Browns agree to contract with QB Drew StantonBrowns agree to contract with QB Drew Stanton
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns have agreed to a two-year contact with free agent quarterback Drew Stanton.
Day: March 26, 2018
Trophies – of any kind – fueling Bubba Watson’s return to formTrophies – of any kind – fueling Bubba Watson’s return to form
AUSTIN, Texas – Tiger Woods. Phil Mickelson. Ernie Els. Rory McIlroy. Two already in the World Golf Hall of Fame. Two others who are destined to be there. Add Bubba Watson to that list. On Sunday, thanks to his 7-and-6 rout of Kevin Kisner in the finals of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, he became just the fifth player to win multiple World Golf Championships and multiple majors. That may seem like trivia but it’s hardly trivial. It’s a neat little list — not that Bubba has any interest in that. “You don’t think about lists or anything,â€� he said an hour or so after playing his 109th hole of a long week at Austin Country Club. “You just think about trophies and trying to win.â€� Still, it’s a reflection of his ongoing climb into golf’s highest stratosphere, a journey he could merely dream of back when he was just “Bubba from Bagdad,â€� the kid who would draw cartoons about winning the Masters. When he first started out as a pro golfer, he simply wanted to be good enough to earn a PGA TOUR card. Once that happened, he just wanted to win a tournament. And when that happened, he shifted his goal to winning 10 events — and then raising the possibility of retirement. When he achieved each of those goals, he was overcome with tears of joy. On Sunday, it was another emotional celebration, one that moved him into fourth in the FedExCup standings. His 11th TOUR win – and his second in his last four starts, having won the Genesis Open last month – isn’t a nice round number, but it was accomplished in front of his mother, Molly. Just a few years ago, not too long after Watson won his second Masters title, Molly chastised her son for not smiling enough and appearing too angry in public. There were plenty of smiles to go around Sunday after Watson closed out Kisner with a birdie at the par-5 12th. Molly also gave her son a hug. “You’re really good at this game,â€� she said as Bubba began sobbing. “Without you, I’m not,â€� her son replied. When Bubba relayed that story to the media a short while later, he was smiling – which no doubt would’ve made Molly very happy. “Without her dedication to her son, to her family, who knows what I’d be doing,â€� Watson explained. “I’d probably be working at the candy shop and not owning it. I definitely wouldn’t have trophies.â€� Ah, yes, the candy shop. It’s called Bubba’s Sweet Spot in Pensacola, Florida. It’s one of several non-golf business interests that seemed to be rapidly filling up the Watson portfolio. He has ownership in the city’s Double-A baseball team, the Blue Wahoos. He’s a partner in a car dealership, Sandy and Bubba’s Milton Chevrolet, in Milton, Florida. He’s involved in a 256-unit apartment complex and an office building. He also has a line of clothing that will soon be unveiled. It was not too long ago that Watson wondered if he should spend more energy on those things and take a step away from golf. His health had become an issue. He had lost weight – and lost distance off the tee, his calling card. Demands on his time were increasing, meaning less time for his family. If he couldn’t play golf at a high level, what was the point? Making cuts held no interest for him. “A very low point in my golf career,â€� he acknowledged. His golf future was at a crossroads. He gathered together his family and consulted his golf team. But the truth is, Bubba Watson just wanted to play golf. He wanted to be creative, shape shots, see things – and do things – that no one else on TOUR can do. “I want to let my mind run wild on the golf course,â€� he said, adding, “That was my passion. The other things are my passion, but right now I still feel like I have the ability to play golf.â€� Meanwhile, his good health returned. So did his “Aâ€� game. His win at Riviera was his first TOUR win in two years (and his third at the course). This week, he picked up his first Dell Technologies Match Play win. It’s not a format he particularly enjoys – he’s more of a stroke-play guy — but it’s a big statement in his bid to earn a spot on this year’s Ryder Cup team. He doesn’t mind being a vice-captain, like he was two years ago, but he’d rather go to Paris as a player. “I hope Jim Furyk is watching,â€� he said of the U.S. captain, “because I really want to play in France.