed or unmowed, the course will be the same for every man in the tournament.  You just need to bring your best game.  

Schauffele did exactly that last year when the PGA Championship was at Valhalla. That’s the reason he is the only player in the field who can be called the defending champion.

The PGA at Quail: Rory, Spieth and lightning

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s the course where Rory McIlroy has won four times. The course where Jordan Spieth has yet another chance for the Slam.

It’s Quail Hollow Club, in the woods outside Charlotte, and while there may not be any quail around, but on Tuesday, two days before the 107th PGA Championship, there certainly was an alarming thunderstorm.

Players scattered from practice rounds, which eventually were cancelled, and lightning struck one of the tournament support trailers, briefly knocking out communications.

Scottie Scheffler, number one in the world rankings, made it through with little more than wet shoes, but he did mention that play this week may be affected by an all too typical Southeast Spring. 

“The golf course is going to play really long,” said Scheffler. “This may be more of a 5-wood week just because the golf course is going to play really long, the rough is thick, and the run-up areas after this kind of rain are going to be really soft, and the greens are still going to be really firm because they’re new.” 

Which is why, perhaps, all of the major golf championships held in the United States should be played in California, where exactly the 2028 PGA Championship will be held, at San Francisco’s Olympic Club.

For so long, we kept wondering if McIlroy would get the Masters and complete his own slam, which he did in April after a gap of 10 years. Now Spieth, who has wins in the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the British Open, again attempts to become the seventh golfer to ever win all of the big four. A victory in the 2017 British—or, if you prefer, The Open Championship—was his third major. And with Rory having reached his goal, the focus turns to Jordan.

“It’s funny, I think,” said Spieth. “If Rory didn’t win (the Masters), then it wouldn’t have been a storyline for me here necessarily. I mean, it’s always a storyline if I work my way in, but at least ahead of time, I just feel like I’ve been asked about it more than other years.” 

Of course, you think journalists aren’t aware of the possibility? 

“For me,”  Spieth added, “if I could only win one tournament for the rest of my life, I’d pick this one for that reason. 

If McIlroy could only play one tournament, it probably would be at Quail, whatever the event was called. He may be from Northern Ireland, but nobody has performed as consistently as McIlroy at this course in North Carolina.

“They ought to call it the Rory McIlroy Country Club,” said Spieth.

McIlroy set the Quail Hollow record with a 61 when winning in 2015. He is a combined 102-under par at a place where his enormous length proves advantageous.  

“Some holes become far easier when you can take the bunkers out of play with your length off the tee,” said Oliver Wilson, who plays on the DP World Tour.

“I think I'm in a good place,” McIlroy said after last week’s Truist Open at Philadelphia. “I didn't feel like I played all that well, but I still finished seventh.”

“A couple little improvements and little tweaks, especially going to a place I love like Quail Hollow, and I feel like I'm in a really good spot.”

Especially if he can avoid the storms.

Draymond sets the tone, and the aged Warriors take a step forward

You’ve probably heard the line. Old age and treachery will always overcome youth and exuberance.

A little bit of self-confession added to the mix doesn’t hurt either.

Yes, the aging Golden State Warriors have moved into the second round of the NBA playoffs, if the task was a bit more difficult than they seemed to make it.

The Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets, 103-89, in the deciding seventh game of the first round Sunday night, not so deep in the heart of Texas but deep in belief that experience and an unexpected contribution from a guy who the previous game did not have a point.

That would be Buddy Hield, who scored 33 points, and they were very needed because Houston’s zone defense stymied Steph Curry for the longest time, if not for the entire time.

The Warriors now move on to Minneapolis, where they play the Minnesota Timberwolves in the best-of-seven second round starting Tuesday.

That the Warriors made it that far was perhaps more difficult than their fans believed, especially after Golden State built a 3-1 advantage. They couldn’t lose three in a row to the Rockets, could they? No, but they came close enough.

The confession came from Draymond Green at a team meeting Saturday. According to what Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr told NBC Bay Area, Green apologized for his lack of performance and leadership in game six at Chase Center in San Francisco. 

“Draymond set the tone (Saturday night),” Kerr said of the man who is the heart of the Warriors defense and usually the key piece in their motivation. “He said I have to be poised and I have to be better.” 

Which he was. And which the Warriors were. Draymond, in what some would think is a role reversal, scored two quick baskets for the Warriors—yes, Green can shoot as well as defend—and the younger, less experienced Rockets never caught up.

One of the reasons is that while Houston made life and mobility for Steph Curry difficult, Buddy Hield, a man not afraid to fire up shots, was making baskets. Hield had seventeen in the first half and had thirty-three for the game. Curry had only six points before halftime, but when Houston loosened that defense to try to get its own men open, Steph had sixteen more in the second half for a total of twenty-two. Green finished with sixteen points.

“Can’t say enough for these guys,” Kerr added. “I was very impressed. It was always matchup-based. If you can find a player or two, Houston did a great job of taking away the pick and roll.”

“Curry was fantastic. That’s the reason we had a twelve-point lead at the half.”

The thirty-seven-year-old Curry is more than a man who can score points. He understands the subtleties and demands of the sport. He can make passes as well as make field goals. He can defend, and he can find the little openings that a younger player might not be able to find.

Another veteran who, as hoped and expected, provided stability and also twenty points was Jimmy Butler. He was very necessary against the zone that forced the Warriors, who would prefer to run, to play the Rockets’ more deliberate style.

Through the seasons, four of them ending in NBA titles, the Warriors have been through a great deal, learning how to respond, and maybe most importantly, when the situation is tough, knowing how to win.

They took the first step in the playoffs, which the Lakers and LeBron James, and the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard, were unable to do. Those old guys were delightfully successful and pretty exuberant for their age.

With Jimmy Butler playing as expected, Warriors in great shape

Of course Jimmy Butler is tough. How else would he have been able to survive after his mother threw him out of their home as a high school senior?

