Leading up to the 2019 NFL draft, which starts April 25, Sports Betting News will count down our top 100 overall prospects. We’ll count them down 10 at a time, followed by profiles on our top 30 overall players.
Kevin Harvick has been penalized before the start of Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway because his car failed inspection three times. It will be nearly impossible for Harvick not to be lapped during the sequence. Chase Elliott and William Byron will lead the field to green in an all-Hendrick
Going into the final game of the season, the Caps could have played the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins or Columbus Blue Jackets in the First Round. Of those three, Carolina appears to be the most favorable matchup. Here’s why.
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Sophia Li of Fresh Meadows, New York, made history as she made both putts, from 30 and 15 feet, to win the Girls 10, 11 Division at the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National on Sunday. Li became the first girl in the six-year history of the event to make both. “It’s so exciting I can’t find a word for it, really,� Li said with a laugh. “It’s such a big event. I’m shocked to win it. It kind of feels like a responsibility to the other kids. I have to inspire them and allow them to follow their dreams.� Garret Ebbert of Longwood, Florida, who tied for third in the Boys 12, 13 Division, also made both putts. He and Li were just the second and third players to make both attempts in the putting portion of the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals, which this year featured 40 boys and 40 girls from 27 U.S. states, four Canadian provinces, and France. In what has become a highly anticipated pre-Masters tradition, kids from 7-15 competed in four age categories as drizzly skies brightened and the sun poked through the clouds. Just to get here they had to make it through local, sub-regional and regional qualifying.  They wore uniforms of solid-colored shirts and caps, but also a pink belt, blue fingernail polish, or a pair of socks commemorating Jack Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters win. They tried to ignore the cameras, one of which hovered conspicuously on a long boom behind the second (15-foot) putt at the 18th green. “I try to focus on what I’m doing and pretend it’s just me,� said Angela Zhang of Bellevue, Washington, who won the Girls 7-9 Division and then deftly handled interviews in Chinese and English. Although she stands just 4 feet, 10 inches tall, and weighs only 75 pounds, Zhang belted a 189-yard drive. Told that all her weightlifting must be paying off, she giggled and shook her head. Fathers/caddies were in abundance, but there were also moms and aunts and uncles and coaches, plus assorted friends and other family members. Other supporters cheered the kids on from watch parties back home. One boy, asked by a volunteer at the trophy ceremony if he wanted her hold his water bottle, said, “Oh, yes, thank you. I can’t have my fans see me with this.�  Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Bernhard Langer, Mark O’Meara, Adam Scott and Mike Weir were among the Masters champions on hand to congratulate the winners, as were legendary LPGA golfers like Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam. “There was nothing like this when I was a kid,� Weir said before going out to play a practice round. “This is pretty cool to be a part of.� Lopez, who never had much luck getting her own daughters to play, took a special joy in seeing the kids at the Drive, Chip & Putt. “It’s fun to see the next generation of golfers have somewhere to set a goal and be a part of,� she said. “I went to dinner with them last night (at the Drive, Chip & Putt reception for contestants and their families). Of course, they’re all eating mac and cheese, hot dogs and chicken fingers.� And ice cream. Don’t forget the ice cream.  Here are the results: 7-9 Boys 1 – Conner Ford, Mount Vernon, New York; 2 – Ryan Nana Tanke, Paris; 3 – Benny Nelson, Los Angeles 7-9 Girls 1 – Angela Zhang, Bellevue, Washington; T2 – Milan Norton, Las Vegas, Nevada; T2 – Briel Royce, Lake Nona, Florida. 10-11 Boys 1 – Sahish Reddy, Duluth, Georgia; 2 – Patmon Malcom, Alpharetta, Georgia; T3 – Ryder Rasmussen, San Juan Capistrano, California, and Aiden Tiet, Milpitas, California. 10-11 Girls 1 – Sophia Li, Fresh Meadows, New York; 2 – Ariana Silva, Sunrise, Florida; 3 – Anna Huang, Vancouver, B.C., Canada 12-13 Boys 1 – Matthew Vital, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; 2 – Ryder Cowan, Edmond, Oklahoma; T3 – Garret Ebbert, Longwood, Florida, and P.J. Maybank III, Cheboygan, Michigan. 12-13 Girls 1 – Yana Wilson, Henderson, Nevada; 2 – Chunya Boonta, Centennial, Colorado; 3 – Kate Barber, Savannah, Georgia. 14-15 Boys 1 – Treed Huang, Katy, Texas; 2 – Nathan Drogin, Essex Fells, New Jersey; 3 – Ian Bruchhauser, Anchorage, Alaska. 14-15 Girls 1 – Nicole Gal, Oakville, Ontario, Canada; 2 – Megha Ganne, Holmdel, New Jersey; 3 – Sarah Balding, Brookfield, Wisconsin.