â€� This week he will be with his family on vacation, one that was supposed to start Sunday until he had to adjust travel plans because he kept winning matches. Then he’ll be at Augusta National the following week. While he downplays his role as a favorite, given his current form, it’s easy to imagine him winning a third Green Jacket. “I never felt a coat feel so good,â€� he said. “… I don’t know if I can get lucky three times.â€� Defining his success as lucky, however, is getting difficult to believe. Bubba from Bagdad is tapping into his full potential, understanding who he is and properly channeling his inner drive and motivation. He’s left the dark place from last year and is seeing clearly now. Trophies are his thing – and they’re not always limited to the ones he holds aloft after a tournament. Consider the $1.6 million donation he made last September to The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart back in Pensacola. “Me donating money to the Children’s Hospital, that’s the biggest trophy I’ve ever been a part of,â€� Watson said. “When I’m no longer here, there’s going to be people being helped, kids being helped, families being helped. The Ronald McDonald house that’s attached to the hospital, we’ve been a part of that, seen some amazing stuff happen there. “So when I look back at my career, it’s the stuff outside of golf. This check this week will help me do a lot of good throughout different communities.â€� Bubba from Bagdad is growing up. He wants to win trophies and make the world a better place. At age 39, he’s clear-eyed, motivated and in great form – and in a great state of mind. Those dreams as a kid keep becoming realities. “It’s overwhelming,â€� he said. “I can’t make that into a real story. I should write a book.â€� “It would be a phenomenal book.â€�
The Upshot: Bubba Watson wins Dell Technologies Match PlayThe Upshot: Bubba Watson wins Dell Technologies Match Play
AUSTIN, Texas – For a moment there it looked as if Stephen Ames was going to have company in the unwanted record books at the World Golf Championships – Dell Technologies Match Play. Bubba Watson’s dominance early in the final at Austin Country Club over fellow University of Georgia alum Kevin Kisner – where he won the opening five holes – had everyone scrambling for the record books for largest wins. To be fair, most remember Tiger Woods giving Ames a 9 and 8 belting in the opening round of the 2006 tournament … but could Watson reach the almost mythical 10 and 8? The short answer is no – instead he settled for a 7 and 6 result – but it could have quite easily been more. Watson had legitimate chances to win the first 10 straight holes – and did win seven of them. It was a Bubba blitz of epic proportions – a combination of good golf and a tired opponent. It stands as a new record for a winning margin in an 18-hole final – with Woods’ 8-and-6 win over Stewart Cink in 2008 coming when the final was played over 36 holes. “I really don’t think it was pressure,â€� Watson said of Kisner’s performance. “I think it was just energy. I don’t think I scared him on the first tee. I think it was just his energy was gone after a couple of holes. And he was fighting, but just didn’t have the fight that he really wanted and needed.â€� Kisner had gone 19 holes in his semifinal against Alex Noren, a grinding match he probably should have lost, but showed great guts to win. Watson needed just 16 holes to oust Justin Thomas and had a comfortable lead for most of that match, expending much less physical and mental energy. “I don’t know what was going on. It was just pitiful. I couldn’t hit anywhere close to where I was trying,â€� Kisner lamented. “Long week. A little tired, probably. Lose some legs, and just didn’t have it. And finally made a few good swings coming in, but those were too little, too late.â€� In the final, Watson opened with five straight wins – the first player to do so all week. It all began with a birdie for him on the opening hole, setting the tone for the match. He even had a short putt to make it six in a row but proved human by missing on the low side. Another win on the seventh hole had him firing again and the now 11-time PGA TOUR winner had looks from 18 and 14 feet on the eighth and ninth, respectively, to win those holes only to let them slip. Another birdie on 10 followed before Kisner slightly delayed the inevitable with a long-range birdie and win on the 11th. Another Watson birdie on the 12th hole secured his second career WGC title and second TOUR win this season. “It’s absolutely amazing,â€� Watson said after moving to fourth in the FedExCup. “You don’t think about lists or anything, you just think about trophies and trying to win. And having two majors, and now having two World Golf Championships … the closest things to majors … what an honor and a privilege, overwhelming sensation to know that I have another trophy at the house.