How else would he persist in that long holdout while under contract to the Miami Heat?

Tough and stubborn and gifted with an athletic talent that has enabled him to advance as far as he has, and now has enabled the Golden State Warriors to advance in the NBA playoffs as far as they have.

True, the Warriors heading into Wednesday night’s game against the Rockets at Houston, still need one more victory to get past the Rockets.

But they’ll get it.

Especially with Butler performing the playoff magic on which his reputation has been built. And was one of the reasons the Warriors traded for him in February, giving up Andrew Wiggins.

Butler may be 37 and was hurting so much from a back contusion he couldn’t play the previous game, however he was a star in the 109-106 victory Monday night. Maybe the star, although that’s dangerous to say on a franchise led by Steph Curry and Draymond Green.

Butler, although seemingly showing the effects of his injury early on, was productive in the second half, when the need was greatest. He had 27 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. His presence allows the Warriors to play the slower tempo style on which the Rockets thrive.  

“First three quarters he couldn’t move,” Draymond Green said of Butler. “Yet he never complained. He stuck with it. I think what was most important, when the time was right, everybody on our side looked to get him the ball. When you get the ball, he made great things happen for himself or for others. It was huge.”

The Warriors' Steve Kerr, who has seen it all and been through it all as a player—yes Michael Jordan’s teammate on the Chicago Bulls—called Butler’s game both rewarding and necessary.

“We had to have him,” said Kerr. “If this were the regular season, he’d probably miss another week or two. But it’s the playoffs. He’s Jimmy Butler, so…this is what he does.”

The basketball in the playoffs is more physical and wearing than during the season. Usually fewer fouls are called, leading to more than occasional confrontation and technical fouls. That Draymond was called for a T was no surprise, but that Kerr also was called for one, for yelling at the referees, certainly was a surprise.

Tensions are higher when the playoffs begin.  And as a veteran team the Warriors should be aware. You’d also think that the headline writers, referencing the old mystery stories, someplace would say “the butler did it.”

Most likely he’ll need to do it again and again.

NBA Playoffs: Warriors shoot, Rockets shove

The sport is often portrayed as ballet in sneakers, all grace and beauty. But as we know too well, there are times when the NBA would seem to stand for National Boxing Association, especially in the playoffs. The history of physical play, as it is known—more accurately described as quasi-rough—is very much a part of the game.

When the Golden State Warriors played and defeated the Chicago Bulls in the 1975 postseason, there was plenty of shoving and grabbing by guys like Cliff Ray, as well as Chicago’s Norm Van Lier and Jerry Sloan. And that was the series when the Bulls coach Dick Motta offered the infamous observation, “it ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings.”

There wasn’t music of any sort when the Golden State Warriors defeated the Rockets, 95-85, on Sunday night of the first game of their Western Conference series. There weren’t many points either, another reminder that in the postseason, defense takes charge. Fittingly, “charge” is also the perfect word for the kind of foul you’re likely to see.

As the best-of-seven series against the Rockets heads into game two Wednesday night in Houston, the probability is that there will be even more physical play, especially from the Rockets, who can’t shoot very well and try to keep the opponent from shooting very well. 

Warriors coach Steve Kerr referred to the style as 1990s basketball, but it doesn’t matter how you do it; just get the job done.

The Warriors can also play defense. In fact, that was their method of winning the four championships. Stop the other team, grab the ball, and go.

The going was a bit erratic Sunday night. The Warriors built a twenty-three-point lead, which late in the game was trimmed to four. That in itself is not surprising. Pro basketball is a sport of runs, teams scoring in bunches, and then not scoring. Also not surprising was the Warriors’ Steph Curry leading both teams in scoring with 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.  

The new guy—well, almost new—Jimmy Butler added 25, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals. The trade from two months ago keeps looking better and better.

The Warriors also had offensive support from two others: Brandin Podziemski, who tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and Moses Moody, who added seven points. “Pods,” as he is known, and Moody kept Golden State in touch—and in the lead—when the two big guns, Steph and Butler, were given a needed break. 

The prediction was that the series would go at least six games, maybe the full seven. The issue always is the ability to adjust. A team responds and then makes the changes it hopes will be the proper ones.

Draymond Green, the heart of the Warriors’ defense, insisted the team needs to play better, even though it was a winner in Game 1.

“We need to correct a lot of things,” said Green, pointing out about the Rockets, “they rough you up, they grab, they hold, they crash the boards, very, extremely physical team.”

Curry, Butler get Warriors into playoffs

It’s all about matchups in the NBA. All about how the pieces fit. And sometimes about getting lucky.

Did the Warriors really want Jimmy Butler? Or would they have preferred Kevin Durant—or someone else? Either way, when the trade deadline came in February, the player they ended up with—traded for Andrew Wiggins—was Jimmy Butler.

So far, so very good. The move by the front office general manager, Mike Dunleavy Jr., has worked perhaps better than imagined but at least as well as required.

Butler goes by the nickname “Playoff Jimmy.” Maybe it should be Play-in Jimmy. He’s a very big part of the reason the Golden State Warriors will be playing the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs starting Sunday.

Butler provides what the Warriors need. A balance to Steph Curry, a guy to draw the opposition defense away from Steph, not to mention someone who can score, rebound, and play defense. What teams try against the Warriors is to keep the game slow and physical, contrary to the Dubs' preferred style of speed and spacing. If you want to call it a one-two punch that is acceptable. And also acceptable is the way Butler performed in the play-in game. Golden State, because of a tailspin late in the regular season, was forced into the play-in. Nerve-wracking, but nothing worse, because Golden State was 0-3 in play-ins. With Butler scoring 38 points and Steph Curry 37, the Warriors, Wednesday, made it past the Memphis Grizzlies, 121-116.  

“For us to finally get on the other side of it,” said Curry, “and to play, hopefully, a solid seven-game series—it’s exciting.”

