This week, Justin Thomas officially re-ignited the pursuit of his first-ever prestigious green jacket.
But the two-time PGA Championship winner made headlines for some comments during the first round at the Masters. Thomas' tee shot on the eighth hole, also known as Yellow Jasmine, evoked an NSFW four-word response from the golf pro.
The microphones scattered across the manicured Augusta National golf course picked up Thomas saying, "F--- heeled it… damn it."
Thomas' moment of frustration came just one day after he was all smiles at Augusta during the lighthearted Masters Par 3 Contest. Thomas took to social media to react to an "amazing day" he had with his daughter and the families of fellow golfers Jordan Spieth and Max Homa.
"The par 3 contest @themasters was a little different today than past years! An amazing day with my girls, the Spieths, and the Homa crew. Incredible memories we will cherish forever Prep work is done, it’s time to get after it," Thomas captioned an Instagram post.
Thomas failed to make the cut at the Masters in 2023 and 2024. His best finish at the major tournament happened in 2020 when he ended the event in fourth place.
Thomas also produced a top-10 finish at the U.S. Open in 2020. His PGA Championship victories happened in 2017 and 2022.
Thomas walked off the 18th hole at Augusta on Thursday one shot over par, placing him in a tie for 38th place.
Ballester seemingly admitted that he urinated in Rae's Creek at Amen Corner.
The Spaniard said he "completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the (13th) tee box," and after playing partner Justin Thomas "had an issue on the green," he said he took advantage.
"I'm like, ‘I really need to pee.’ Didn't really know where to go, and since JT had an issue on the green, I'm like, ‘I’m just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me much,' and then they clapped for me. Probably one of the claps that I really got today real loud, so that was kind of funny," Ballester, who shot a 4-over 76, said after his round.
Ballester did not seem too concerned that he would get any blowback from Augusta National.
"They saw me. It was not embarrassing at all for me. If I had to do it again, I would do it again," he said.
Ballester showed up to the course in a typical young golfer's attire. The Arizona State golfer wore a hat that said "Sun Devils" upside down, a new fashion for Gen-Z. But it hasn't exactly been a riveting week for the Sun Devils golf program.
Men’s golf coach Matt Thurmond was removed from the course during a practice session Tuesday for wearing shorts on the course after he went to say hello to former ASU player Kevin Yu, who is making his Masters debut this year.
While patrons are free to wear shorts, full-length pants are required beyond the ropes where players and coaches are. Phones aren't even allowed on the course.
Ballester was paired with Thomas and reigning champion Scottie Scheffler, which is pretty fun company to be in. Last year, amateur Neal Shipley spent his final round with five-time winner Tiger Woods.
Fox News' Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
Florida Gators star and 2025 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Walter Clayton Jr. is still talking to his teammates about what happened Monday night in San Antonio.
How could they not after winning a hard-fought national championship with a 65-63 NCAA Tournament final win over the Houston Cougars?
It came down to maximum effort on the final play of the game in which Houston, to the shock of everyone watching, never got a shot off for a potential tie or win as the final buzzer sounded.
But Clayton and his teammates made it difficult for the Cougars to get a clean look at the hoop, including Clayton's close-out on Emanuel Sharp beyond the 3-point line, which iced the victory after the Houston guard couldn’t touch the ball again after dropping it.
Clayton, working a celebratory "shift" at Raising Cane’s in Gainesville, Florida, Thursday, spoke to Fox News Digital about what he saw in those final seconds.
"I saw a lot going on," he explained over the phone. "We felt like they were either going to try to get something for [L.J.] Cryer or [J’Wan] Roberts. So, they ran a little action to the right side of the wing. [Florida’s] Will [Richard] and Alijah [Martin] did a good job of pressuring the ball. Sharp kinda slipped down there to the baseline. I thought he was going to set a back screen for Roberts, so I kinda got stuck down there in the paint a little bit.