â€� CALL OF THE DAY SUPERLATIVES Best Match: The semifinal between Kevin Kisner and Alex Noren needed an extra hole to decide it. After the two traded some stunning golf early in the match it became a grind late. At one stage, Noren made five straight birdies but won just one hole. On the back nine, Kisner won the 12th, and then won it again in overtime to claim the win. Noren had multiple short putts to win holes, including on 18 in regulation, but couldn’t get it done. Read all match recaps here. Most Dominant Performance: Clearly it was the 7-and-6 rout Watson handed Kisner in the championship final. Most Holes Won: The eight holes won by Watson in the final was the pick of the four Sunday matches. Least Holes Won: Kisner at least got on the board with his long birdie bomb on the 11th hole in the final … the only hole he won. Best Learning Experience: FedExCup leader Justin Thomas had the chance to get to world No. 1 if he could beat Watson in their semifinal on Sunday morning but instead struggled to bring his best. Thomas admitted it got to him – an experience he can certainly learn from. “I haven’t had such a hard time not thinking about something so much. And that really sucked. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, to be perfectly honest,â€� Thomas said. QUOTABLES Well, yeah, there’s only two of us. Jell-O.If we do our job well, we think we’re good enough to beat the other guys. In the end it might be a good thing going to Augusta without that. I get to go do what I was going to do and let DJ have all that pressure. It was one of the hardest losses probably ever for me.
Kansas takes a memorable route to the Final Four with OT thriller over DukeKansas takes a memorable route to the Final Four with OT thriller over Duke
The Jayhawks advanced to San Antonio after the Blue Devils’ Grayson Allen just missed a potential game winner in regulation.
Texans owner makes it clear the NFL’s player protest issue still isn’t settledTexans owner makes it clear the NFL’s player protest issue still isn’t settled
A Seahawks fan holds a sign referencing a comment made by Houston Texans owner Bob McNair before the game between the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on October 29, 2017. ORLANDO — Fresh off his deposition earlier this month in quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s collusion complaint
NFL’s player protest issue clearly not settled yetNFL’s player protest issue clearly not settled yet
Texans owner Bob McNair is once again talking the league into a tough spot with his loudly hard-line rhetoric against player protests.
Texans owner makes it clear the NFL’s player protest issue still isn’t settledTexans owner makes it clear the NFL’s player protest issue still isn’t settled
A Seahawks fan holds a sign referencing a comment made by Houston Texans owner Bob McNair before the game between the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on October 29, 2017. ORLANDO — Fresh off his deposition earlier this month in quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s collusion complaint
Wrap-up: Bubba Watson defeats Kevin Kisner at Dell Technologies Match PlayWrap-up: Bubba Watson defeats Kevin Kisner at Dell Technologies Match Play
AUSTIN, Texas — Bubba Watson made the final of the Dell Technologies Match Play look as though he were on vacation all along. Watson won his second World Golf Championships title Sunday with the biggest blowout since the championship matched switched to 18 holes in 2011, a 7-and-6 victory over Kevin Kisner. He picked up 550 FedExCup points to move to fourth in the standings. Â Watson wasn’t as sharp as he was in the semifinals against Justin Thomas, whom he beat in 16 holes to deny Thomas going to No. 1 in the world ranking. He didn’t have to be in the final. If not for missing a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-5 sixth, Watson would have won the first seven holes. Kisner had a lot to do with that. After escaping in 19 holes against Alex Noren in his semifinal match, Kisner didn’t put up much of a fight. He made four straight bogeys and only twice on the front nine was putting for birdie. Watson had scheduled a family vacation out of the country on Sunday, which he had to postpone. Watson figured he hardly ever makes it this far in golf’s most fickle format, so it