Even more exciting, of course, would be for the Warriors to win another championship. But with a challenging road ahead—possibly facing the Oklahoma City Thunder and, farther down the line, the Boston Celtics—one dare not get too confident.

The Warriors had a 3-2 record against Houston during the regular season, which would offer a reason to think positively about this coming series. And now with Butler, they should be able to play the grind-it-out, bang-around style the Rockets will present.

Houston, with a stronger bench, surely would like the series to go the maximum. The shorter it might go, the better it would seem for Golden State, although strange things happen once the ball is tipped off.  

Age could become a factor for the Warriors if the series stretches out. Curry is 37 and Butler is 35. Curry is a little beat up—though it hasn't affected his shooting—playing through a sprained thumb on his shooting hand. He also missed games earlier due to a pelvic contusion.

Yet great athletes—and great defines Curry—inevitably overcome the aches and pains to get onto the court and into the competition. The Warriors are right where they wanted to be: still playing. Curry is very much responsible. So is Jimmy Butler.

It took an extra hole, but Rory at last ends his Masters agony

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy fought back tears Sunday after fighting off more than a decade of Masters agony, finally grabbing his long-missing major when he holed a three-foot putt in a playoff that ended a day which wavered between disappointment and elation.

McIlroy had thrown away an opportunity to win this event 14 years ago with a terrible final round, an 80, that left him stunned and through the years a target for critics.

Although McIlroy had shrugged off the idea he was haunted by the failure that cost him what would be the missing piece of a career grand slam, he was more forthright after the victory.

So when reminded by CBS announcer Jim Nantz, during the traditional Butler Cabin ceremony, where the champion is presented the green jacket, of his frequently falling short, McIlroy conceded, “It was all worth it.” 

And always heartbreaking until the extra hole of the final round of this 89th Masters. McIlroy began a crazy, at times confusing, last round with a two-shot lead, lost it immediately with a double bogey on the first hole—he would end up with four doubles during the entire tournament, fell behind first, Bryson DeChambeau, and then later Justin Rose. 

But McIlroy showed the courage and skill that have made him perhaps the most popular golfer since the retirement of Tiger Woods, tied Rose with a birdie on the 72ndhole, and then beat him and the belief he couldn’t close the deal with that birdie on the first extra hole, the par-4 18th at Augusta National. 

“Look, it’s a dream come true,” said McIlroy. “I have dreamt about that moment for as long as I can remember.”

“You know, there were points in my career where I didn’t know if I would have this nice garment (the green jacket) over my shoulders, but I didn’t make it easy today. I was nervous. It was one of the toughest days I’ve ever had on the golf course. In a funny way, I feel like the double bogey at the first sort of settled my nerves.”

McIlroy shot a one-over par 73, which left him with 277, 13-under par, the same as Justin Rose, who has experienced his own frustrations at Augusta, now finishing as runner-up a third time. Rose, the first-round leader with a 65, closed with a 68.

Third at 279 was 2017 Masters Champion Patrick Reed, while defending champion Scottie Scheffler ended up at 280.

DeChambeau shot 72 and ended up tied at 281 with Sungjae Im.

While McIlroy reveled in at last chasing the demons, Rose, who has a major of his own, 2013 US Open, was able to see the big picture. Not surprising for an Englishman of 44 years who has played everywhere in his quite impressive career.

“I just said, listen, this is a historic moment in golf,” said Rose. “Isn’t it? Someone who achieves the career grand slam. I just said it was pretty cool to be able to share that moment with him.  Obviously I wanted to be the bad guy today, but still, it’s a momentous occasion for the game of golf.”

Rory on the verge of finally winning his Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — This was the Rory McIlroy golf had expected, powering long drives, knocking in putts, a man in full flight on a golf course he’s long tried to conquer.

And at last seems destined to succeed.

McIlroy shot a 6-under 66 on a sparkling and historic Saturday afternoon at the Masters. He roared out of the gate with the first of what would become an unprecedented six consecutive threes, one of those an eagle and three of those birdies. That gave him a 54-hole score of 194, 16 under par.

He’s two shots ahead of Bryson DeChambeau going into Sunday’s ultimate round. Surely he will break through at last and finally grab the one tournament needed to complete a grand slam.  And yet, in the tantalizing, often agonizing game of golf, where strokes are lost as quickly as they may be gained, unpredictability is a constant factor. 

As the 35-year-old McIlroy is often reminded, he had a four-shot lead going into the last day of the 2011 Masters, collapsed to an 80, and finished in a tie for 15th. 

Asked about that difficulty, McIlroy said, “That was 14 years ago. I have no idea. Again, I’m glad I have a short memory.”

The rest of us don’t, however. We’ll keep harping about that failure until it is corrected, which it may be in the next few hours. The people chasing him are hardly inexperienced. DeChambeau has won the U.S. Open twice, including last year. Canada’s Corey Conners sits in third, four shots back, while Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, holds fourth place. 

McIlroy was the man many thought would be the next Tiger Woods.  But, expectations did not evolve into reality. Rory has done a great deal, and yet it’s always appeared not to be enough.  However, his popularity is remarkable.

There was little doubt who was the favorite of Augusta fans—or patrons, as they are called.  The crowd Saturday made Rory feel as if he were from Georgia and not Northern Ireland. Or Florida, where he lives much of the winter.

“It’s amazing to have the support,” said McIlroy. “You know, these Patrons and these galleries are a pleasure to play in front of, each and every year we come back. They are some of the most knowledgeable golf Patrons that we play in front of.”

And, yes, some of the most loyal. Rory, long ago, ingratiated himself with the golf public, and it has stayed with him forever. The fans were enthralled by the way McIlroy began the third round, and the roars rocked through the course. 

“Such a great way to start,” affirmed McIlroy. “Just to come out of the blocks like that, I think, as well from finishing yesterday afternoon to teeing off today. It’s quite a long time. You know, there’s a lot of anticipation and sort of anxious energy that builds up. You just want to get out there and play. So you know, with all of that, to go out and start the way I did was amazing.”