The final week of the NBA season is an ongoing tussle for playoff position, with pivotal seeding up for grabs and — in the East — the final spots still far from decided. This is USA TODAY Sports’ playoff predictor, where we take a look at the final contests of the regular season and predict what
Three decades later, the baseball action in ‘Major League’ still holds up. Here’s how a pro made a bunch of actors look like they could actually play ball.
The not-quite-ready-for-prime-time Thanksgiving exhibition with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson produced such bad golf that Mickelson and country singer Jake Owen traded barbs about it a day later at Jordan Spieth’s wedding. Golf’s two biggest attractions are back at the Masters, eager to play the kind of golf this week that they couldn’t produce in The Match. The two 40-somethings will be on prominent display, though the trash talk that was promised on the pay-per-view money grab will not be heard on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National.
UNDATED (AP) — With three regular season dates left, there are still plenty of questions about the NBA playoffs. Depending on what happens, the remaining three spots in the Eastern Conference field could be claimed on Sunday. If Miami loses, and Brooklyn wins, and Detroit wins, the field will be set.
SANYA, China — Malaysian professional golfer Arie Irawan died Sunday morning at his hotel with early indications his death was from natural causes. The coroner has not completed his report. Irawan was here competing in PGA TOUR Series-China’s Sanya Championship, where he missed the 36-hole cut but had remained on-site. Irawan was staying at the Sheraton Sanya Resort across the street from Yalong Bay Golf Club, site of this week’s tournament. His roommate, American Kevin Techakanokboon, who had already awoken and was getting ready for his final round, noticed Irawan was unresponsive in his bed. Techakanokboon called fellow player Gunn Charoenkul, who came to the room. American player Shotaro Ban also arrived and immediately began administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, while Charonekul’s wife, Vichuda, fluent in Mandarin, called local emergency services. After 45 minutes of continued revival efforts, medical personnel pronounced the 28-year-old dead. “This is just a terrible tragedy that affects all of us who are part of a very tight-knit family here in China� said Greg Carlson, PGA TOUR Series-China Executive Director. “Arie played with us in 2018, his first full year on our Tour, and I know he was excited about this season as he continued his professional golf pursuits. We are incredibly saddened by this news, and we extend our sincere condolences to his wife and family.� Irawan was close with Techakanokboon, the two often rooming together. After missing the cut at the 2018 Zhuhai Championship, Irawan volunteered to serve as Techakanokboon’s caddie on the weekend, helping lead Techakanokboon to his first PGA TOUR Series-China victory. Following the win, Techakanokboon credited Irawan for steadying him and assisting him during the triumph. “He was just an incredibly popular player, well-liked by fellow players and staff,� Carlson continued. “The fact he would caddie for his friend like he did in Zhuhai typifies the kind of guy Arie was. His smile brightened whatever room he was in, and everybody liked being around him. This is a significant loss for so many of us and for our Tour.� Irawan, a native of Kuala Lumpur, made his PGA TOUR Series-China debut in 2016, at the Clearwater Bay Open in Hong Kong. A year ago, he played his first full season, appearing in 10 tournaments and recording one top-10 finish, a tie for fourth at the Guilin Championship. He earned full 2019 status by finishing inside the top 50 on the 2018 Order of Merit. He had missed the cut at the season-opening Chongqing Championship prior to missing the cut this week. As a teenager, Irawan left Malaysia to attend the University of Tulsa on a golf scholarship, in 2008. He played all four years for the Golden Hurricane, was a member of the Conference USA All-Freshman team and was an Academic All-American during the 2010-11 school year. He graduated with a degree in management information systems. Irawan turned pro in 2013 and returned to Asia to pursue a professional golf career. He played events on the Asian Tour, the Asian Developmental Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia as well as PGA TOUR Series-China during his seven-year career, winning two Asian Developmental Tour events. Irawan is survived by his wife, Marina, his parents, Ahmad and Jeny, and his sister, Wan Edna. Memorial services are pending.
The implicit question in a piece like this is whether Spieth can win at Augusta, and on that front I would point you to Joel Beall, who made three important points last week: First, that Spieth is already a legend at Augusta, having already held as many post-round leads there as Tiger Woods. Second, and conversely, he’s playing relatively poorly right now, and third, although the Masters winner hasn’t always racked up a victory in the January-through-March stretch, he has usually captured at least two top-15 finishes. So while Spieth is the ultimate horse for the ultimate course, historical momentum is squarely against him.