was a good problem to have. There was nothing fickle about his game, especially on the final day. Watson never trailed in the 28 holes he played Sunday, and he was never seriously threatened. The tougher match was against Thomas, the PGA champion who needed only to reach the championship match to replace Dustin Johnson at No. 1 in the world. Watson went out to a 3-up lead on the front nine, and when Thomas closed to 1-down at the turn with his first birdie putt, Watson won two of the next three holes to regain control. Thomas didn’t make another birdie until the par-5 16th, and by then it was too late. Watson made his birdie from 3 feet for a 3-and-2 victory. Thomas said he was too consumed with what was at stake in the semifinals. “I haven’t had such a hard time not thinking about something so much. And that really sucked,” Thomas said. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it, to be perfectly honest. And I think you’re constantly getting questions about it with the media. But I need to be mentally stronger than that, and understand that it’s just a match.” Noren beat Thomas in the consolation match, 5 and 3. One year after Watson disappeared from among the elite in golf, he has won his last two starts. He was No. 117 in the world when he arrived at Riviera, where he won for the third time in his career. With his 11th victory on the PGA TOUR, he now is back up to No. 21. And the two-time Masters champion added his name to the growing list of contenders at Augusta National. “I’m looking forward to it, and hopefully I can get this focus and my putter rolling like it is,” Watson said. Watson played 109 holes over seven matches, going to the 18th hole just once when he halved his match with Julian Suri on Friday. Through it all, he said he wasn’t committed to only four or five shots. He was hitting high draws, low cuts, all the shots he created as a kid in the Florida Panhandle when he was just a boy with a club and a wild imagination. He wouldn’t have imagined such an easy time against Kisner in the all-Georgia Bulldogs final that ended with the fabled “dog license” score in match play. A dog license in Britain used to cost seven shillings, six pence (referred to as 7 and 6). Watson holed a 10-foot birdie on the opening hole, and then Kisner took care of the rest. His drive was short and to the right on the hill at No. 2, and he did well to get it just short of the green, failing to get up-and-down. Kisner then hit just inside the hazard and had to play up short of another hazard. Then, he found a bunker on the par-3 fourth hole. His next drive went right into the trees on the reachable par-4 fifth. Watson missed his short birdie putt to win the sixth hole, but not to worry. Kisner’s next shot bounced off a spectator’s head and next to a fence, and he had to chip off loose soil across the green for another bogey. This can happen in match play, and Kisner saw it Saturday in his 8-and-6 victory over Ian Poulter. “I don’t know what was going on. It was just pitiful,” Kisner said. “I’ve just got to forget this 12 holes and get back to working on the things that got me here.” Even in a final match that lacked any drama, Watson still managed to shed a few tears. His mother was with him in the gallery on the weekend, and they shared a warm embrace after he made a 7-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole to win the match. “It’s crazy to think about it,” Watson said. “I’ve got two World Golf Championships, and two majors. It’s unbelievable to think about that, giving my mom a hug. Six years old, having one golf club for a year, no lessons. I can sit here and make up stories all day, but it’s absolutely remarkable that I’m able to life a trophy like this.” As for that vacation? Watson was cryptic as ever. “I’m going on vacation tomorrow, no matter if it’s at home or wherever it is, it’s vacation,” he said. “Golf clothes will not be seen until next Saturday.”
Curry hoping to get back ‘as soon as possible’Curry hoping to get back ‘as soon as possible’
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Steph Curry will not play in the first round of the NBA playoffs as he recovers from a Grade 2 left MCL sprain. Curry will be re-evaluated on April 14.
NFL: news, free agency winners and losers, analysisNFL: news, free agency winners and losers, analysis
WITH things finally starting to slow down during what has been a frantic free agency period, now is as good a time as ever to look at the NFL’s early winners and losers from the first two weeks of transactions. From Chicago’s promising offensive additions, Cleveland’s surprisingly logical