If he thinks that way, who are we to disagree?

Demise of McIlroy’s Masters chances greatly exaggerated

AUGUSTA, GA. — Rory McIlroy? We begin by paraphrasing one Mark Twain, another golfer whose long walks occasionally were spoiled.

The chatter about the demise of McIlroy’s chances to win the Masters after his semi-disastrous opening round have been greatly exaggerated. 

McIlroy shot the day’s low round on Friday—a 6-under-par 66—that brought him out of frustration and squarely back into contention, joining a leaderboard stacked with big names and even bigger games. McIlroy, the acclaimed favorite to finally add the Masters to his other three championships, seemed doomed after finishing Thursday’s round with double bogeys on two of the last four holes that dropped him figuratively into Ray’s Creek and dropped him down the list. But as we were reminded once again, golf is the most unpredictable of sporting ventures. One swing, you are despondent; the next, you are elated. Or vice versa.

Halfway into the 89th Masters, Justin Rose retained the lead. He earned the first round. Rose, a very young 44—look at how he is playing—is at eight under 136, after Friday’s 71. Second at 137 is Bryson deChambeau, the two-time US Open Champion, who had a 4-under 68 Friday at Augusta National. 

McIlroy is at 138, tied with Cory Conners for third, while defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who had a 71 today, is at 139 with Shane Lowry, Tyrell Hatton, and Denny McCarty.

After his opening-round collapse, McIlroy, usually a talkative sort, refused to do interviews. But, not surprisingly, Friday he said a lot after he gained a lot of strokes. Asked his mindset after Friday’s round, McIlroy said, “Not as frustrated obviously. But I mean, it’s only halfway. You know, we’ve got 36 holes to go on a very, very tough golf course. Anything can happen.”

What happened Thursday when he chipped into the water on 15 and then 3 putted 18, for the two devastating double bogies, left McIlroy more stunned than shaken. 

“I hit two good shots into 15 (Thursday),” said McIlroy. “And I felt like I hit a pretty good chip shot. I was really surprised at not so much the speed—I knew it was a fast chip. It was just the first bounce was so firm.” 

McIlroy, the Irishman, has been a golfing star since before his teenage years. The expectations have been as large as his talent. Early on, he won a PGA championship, a US Open, and a British Open. But the Masters has been elusive.  

Most famously, he had the lead at Augusta in 2013 and then shot 80 in the fourth round. That failure is brought up every time he comes here. 

McIlroy met with six-time Masters Winner Jack Nicklaus, arguably the greatest player ever, and listened to Jack’s advice on how to finally get that Masters victory. Jack told him the key is as much in the way he thinks as in the way he plays. And McIlroy mentioned that after his comeback Friday. 

“I was so frustrated last (Thursday) night because I played so well, and you can make these big numbers from absolutely nowhere on this golf course, just like the most benign position.  So it was a good reminder that you have to have your wits about you on every single golf shot.”

Rose rises to Masters lead while Rory sinks with late double bogeys

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The golf people—and the odds people—told us if this 89th Masters isn’t won by Rory McIlroy, then it will be won by Scottie Scheffler. 

Perhaps we better save a space for Justin Rose. He twice has finished second in the Masters, and after shooting a 7-under par, 65, Thursday, he has the lead in this year’s opening round.

You know the famous advice that the Masters won’t be decided until the back nine Sunday.

We have many miles to go and holes to play just to get to Friday, so it is a bit premature even to think that Rose is finally going to get the victory he just missed in 2015, when Jordan Spieth won, or 2017, when Sergio Garcia came out on top.

However, he certainly is going to be a factor and even more than Scheffler, who going for a second consecutive title at Augusta, shot a 4 under 68, and McIlroy, 72, who ruined his round with double bogeys at both 15 and 17.

There is no sport quite like golf where you can give back what you just took, as befell McIlroy, who chipped into the water on the par-5 15th, a frequent birdie hole, and then three-putted 17.

That the 35-year-old McIlroy refused to talk to the media after the round was both unfortunate and normally unusual.  He’s usually quite communicative and promotionally minded, although he went silent after blowing short putts that cost him a chance at the US Open at Pinehurst.

True, with 54 holes remaining, he is not out of this Masters. Still, as he tries to win the one event that has kept him from completing the personal grand slam, Rory again seems befuddled. His disappointment has persisted even since he held first place in the 2011 Masters and then shot 80 in the final round.

So, if this is not to be more of the same, Rory must regain his composure and his touch.  

Rose has gone through his own bit of frustration here at Augusta. But Thursday, when the temperature climbed to 70 degrees, Justin had only one bogey, at 18. 

“It was a really good day’s golf on a golf course that was a stern test,” said Rose. “I think if you look at the overall leaderboard, not many low scores out there. A lot of quality shots, and delighted the way I played.” 

As he should be. 

His prison days behind him, Angel Cabrera steps back into the Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — He earned a green jacket. Now, Angel Cabrera has something no less important in a life of success and failure: a second chance. Or, since Cabrera was, and is, a golfer, maybe we should call it a mulligan — the links term for an unpenalized do-over. 

Cabrera was in the field for the Masters, which began Thursday — an achievement in itself, considering all he has been through, largely due to his troubles off the course.

He served 30 months in prison in his home nation, Argentina, after conviction for domestic violence. Although some women’s organizations had protested his return, Cabrera, now 55, is able to return to the sport that lifted him from the bottom of life to the top.

“Life has given me another opportunity. I got to take advantage of that,” said Cabrera. “And I want to do the right things in this second opportunity.”

That Cabrera even became a golfer was against the odds. His parents separated when he was 4, and he was left in the care of his paternal grandmother. He had no formal schooling and found work as a caddie at age 10. 