"He ended up slipping it, so then just thinking in my head, ‘Get out there and contest the shot.’ [I] jumped to the side, he ended up kinda pump-faking, throwing the ball down, and I’ll definitely say I was a little surprised they didn’t get a shot off knowing you have to get one off in the moment."
Clayton and the Gators are not complaining a shot was never put up by Houston. Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson admitted his own surprise during his postgame comments, saying, "You’ve gotta get a shot" in that situation.
Clayton gave some insight into what the Gators were looking for on the other end of the floor when play resumed.
"We talked about them running a flare screen for Cryer or a back screen for Roberts," Clayton said. "So, we felt those were going to be the two options they went to. They ended up throwing us off with that little surprise, but we were ready for anything to happen."
Looking back at the final play, it appeared Houston had a play for Cryer, who took the ball up, to get it again after some screens were set. But Florida sniffed it out, and Richard was right in his face when he received the pass.
Sharp then ran away from Clayton to meet Cryer for a pass, and he was hoping to get off a 3-pointer for the win. But Clayton timed his jump perfectly, and the rest goes down in history as Florida won its first title since 2007.
"Man, it feels great," Clayton said when asked about being a national champion. "I honestly can’t even explain the feeling. Me and some of the guys are still talking about it. It still doesn’t feel real, but it’s just a great feeling to bring it back to Gainesville."
Clayton was with Martin and Thomas Haugh at Raising Cane's, as were hundreds of Gators fans celebrating the title.
Clayton will be in search of his next championship in the NBA as a projected lottery pick in this year's NBA Draft.
Youth sports in America are more competitive than ever, especially football. One man with a track record of raising boys who can thrive is Super Bowl champion wide receiver Ed McCaffrey.
McCaffrey is the father to superstar San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, Miami Dolphins assistant coach Max McCaffrey and former college quarterback Dylan McCaffrey.
"We were lucky. We had great kids who were very competitive, very motivated. We did set certain standards. Academics were important to us. We wanted to get them a good education, so if they didn't play well in the classroom, they wouldn't be allowed to play sports," Ed said.
Handling adversity is a critical point of focus in parenting for the McCaffreys. Ed believed in parental intervention after moments of adversity in sports in particular.
"After the game, if things don't go well, either for them personally or their team, or if they're injured, or any time they're going through a tough time, as a parent, you want to build their spirit back up, pat them on the back and say ‘try again,’" he said.
For young athletes, Ed McCaffrey believes wins and losses are less significant than the individual mindset of competing.
"If you play to win and give your best effort, then you've already won, regardless of what the scoreboard is," he said.
"It's not about winning every single game. We all want to win, but you're not going to win every game you play. It's about knowing that you gave it everything you possibly could to your team, to your sports."
For McCaffrey and his sons, arguably the most critical aspect to their athletic success was their day-to-day lifestyle, especially diet and getting enough sleep.
The vast majority of the McCaffrey sons' meals were cooked at home by their mother, Lisa McCaffrey, Ed said, adding Lisa prepared dinner for the boys "every night."
Due to the boys' constant athletic activity, the parents increased the amount of red meat and dairy they ate to higher levels than what is recommended for the average adult.
"Kids can consume a little more red meat, a little more fat, more dairy," McCaffrey said.
Sticking with homemade food was even more important when it came to snacks before sporting events. If Ed or Lisa gave them any food at all before games or practice, it had to be free of certain ingredients and "easily digestible."
"It's hard to consume food before an event because most foods have things in them that are hard to digest, but they have additives in them that affect your gut, and it's hard to go and compete," Ed said. "It was so important for us when they were growing up to give them healthy snacks that were easy to digest."
One of the most common snacks Ed and Lisa fed their sons was homemade protein bites, which has since inspired the family to release its own line of McCaffrey Protein Bites with similar ingredients. Those ingredients include flaxseed, brown rice and pea protein. They also made sure to keep peanuts out of the bites because of their sons' allergies.