He learned the game after learning the proper way to carry clubs for others. With natural athletic talent, he quickly rose through the ranks, winning the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont — where the tournament returns this year — and then capturing the 2009 Masters.

But his personal life hardly was as rewarding. He was accused and convicted of harassing his former partner and the mother of his children. After his release from prison, Cabrera began practicing once more, and last weekend he won the James Hardy Invitational, a non PGA tour event, in Boca Raton, Florida. 

This will be his first Masters since 2019, and because of the complaints of some women’s groups, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley was asked during Wednesday’s press conference what he thought of the situation. 

“We certainly abhor domestic violence of any type,” said Ridley. “As it relates to Angel, Angel has served the sentence that was prescribed by the Argentine courts, and he is the past champion, and so he was invited. 

Golfers, among athletes, are a particularly close group. In an individual sport, they turn to each other for support. They view Cabrera as their long-time fellow competitor. Gary Player, winner of each of the four majors, remained a friend and supporter of Cabrera.

“The only one I’ve always been in contact with is Gary Player,” Cabrera said of the famed South African, who is now 89. “He wanted to give advice that things were going to happen and things would get better, and that’s what’s happened.”

The Masters: a pretentious name, a great sporting event

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Was it the great Dan Jenkins who once wrote that the Masters is the championship of nothing?  What he meant was that no country, state, or organization gained recognition from the title. 

Masters? Who was so subjunctive to apply that label?

And yet, as Jenkins—who covered more than 220 major golf tournaments—was quick to admit, to the sport of golf, the Masters has become, if not everything, then almost everything.

The name itself implies a sporting event limited only to the best.

As the 89th Masters starts on Thursday, debates swirl on who the winner might be—perhaps Rory McIlroy finally grabbing the missing piece to complete his own grand slam, or Scottie Scheffler repeating for a second straight year, or one of the other names familiar even to those who don’t follow the game. 

Unquestionably the Masters—it wasn’t originally named that—and the city, Augusta, where it is held, have become almost interchangeable. There is an Augusta in Maine, but they don’t have a competition there where the winner gets a green jacket or headlines. And surely that Augusta’s motel rooms are not jacked up during the week from the normal price of $150 a day to $1,000 a day.   

Yet despite the negatives and not the undeserved criticisms, the Masters has become very much a part of both springtime and American sports.

That is in part attributable to Bobby Jones, the only golfer to win four majors in a calendar year (yes, two of those majors were the Amateurs, the British and the US) and who helped establish the tournament; to Arnold Palmer, who won it four times; to Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, who dominated the tournament in their time and certainly in this television era, to CBS and Jim Nantz’s signature phrase, “A tradition unlike any other.”

Consider our sporting icons: the Rose Bowl, the Super Bowl, the Final Four, the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, and no less, the Masters. Annually and to a nation looking to escape all the woes of society, importantly.

Long ago, when the Super Bowl was growing into the monster it has become, the then NFL Commissioner, Pete Rozell, shrugged off complaints, insisting, “we are just entertainment.” 

So too are all big sports events, including the Masters, although in the revised outlook where odds are posted on everything, there also are gambling options, where someone can lose dollars as quickly as a pro might lose strokes.

How Bobby Jones might have done when there were numbers besides his name, other than the ones posted on the course, must remain speculation. 

But the current golfers contend they don’t worry what others predict or wager. McIlroy and Scheffler are this Masters’ co-favorites. That makes sense, but it may not make the bettor a lot of money.

What truly helped make the Masters legendary was Gene Sarazen’s stunning double eagle—an albatross two—on the 15th hole in 1935.

“It only took five minutes after that to become a major,” wrote Jenkins, somewhat humorously. 

It doesn’t matter if Jenkins was serious. He was absolutely correct.

Viktor Hovland gives us something we’ve probably never heard before in sports

You’ve heard it all in sports, haven’t you? You’ve heard coaches of heavily favored football teams complain that the oddsmakers don’t know a thing. You’ve heard boxers boast what they are going to do to an opponent before they’re arrogant enough to step into the ring. 

But you’ve never heard anyone quite like Viktor Hovland.

He’s a PGA Tour pro. He’s from Norway. He went to Oklahoma State. And this past weekend, he won the Valspar Championship near Tampa.

Although you wouldn’t know it from his comments—which could be described as unique and, at times, baffling for someone who had just secured a victory—this was a man who had won five other events, including both the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship in 2023.

“It’s unbelievable that I won,” said Hovland. “I really didn’t think I was going to. It’s still the same swing. I still hit some disgusting shots, but somehow I was able to put it together this week.” 

So much for the advice you need to be positive to be successful. Better to be realistic and have the guy in front of you, Justin Thomas, who happens to have won two majors, collapse with bogeys on two of the last three holes.

Golf often is an evil game. The setting, a course beautiful enough on which to have a picnic, may fool even the most skeptical of individuals.

It may not be a long walk spoiled, but it’s a pastime that makes people lose their cool and often threaten to hurl their clubs—or themselves—into a water hazard or a trash bin. The little things get to you, like forgetting to sign the scorecard, negating all you’ve done with the clubs in your bag. So do the big things, like missing a tee shot or, worse, a short putt.  

Hovland probably had no expectations coming into the Valspar. He had missed the cut in the three preceding tournaments. Ah, but that’s the beauty and the agony of the game.

Once again, who could imagine Thomas, seemingly playing well at last, giving the tournament away with poor approach shots on 16 and 18?

Meanwhile, Hovland, down on himself, was able to get the ball down into the cup.

Apropos of nothing, the general chairman of the Valspar is Ronde Barber, the NFL Hall of Famer. You wonder if his years in athletics prepared him for the ending of the tournament and Hovland’s bizarre analysis.

“I’ve been playing poorly,” said Hovland. “No confidence. When you don’t believe you can play well, it is hard to come out and play week after week.”

As one of the Golf Channel commentators pointed out, “It certainly doesn’t sound like your typical post-match interview.”

That’s because it wasn’t.

Stanford football coach accused of hostility toward female staffers

Accusations against the head football coach of a major university. Hardly unusual. Except the university is Stanford and the coach in question is Troy Taylor, who came from Stanford’s biggest rival, California, and also ironically served as a radio commentator for the Golden Bears recently. 

Stanford. The Harvard of the West. Where the emphasis is on academics. Not that the administration and of course the alumni don’t want to succeed in sports. Only to a point of moderation. Years ago when Stanford was overwhelming USC and going to the Rose Bowl, a member of the faculty contender suggested that some people at the school were embarrassed, as if there was something wrong in making the all-American squad as opposed to making Phi Beta Kappa.  

The football program slipped considerably and so Stanford went after Taylor, who was a star at the school across the Bay—yes, Cal, or, as some people derogatorily call it, UC Berkeley. Taylor arrived before the 2023 season and has struggled, not surprisingly, in this era of transfer protocol, and the charges against him disclosed by ESPN arrived only hours ago. 

These charges, according to the ESPN report, say Taylor bullied and belittled female athletic staffers, sought to have an NCAA compliance officer removed after she warned him of rules violations, and repeatedly made “inappropriate” comments to another woman about her appearance. 

The report on the 56-year-old Taylor was prepared by Timothy O’Brien, senior counsel for the Libby O’Brien Kingsley & Champion Law firm in Maine. O’Brien said, “He never had encountered the level of animosity and disdain for a university compliance officer. Even during the interview with me, when talking about compliance issues, Coach Taylor’s tone was forceful and aggressive.” 

The complaints against Taylor came early enough. The investigation began after multiple employees filed grievances against Taylor for what they called hostile and aggressive behavior, as well as personal attacks. Those comments came from a previous investigation by Kate Weaver Patterson of KWP Consulting & Mediation in the spring of 2023—weeks before Taylor’s first game. 

Taylor was contrite in responding to the report. “I willingly complied with the investigations,” said Taylor, “accepted the recommendations that came out of them, and used them as a learning opportunity to grow in leadership and how I interact with others.” 

That Taylor still has his job may be his willingness to admit his intemperance. Stanford’s administrators, including Athlete Director Bernard Muir, while not pleased with the situation and report, have shown a high degree of patience. 

No school wants to be paying a football coach who has been removed from his job, particularly when it has nothing to do with the final scores. Stanford was 3-9 this past season and lost to Cal in each of Taylor’s two seasons. 

He is in the process of getting things right on the field. No less, obviously, he must get them right with the women on his staff.

Andreeva’s BNP Championship hardly was a “Mirracle”

INDIAN WELLS — She’s the kind of kid who, when it comes to her game, doesn’t kid around—paraphrasing the old Dion song—a teenager in love with a sport where her opponents often end up with love, which, in tennis, means zero.

We know where Mirra Andreeva has gone, by age 17, Sunday winning the women’s title of the BNP Paribas Open, after winning at Dubai in her previous start.

What we don’t know, but certainly can surmise, is how far she is about to go. 

Andreeva defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a sold-out Indian Wells tennis garden stadium, where determined by the shrieks and shouts, the majority of the 16,100 fans were cheering for Andreeva.

That match was followed by Jack Draper, the Brit, beating Holger Rune of Denmark, 6-2, 6-2 in the men’s final in a tidy 1 hour 5 minutes. If that result wasn’t a surprise—and to many who have been touting the 23-year-old Draper, it wasn’t—then the women’s final certainly was. Or was it?

Andreeva, the Russian, has been getting accolades seemingly for years, although perhaps not that long. She has progressed beautifully from one step to another, ranking as the top junior in the sport two years ago and then meeting expectations, climbing the figurative ladder.

Andreeva dropped the first set to Sabalenka and you figured she was a bit overmatched. Not true. She roared back as all the great ones do—joining the ranks of Tracy Austin, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Kim Clijsters, all of whom became stars at a very young age.

“After the first set it was tough to come back really,” insisted Andreeva, “but I tried my best.”

Her best was enough even against a 26-year-old who has won three majors, including 2 Australian Opens and a U.S. Open, but who faltered big time in this one. 

“Honestly it was me against me,” said an understandably upset Sabalenka. “I made a lot of unforced errors on important points, and I just let her play a little bit better. She kind of like believed in herself. After that, I started playing much worse, and I was just trying to find my rhythm back but it didn’t work this time.”

There are turning points in tennis as there are in many of our popular sports.  And this may have been one. The underdog, the hopeful, breaks through and everything changes. 

It’s a matter of finding the confidence that unleashes the potential. Once a player realizes she can do it, the rest of the field realizes it, too.

It’s cute to say Andreeva’s success is a “Mirracle”, but that ignores the skill and determination which got her there—and should get her to the pinnacle of tennis.

No Three-peat for Alcaraz at BNP; Draper stopped that

INDIAN WELLS — That thought of Carlos Alcaraz and his three-peat at the BNP Paribas Open was knocked into the desert halfway to Death Valley by a guy named Jack Draper, who made sure Saturday that the result of the men’s final would be a “One-peat.” 

On a Saturday when the weather in this resort area finally met expectations, with temperatures reaching the low 70s, Stadium One at Indian Wells Tennis Garden was packed. The winners of the two men’s semifinals likely felt the energy. Draper, a 23-year-old whose mother was a competitor in England, began his tennis journey by hitting balls against the walls of their home club. He defeated Alcaraz 6-1, 0-6, 6-4.

In Sunday’s final Draper will be up against Holger Rune of Denmark, who took care of Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-4. 

The ladies also will have their last match on Sunday, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will face wunderkind Mirra Andreeva, the 17-year-old from Russia. They advanced Friday night, Sabalenka crushing Madison Keys of the U.S. 6-0, 6-1, and Andreeva winning over two-time BNP champion, Iga Swiatek, 7-6,1-6, 6-3.