Arceneaux said in an Instagram post competing at Houston "has been a part of my story that I’ll always carry with me."
"I’m walking away with no bitterness, just growth, gratitude, and a clear vision for where I’m headed next," he added. "Sometimes the path to purpose requires a pivot, and I’m trusting the process."
Arceneaux has averaged 5.2 points per game with Houston. He played 17.5 minutes per game and pulled down 2.9 rebounds per game over the past three years.
He averaged 6.5 points and 2.7 rebounds in his most recent 40 games as Houston made a run to the national championship game. He did not score a point during his eight minutes on the floor during the national title game against the Florida Gators.
So far, Arceneaux is the lone Cougars player to enter the transfer portal since the championship.
Arceneaux appeared in just 11 games during the 2023-24 season due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Aside from Arceneaux's departure, Houston is grappling with losing L.J. Cryer, J’Wan Roberts, Ja’Vier Francis and Mylik Wilson, who have exhausted their collegiate eligibility.
Florida's 65-63 win over Houston Monday gave the Gators their third NCAA men's basketball championship.
A North Dakota man is facing five years in prison after allegedly threatening an Augusta National employee.
Joseph Armand Zimmer, 48, is alleged to have told an employee he would "throw [the individual] in a cell and have [her] set on fire" and that he would "blow [her] head off," according to the Department of Justice.
The DOJ said Zimmer phoned the golf club in February and made numerous violent threats toward the female employee.
"Those who make threats against members of our community in violation of federal law will be held accountable, as we continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and bring to justice those who seek to intimidate and instill fear in our citizens," Acting U.S. Tara M. Attorney Lyons said in a news release.
"The FBI treats threatening communications with the utmost seriousness and will dedicate all available resources to locating and prosecuting those responsible for such actions," Paul Brown, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, added in the release. "We trust that this indictment sends a clear message to anyone contemplating making threats, whether genuine or fabricated, through electronic means."
The Masters teed off on Thursday as favorite Scottie Scheffler looks to become the first person to win back-to-back green jackets since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.
A victory would also be Scheffler's third win at Augusta in the last four years. Only Jack Nicklaus has accomplished that feat, doing so in 1963, 1965 and 1966.
Rory McIlroy is in his 11th attempt at accomplishing the career grand slam, as he is still without a green jacket. His major drought is in its 11th year as well.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and his wife, Keeta Hill, were seen on the balcony of his high-rise condo the day of his reported domestic dispute that involved police, a video obtained by Fox News Digital showed.
Hill is holding the couple’s 5-month-old daughter while he and his wife look over the balcony from the 35th floor Monday.
Fox News Digital obtained a police report from the incident after the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department responded to an "assault in progress" at Hill's condo. Hill and his wife were present when authorities arrived. His wife's mother, Alesia Vaccaro, who made the 9-1-1 call, was also there.
The case is considered closed after officers determined no crime was committed.
"On Monday, we were informed that the police were called to Tyreek Hill’s home, and after conversations with Tyreek and members of his family, the police departed the residence without further incident, and the case was closed," a Dolphins spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "We have since been in communication with Tyreek and the NFL and will have no further comment on the matter."
Hill's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not immediately answer a request for comment.
According to the police report, Vaccaro told authorities she had been living with her daughter and Hill since the birth of her granddaughter in November.
She called police after Hill allegedly threw a laptop on the floor, grabbed his daughter and started walking to the balcony in the high-rise condo when Hill and his wife had an argument.
The report added that Vaccaro called Hill "very aggressive and impulsive," saying she feared for her daughter's safety.
Keeta Hill also spoke with police, saying she and her husband had been arguing more often recently. She alleged he "becomes angry and throws objects." Couples therapy between the two is "not working out" either.
The argument Vaccaro called police about involved Keeta telling the star receiver he wasn't involved enough with his child. Keeta said Tyreek, "without malice," grabbed their daughter and began walking around the condo with her.