Maybe nothing should be a surprise in sports, especially in tennis, but Keys winning only one game against Sabalenka was a real stunner. The 11th game, in particular, stood out. Keys, 34, the American, had defeated Sabalenka just seven weeks ago in the Australian Open final, securing Madison’s first major victory. Sabalenka called Saturday’s match "revenge," while others described it as a "bagel, breadstick" finish.

Alcarez has won four major titles, including two Wimbledons, and Draper none, but Alcarez was properly weary of his opponent. Alcaraz said of Draper, “I think he’s ambitious, and he always goes for it. That makes him a really tough opponent.”

How tough was evident in the final score. “I mean, this one hurts”, said Alcaraz. “I don’t want to lose any match, but I think this one was even more special to me. It was difficult today, a lot of nerves in the match.”

When asked what he could have done better, Alcaraz reflected, “Just playing my style and stepping onto the court with fewer nerves. I think that was the big difference.”

You might think that a man who has won Wimbledon twice, along with titles at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open, would be less nervous—even at an event known as the "Fifth Major." But internal pressure is always a factor when competing at the highest level. 

When the opportunity arrives, how does the athlete respond? Draper showed us. 

“Yeah, I feel incredible obviously to beat Carlos in this sort of stage in the tournament on that court,” said Draper. “You know, I have watched the top players in the world play on that court for many, many years now, and it feels amazing, honestly, both those things.”

Rune, who has reached the quarterfinals in three Grand Slam tournaments, is one of those players whose name always seems to pop up and cause you to ask,  “Who’s that?” But to followers of the sport, he’s more than just a name. His win on Saturday over Medvedev, a two-time BNP Paribas Open runner-up, was particularly impressive.

“I feel like I’m very clear in my mindset,” said Rune. “Also (Sunday) I have to go for it. It’s not going to be handed to me. It’s a lot of work.”

Nothing is handed to you in sports. As Rune said you have to go get it.

Will there be an Alcaraz three-peat at Indian Wells?

INDIAN WELLS — It was Pat Riley, a successful but hardly humble individual, who created and copyrighted the term “three-peat” back in 1988 after he coached the Los Angeles Lakers to two consecutive NBA titles.

The phrase became both iconic and generic and because Riley never won more than two in a row, perhaps ironic.  

We’ve heard it this week during the BNP Paribas Open in discussions and praise of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. True, for Riley—who will turn 80 in a few days—the game was and is basketball, while for the 21-year-old Alcaraz, it is tennis. But victory is what links the two and every other great competitor.

Whether Alcaraz, number 3 in the rankings, accurately can be called great at this stage in what appears destined to be a tremendous career is a matter of judgment. Yet, as he is set to play against Jack Draper in Saturday’s BNP semi-finals, a three-peat at Indian Wells is quite real.

Not only has Alcaraz won at Indian Wells the past two years, but he has also taken 16 straight matches here. The last one was Thursday night in the quarter-finals, where he battled through cold, windy conditions and a slow start to defeat Argentina’s Fernando Cerúndolo 6-3, 7-6 (4).  

Alcaraz long has been touted as the heir apparent to stars such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Carlos already has four major championships, a line-up that includes Wimbledon twice, Roland Garros, and a US Open. Although in recent months Jannik Sinner had taken control and risen to the top of the rankings, he is absent from Indian Wells, serving a three-month suspension for violating the Tour’s drug standards.

Alcaraz, as virtually every player on either the men's or women’s tour, appreciates the program and facilities at Indian Wells—and not only because he has done so well here. “I think tennis is a lonely sport,” said Alcaraz. “I’m lucky enough to bring my family with me to tournaments. So sometimes when you have or you feel peaceful in the place you're going, you feel great. That’s this case here. I feel peace. So I just feel great that way with the people that I have around. That’s why it makes this place really beautiful to me, I think that’s why I show my best tennis here.”

Success comes from listening to knowledgeable advisors and, even when things go wrong—as they do for even the best—continuing to believe in yourself.

“Tennis is about not having a great day every day,” said Alcaraz. “So you have to play your best that day.”   

Alcaraz has played his best often enough to have a chance at his own three-peat. Isn’t that the way it’s done, Pat Riley?

Medvedev makes it past the cold and Arthur Fils into the Indian Wells semis

INDIAN WELLS — When you saw it was 62 at Indian Wells on Thursday, you thought that was the score of a match in the BNP Paribas, not the (brr) temperature in this desert city.

The place promoted as tennis paradise maybe wasn’t as cold or depressing as Duluth in December, but neither was it inviting. Because of conditions that included a brief morning rain, balls were heavy and for spectators at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the attire was the same.

Except for downpours, the weather rarely stops play, so the tournament went forward. Iga Swiatek, trying for a third BNP title, was a winner, as did Madison Keys, Holger Rune, Mira Andreeva, and, not least, Daniil Medvedev. 

In the main match of the early afternoon—one that lasted 2 hours and 25 minutes, one that had the fans cheering or groaning (we’ll get to that later)—Medvedev survived the young Frenchman Arthur Fils, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 to reach the semi-finals.

“Today was an amazing match,” said Medvedev. “Amazing crowd, tough one with the wind and everything, but I felt like (it was a) high level from both of us. (It) was just a great feeling to win it.”

Medvedev, 29, has won a ton of matches and money in his career. He can be both loveable and irascible, which is why there were cheers and groans when he hit a successful shot.  First of all, Medvedev is Russian, born in Moscow, which makes him unpopular with many, especially Americans. He now lives in Monte Carlo, which makes him more disliked, or for those who like tax-free havens, beloved. And he is very intelligent and sharp-witted, ready to complain or confront. 

A couple of years ago he grumbled that the hard courts at Indian Wells were too slow, as if he were at Roland Garros, in the French playing on the red clay. He hasn’t said much publicly about the new courts laid down for this year’s BNP Paribas. 

One autumn in the U.S. Open in New York, Medvedev began to argue with people in the stands, holding his own against typical New York types, who were all too willing to be involved. They yelled at him, and whenever he had the chance, he yelled right back. It was great entertainment, and Medvedev gained considerable admiration from those who perhaps had come to boo him. 

Medvedev twice has been in the Indian Wells finals, losing both to current defending champion Carlos Alcarez in 2023 and 2024. Medvedev has struggled in the early matches this year. In the Australian Open, he didn’t even make it to the third round losing to Learner Tien. 

“First of all, I lost three very tight matches this year,” Medvedev said, “ two of which I was really close to winning, Tien and (Tallon) Griekspoor. The more you lose matches like this, the more you lose confidence in these tight moments.” 

That may sound strange coming from a former world No. 1 and winner of 20 ATP Tour-level singles titles. But as in all sports, particularly tennis, where there are no teammates to reassure you, your thinking and success can change with a single swing of a racket. 

Especially on a cold day.

Bit of a stunner, Coco defeated by new mom, Bencic, at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS — And for the celebration of her 21st birthday, Coco Gauff will have a glass of well, whatever one selects, when she doesn’t feel like celebrating. Which after being eliminated in her third match of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday, Gauff does not. 

That she lost to a wildcard, albeit in Belinda Bencic, a wildcard who before taking a maternity leave was ranked as high as fourth, undoubtedly makes the defeat even more distasteful.  Indeed we’ve mentioned this numerous times, every one of the players on either the women’s or men’s tennis tours is superior and is good enough (or bad enough) to win or lose any time out.  Still, Coco’s 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat was a bit of a stunner. 

Playing the first match at Indian Wells on a 70-degree morning—yes, beautiful weather, but rain is forecast for Thursday—Gauff fulfilled the expectations and started well enough, then the serve problems on which she has spent many practice sessions trying to correct showed up again. 

The other American female star, Madison Keys, who at age 30 last month earned an Australian Open victory, fared better Wednesday in the BNP. Keys, in a reverse of Gauff’s fortunes, came back to beat Donna Vekic, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3. 

The men’s matches were scheduled for nighttime at Indian Wells—where fans come as much for the sunshine as for the stars—though that’s not necessarily prime time. It didn’t matter much. Regardless of time, Carlos Alcaraz, ranked No. 3, and the BNP Paribas defending champion, defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-1, 6-1.

Jim Mora Sr., when coaching in the NFL, famously said when asked about which team would win, “You don’t know, you can’t know, you never will know.” In tennis, we do know that two months ago, Coco Gauff defeated Bencic in three sets at the Australian Open. At the time, Bencic had only recently returned to competition after several months away. 

You assumed by now that Bencic would have improved, and she had. You also assumed Gauff, outranked by only two women, would win once more. Back to Mr. Mora, you don’t know.

“Here,” said Gauff, “ I mean, I lost 6-4 in the fourth round against a tough opponent who’s coming off a 500 win. Obviously, I wanted to do better, want to have better results, but it’s not something I can crush myself on.” 

Gauff was asked about her birthday, which of course always falls during the tournament. “I  really don’t care, I guess, when my birthday is, but I am excited, and obviously I would have loved to be out here [Thursday]. But I’m going to try to either get home tonight or tomorrow just to celebrate with my family.”

Bencic, 28, gave birth to a daughter, Bella, in April 2024. But that has not diminished her desire to be one of the globe’s best in tennis.

“Obviously, I like the work I have put in,” she said. “Yes, for sure, like we were able to do a clean start. It's not easy after maternity leave, you know, to do all the work again. I didn’t have a baby to improve my career. I had a baby because we felt like that’s our purpose in life. That’s what we want. That came at the right time of our lives.”

Rain and Rune at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS — The temperature dropped as quickly as some of the top men’s seeds. People showed up with their racquets when what they really needed were umbrellas. For a while Tuesday you couldn’t be sure whether you were at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells or at the All England Championships at Wimbledon. 

Or because one of the matches Monday night didn’t finish until 11:39 p.m. New York is the city that never sleeps. Indian Wells, like neighboring Palm Springs, inhabited largely by retirees, is a place that goes to bed early.

You can always find somewhere to eat in New York. Here most dining places close at 9. That’s roughly two and a quarter hours before Grigor Dimitrov defeated good old (emphasis on both good and old; he’s 38) Gael Monfils, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6. The match lasted three hours and one minute.

Dimitrov, who ranks No. 14, faces Carlos Alcarez, the No. 3 seed and defending champion.  True, the Dimitrov-Monfils battle—which included a 34-stroke rally won by Dimitrov—went on and on.

Yet weather conditions were favorable. It had been in the mid-80s in the afternoon and still was pleasant well after the sun went down. Tuesday, however, was a different story—relatively speaking, brr. The high barely reached the low 60s. Then came the rain, halting play in the early afternoon and again, not so briefly, after a restart. But the downpour eventually passed, and the tennis continued. One result, in keeping with the tournament’s surprises, stood out: Holger Rune of Denmark defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, 6-4, 6-4.

The ladies, unlike their male counterparts, have been doing what was predicted. On Tuesday that trend continued, with former world number one and two-time Indian Wells winner, Iga Swiatek beating Karolina Muchova, 6-1, 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals.

Against the talented Muchova, the Pole won more breakpoints (5) than committed unforced errors (4).

Swiatek obviously is on a determined run to regain the women’s Number One ranking, now held by Aryna Sabalenka. That should be a very interesting confrontation should they meet, the type that will bring even more attention to a sport, which too often gets the headlines for items other than the actual competition.

Such as, say, the weather.

We’re told it rains only 14 days a year in the arid Coachella Valley. Ironically some of those 14 days have been during the BNP Paribas Open. A bummer, but as they say in songs, the sun always will shine.

Even for those players knocked out in the early rounds.