Hill told officers he had just gotten home from offseason training when an argument broke out about the couple's therapy. He admitted grabbing their baby as well.
"I have the same rights as a father as her as a mother, and I can take my baby whenever I want," Tyreek said, according to the report.
Tyreek and Keeta said the argument never got physical, though the report notes a bruise on Keeta's upper chest area. She said it may have unintentionally occurred when Tyreek took their daughter from her.
Keeta added that she is "in the process of filing for divorce."
"Helar wanted to be a great footballer from a very young age and was always talking about going as far in the sport as he could," his father, Jose, told local media, according to Metro UK. "I know his team [is] going to dedicate all their future achievements to him."
"Rest in peace friend. We will remember you for your love of football and your family. You leave us with great pain," Altamirano's club, Real Titan NC, said in a statement, via The Mirror.
"Great strength to your family at this difficult time. They are not alone because Titan is with them and the football family is with them."
Deshaun Watson has appeared in just 19 games in the three years since he inked an unprecedented fully guaranteed $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns.
The 32 games Watson missed were due to either suspension or injury. The NFL suspended Watson for 11 games in 2022, but a shoulder injury cut the quarterback's season short in 2023. Last October, Watson was sidelined by a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Watson then re-injured the same tendon in January. The latest setback is widely expected to sideline the three-time Pro Bowler for the entire 2025 season, but Watson pushed back against that timetable.
"Everyone is doubting me. Everyone don't believe in me," Watson said in the video posted to his Instagram account showing him working out. "Everyone don't think I can get back to where I was. But I know, and I believe the work that I put in, that I believe in myself ... I know, I'm gonna be way better than before."
The 29-year-old added to his comeback argument by saying he doesn't "have anything pretty much to lose."
Despite Watson's latest stance, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam recently admitted the franchise "took a big swing and miss" when it came to the pursuit and ultimate signing of Watson.
We thought we had the quarterback. We didn’t, and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole," Haslam told reporters earlier this month at the NFL's annual league meeting in Florida.
Aside from the injuries, Watson contended with some high-profile issues away from the football field. More than a dozen women accused Watson of engaging in acts of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions.
Watson is just a few seasons removed from being held in high regard for his athleticism. During most of his career with the Houston Texans, Watson was widely viewed as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
Watson has thrown 19 touchdowns against 12 interceptions in a Browns uniform. He finished his five-year stint with the Texans with 104 touchdowns against 36 interceptions.
Those impressive numbers came over just four seasons on the football field. Watson was ruled out of every game during the 2021 season following a trade request, which ultimately led to a standoff between the quarterback and the team.
Couples, 65, made his 40th Masters start on Thursday and continued to impress during the first round of the major tournament.
On the 14th hole, Couples was in the middle of the fairway, 191 yards away from the hole. Couples gave the ball a ride, and it bounced on the green and then started rolling toward the hole and fell in for an eagle.
Despite not being on the green and down a hill, Couples decided to use his putter. He rolled the ball up the hill and onto the green and gave it enough velocity for it to continue right into the hole for a birdie.
The 1992 Masters champion ended up 1-under par and gave himself a chance to make the cut on Friday.
He is the second-oldest player to break par at the Masters at 65. Tom Watson did it at 66 in 2015.
Couples became the oldest player to ever make the cut at the Masters in 2023, achieving the feat at 63 years, 6 months, and five days of age. Only Jack Nicklaus has made more cuts at Augusta National (37) than Couples (31).
Couples has 11 top-10 and 20 top-25 finishes in his Masters career and has completed 72 holes at the major in five different decades.
With his start in the Masters this year, he became the 15th player in Masters history with at least 40 starts.
Sergio Garcia’s outfit for the first round of the Masters on Thursday received some ridicule on social media as he tried to get into contention for the second green jacket of his career.
Garcia wore a red shirt with a red long-sleeve shirt underneath and paired it with yellow pants. He’s a member of LIV Golf’s Fireballs Golf Club, whose logo is yellow and red. He’s also from Spain, whose flag is red and yellow.
Regardless, golf fans weighed in with their own opinions about how Garcia looked.
Garcia won the 2017 Masters Tournament when he defeated Justin Rose in a playoff. It was the first and only major title of his career. He had been close to other major titles before, finishing second twice at the Open Championship, second at the PGA Championship and in the top five at the U.S. Open three times.
He won the first LIV Golf tournament of his career last July when he finished 5-under par and defeated Anirban Lahiri in a playoff at Andalucia. Last month, he picked up the second LIV Golf win of his career in Hong Kong. He was 18-under par and three strokes better than Dean Burmester.
Garcia’s win against Lahiri snapped a playoff losing streak. He was in a playoff in 2023, losing out to Talor Gooch. Then he lost to Joaquin Niemann and Burmester in playoffs at Mayakoba and Miami before finally breaking through at Andalucia.
He’s currently second in the LIV standings behind Niemann while Fireballs GC holds the team lead.
Scheffler seeks to be the fourth golfer ever to win the Masters in consecutive years. Jack Nicklaus won in 1965-66, Nick Faldo in 1989-90, and Tiger Woods, the last to do it, in 2001-02.
With his win last year, Scheffler joined Horton Smith as the only two golfers to earn his first two Masters wins in five or fewer starts. Scheffler has never finished outside the top 20 in his five Masters starts.
After a historically good 2024 season, Scheffler has yet to record a win so far on the PGA Tour this year. Despite that, he has three top 10 finishes, one of which was a tie for second in his most recent tournament at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
Scheffler did miss a few tournaments to start the season due to a freak hand injury he suffered while preparing Christmas dinner.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has championed fairness in girls’ and women’s sports and has hit out at Democratic lawmakers who have failed to show support for her and others.
Navratilova on Thursday posed a question to Democrats as some states have continued to thumb their nose at President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep males out of girls’ and women’s sports.
"What are the Dems willing to give up for men who identify as trans?" she asked on X. "Abortion… the Constitution… rule of law… That’s just for starters…"
At the start of the year, Navratilova criticized Democratic lawmakers who killed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The tennis legend called on Democrats to "grow a spine" in a post on social media.
Trump signed the executive order in February and Navratilova lamented that Democrats failed to do what the president did.
"I hate that the Democrats totally failed women and girls on this very clear issue of women’s sports being for females only," she wrote in a post on X.
High school organizations in Maine, California and Washington have all failed to change policies that currently allow transgender athletes to participate in girls’ and women’s sports.
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Jasmine Crockett of Texas have downplayed the issue, even as Trump campaigned on it and soundly defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the general election.
Ocasio-Cortez mentioned the overall subject of Democratic support for the trans community during an interview on "The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart" podcast on Jan. 23.
"When we allow ourselves to constantly be distracted by these culture wars around trans people, it's a new thing every day, and the answer isn't that we just let those people be attacked, it's that we say, ‘What are you doing, man?’ I think we need to make standing up for those folks just such an afterthought that it's not even a debate," Ocasio-Cortez said.
"Like, we need to understand and see the bait for what it is, but we don’t take the bait by letting those rights just erode and go by the wayside."
Ocasio-Cortez has previously voted in favor of multiple bills that would enable trans athletes to play in women's and girls' sports nationwide, including the Equality Act and the Transgender Bill of Rights. She also claimed on Jan. 14 that the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act would empower child sexual predators and that "trans girls are girls."
In an interview with The 19th, Crockett dismissed the topic of trans inclusion in women's and girls' sports as a "distraction," while minimizing the potential impact they've had on the lives of women and families. Crockett made the comments while criticizing Democrats for becoming divided on the issue.
"In this election, we allowed ourselves to be divided. We allowed them to distract us, and we allowed them to talk about the trans folk," Crockett said. "According to them, the trans kids, they want to play sports. That is the biggest issue that we’ve had. Since when? Since when? Find the little trans child that is ruining your life. I mean, I’m just like, what are we doing? Like, what are we doing?"
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko expressed his disdain for a comment made by one of his players on Wednesday.
Defensive lineman D.J. Hicks was asked what the defensive line room's motto says.
Hicks said it was "C.B.O" and when asked what it stands for, "simple terms, ‘Choke woman out.’ Let’s just say it like that," Hicks said, via The Eagle.
"That mentality, it just stands for being aggressive. Every single time we step out on the field, we’re trying to put our hands through somebody’s face. We don’t want to be passive, ever. Every single time, we’re going to assert dominance when we come on the field."
Hicks tried to clean up the "B" part of the motto, but it backfired. Elko quickly addressed Hicks’ comments.
"It’s conveying something that shouldn’t be conveyed, so we’ll get that handled and addressed," Elko said, via The Eagle on Wednesday. "That’s absolutely ridiculous that was stated."
Last season was Elko’s first as head coach with the Aggies, and he led the team to an 8-5 record.
While last season was his first as head coach with Texas A&M, Elko was previously the team’s defensive coordinator before he left and took the head coaching job at Duke prior to the 2022-2023 season.
Elko returned to Texas A&M as head coach just two seasons after he departed for Duke after the Aggies fired Jimbo Fisher.
Elko is going to lean on Hicks and the rest of his defensive line next season to step up as they are going to have larger roles with Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart and Shemar Turner headed to the NFL.
A New York Islanders minor leaguer has been suspended 10 games for abuse of an official after he sent a referee flying into the boards during a game over the weekend.
Bridgeport Islanders forward Adam Beckman, 23, will miss the remainder of the regular season with just five games remaining after he was suspended by the American Hockey League’s Player Safety Committee on Wednesday.
"Beckman was suspended under the provisions of AHL Rule 40.3 for physical abuse of an official (Category II)," the committee said in a press release. "Beckman will miss Bridgeport’s final five games of the 2024-25 regular season, as well as the next five games for which he is active on an AHL club roster."
The play happened during the third period of a game against the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday.
Beckman was in Charlotte’s zone when he appeared to skate into the official. He then appeared to shove the official backward, which sent him straight to the ice and into the boards. The incident drew a harsh reaction from fans in attendance.
Beckman stayed with the official as a team trainer came over to check on him. According to reports, the official was able to get back up and continue on.
The suspension comes less than a month after Beckman was acquired by the Islanders in a trade with the New Jersey Devils. He registered 33 points with the Devils’ affiliate team, the Utica Comets, before being traded.
Beckman made his NHL debut with the Minnesota Wild in October 2021.
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark maintained that she has "privilege" and that she needs to recognize the Black WNBA players who helped shape the league into what it is today.
Clark made the initial comments in her interview in December with Time Magazine and refreshed those remarks in her interview with comedian David Letterman. The interview was filmed in December, around the same time the magazine named her Athlete of the Year, and was released earlier this week.
"I definitely have privilege," she said on Netflix’s "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction."." I’m obviously White but I think … I’m somebody that grew up a huge fan of this league. I grew up watching this league, going to games, supporting this league. So, I know where this league comes from.
"A lot of Black women that grew up making this league what it is. That’s kind of the shoulders that we stand on. So, I think that was something I’m very aware of and something I’m very thankful for. And they definitely deserve all the credit and the more we can give credit to them, the better. I’m very aware of that and I know that and I think there is responsibility in acknowledging that."
Clark responded to Letterman’s question about whether she felt like she was being targeted because she’s White.
"I don’t think I was being targeted," Clark said.
The WNBA Rookie of the Year spoke of having "privilege" in her interview with Time months after several of her league colleagues expressed their belief that race played a factor into her popularity.
"I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege," Clark told Time. "A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them.
"The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important. I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing."
Clark’s popularity has already become an issue entering the 2025 season as the Fever were put in 41 nationally televised games.
Four-time All-Star Napheesa Collier said last month it was "kind of crazy" the Fever had more TV time than the defending-champion New York Liberty.
"Obviously, people want to watch Caitlin play, and you have to put the people on TV that people want to see. But, at the same time, there are stars all over the league, and you want good basketball, as well," Collier said on ESPN. "Obviously, Indiana … will be a great team, but to not have the defending champs on TV more, I think it's kind of crazy."
Patton Kizzire found himself in a precarious position on the fifth hole during the first round of the Masters on Thursday.
Kizzire, 39, hit a wayward tee shot into the bushes off the right side of the fairway.
As he tried to figure out how he was going to get out of the shrubbery, Kizzire crouched down on all fours to try and find a window he could hit his second shot out of.
The expedition into the bushes proved fruitful, as Kizzire found a satisfactory hole within the branches. He punched his second shot out into the middle of the fairway without any issues.
His third shot on the par-4 fifth was 152 yards out. He hit his iron shot to five feet and gave himself a chance to somehow save par after his troublesome drive.
However, Kizzire blasted the five-foot par putt past the hole and had to settle for bogey.
At the time of this writing, Kizzire was 4-over par through eight holes.
This is Kizzire’s third Masters start and his first since 2019. This is the first major the Montgomery, Alabama, native has played in since the 2022 U.S. Open.
Kizzire played college golf at Auburn and turned pro in 2008, and he earned his PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour in 2015, when he won Player of the Year with two wins and 12 top 10 finishes.
Kizzire joined the PGA Tour in 2016 and has three career tour wins. He won the 2017 OHL Classic at Mayakoba, the 2018 Sony Open in Hawaii and the 2024 Procore Championship in September.
Miami Heat star Tyler Herro tried to be just that against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night – a hero.
However, his efforts came up short, and he faced the wrath of social media.
The Heat were down five points in the final minute of the game against the Bulls. Herro stole the ball away from Bulls point guard Coby White and rather than go for the wide-open lay-up to cut the deficit to three points with the shot clock on their side, Herro pulled up for a 3-pointer.
The ball spun around the rim and out. Chicago won the game, 119-111.
The Miami guard scored 30 points, and the team’s loss put them in the 10th spot in the playoffs – at the edge of the play-in tournament. The Bulls’ win put them ahead of the Heat.
"I was feeling that shot," Herro said. "It's as simple as that. It's the shot I was feeling. Looking back on it now, obviously, after missing the shot, I should have laid the ball up."
Heat center Bam Adebayo defended Herro after the game.
"That kid has made a lot of tough buckets in his career," Adebayo said. "You tip your hat off when he shoots something like that. That's a killer mentality. To me, that's one of the best looks he got all night so you live with that. A hundred percent y'all wouldn't be talking about that if he made it."
Miami is 36-44 on the year. Chicago improved to 37-43. Each team has two games left in their regular seasons.
The Esports World Cup (EWC) will feature the best competitive gamers from across the globe, and the pressure got more intense on Thursday as a record-breaking prize pool was announced.
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced a prize pool of more than $70 million, which will make the event among the most prestigious in sports.
The event will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and run from July 7 to Aug. 24.
"The record-breaking $70+ million prize pool, along with our commitment to the Club Partner Program and our multi-year publisher agreements, is a privilege to announce and validation of our purpose to elevate the industry, by giving players, clubs, publishers and all other stakeholders the stability needed to invest for future success," Esports World Cup CEO Ralf Reichert said in a news release.
"While more than $70 million is an incredible, life-changing sum, it’s always aligned with a long-term vision rather than short-term impact. It’s not just to have more money at stake, but to create opportunities for everyone at every level of the ecosystem, and strengthen the industry for generations to come."
There are 25 tournaments taking place in 24 games so far.
Esports World Cup officials said the games include: Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, Counter-Strike 2, Crossfire, Dota 2, EA Sports FC 25, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Mobile Legends Bang Bang, Overwatch 2, PUBG BATTLEGROUNDS, PUBG Mobile, Rainbow Six Siege X, Rennsport, Rocket League, Starcraft II, Street Fighter 6, Teamfight Tactics, and VALORANT.
There are also 40 clubs that have joined the EWCF Club Partner Program ahead of the Esports World Cup, including: 100 Thieves, All Gamers, Bilibili Gaming, Cloud9, Edward Gaming, EVOS, FaZe Clan, Fnatic, FURIA, G2 Esports, Gaimin Gladiators, Gen.G, Gentle Mates, HEROIC, JD Gaming, Karmine Corp., Movistar KOI, LEVIATAN, LOUD, MOUZ, NAVI, NIP.eStar, ONIC, POWR, REJECT, S8UL, Sentinels, T1, Team BDS, Team Falcons, Team Liquid, Team RRQ, Team Secret, Team Spirit, Team Vitality, Twisted Minds, Virtus.pro, Weibo Gaming, Wolves Esports, ZETA DIVISION.
Team Falcons won the Club Championship and a $7 million prize in the inaugural event last year.
The remainder of the prize pool "will be divided into three distribution categories: Game Championships, MVP Awards, and Qualifiers on the Road to EWC. Each of the Game Championships will have its prize pool with a combined total exceeding $38 million. In addition, a $450,000 MVP Award pool will be allocated to standout participants across all competitions," organizers said. More than $5 million will be awarded to Road to EWC qualifiers.
"Winning the Club Championship crown and $7 million at the inaugural Esports World Cup was a defining moment for Team Falcons," Team Falcons CEO Mosaad Al-Dossary said in a news release. "The opportunity to compete in front of our home fans, where they made the arenas shake with every great play, motivated us like never before, and it was an honor to secure the victory for them.
"We’ve used the momentum and winnings from last year to build on our success and we look forward to continuing that legacy this summer."
John Cena has had plenty of battles inside the ring and is about to go through one more in pursuit of a record-breaking 17th WWE championship at WrestleMania 41 next week.
Cena opened up recently about one of the toughest battles he has faced in recent memory – a bout with skin cancer.
He revealed in an interview with People late last month that a checkup with the dermatologist led to the removal of a cancerous spot near his right pectoral muscle. He recalled to the magazine about "never" having to wear sunscreen while growing up in Massachusetts, but moving to Florida was different for him.
He said he "neglected" his skin and never thought about wearing sunscreen.
"I was stubborn," he told People. "I didn't want to have a routine and I also thought the problem would never reach me. And it's one of those things where I had a ton of exposure with minimal protection and it caught up with me.
"It wasn't until I went to a dermatologist and got a skin checkup and had a cancerous spot removed from my right pec."
He said he felt lucky to have an outstanding dermatologist who caught it and took care of it.
"I was very lucky to have a great dermatologist who kind of, I guess for lack of a better term, held me by the hand and let me know that I wasn't alone," he added. "The stats on this are overwhelming, but as much as I learn about them, those numbers don't mean anything. I think the best way to hammer home a point is human-to-human connection. And I, as a human, can tell you: Man, that phone call's not what you want to get because it is unpredictable, and you don't know how bad it's going to be.
"A year later I went back and had another spot removed close to my right shoulder. It shows up like a white polka dot on the side of my chest and on my shoulder. If you watch WWE, you'll be able to see them."
Cena has since partnered with Neutrogena to promote sunscreen advocacy.
The 47-year-old WWE star is set to take on Cody Rhodes in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium.
He won the men’s Elimination Chamber match to get the opportunity to go up against Rhodes, but he has been a thorn in Rhodes’ side since then. He shocked the world by turning on the "American Nightmare" and has since feuded with fans over the decision.
