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Masters 2020: Tiger Woods starts strong as Paul Casey leads at Masters an incomplete round

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Casey shot seven under standard on Thursday, and Woods was four under, after downpour deferred the beginning of competition and left numerous golf players with incomplete rounds.

Quiet as he played his 87th round at the Masters, Tiger Woods followed the Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday with the assurance of somebody walking through his parlor looking for his #1 chair, footrest and napkin, for the cool beverage in his grasp. Shot by shot, the way was so natural he might have arranged it in obscurity.

Since Woods has won the competition multiple times and has been a Masters installation for as long as 25 years, it is conceivable he has played the green in those conditions. Probably still broken standard.

Woods, the prevailing victor, was not the pioneer after Thursday’s first-round play, which was deferred by an almost three-hour tempest that left many golf players unfit to complete their meetings. With a four-under-standard 68, Woods was tied for fourth and discreetly three strokes behind the pioneer, Paul Casey.

Yet, Woods’ telling round was the most intense assertion of the day. It has been a here and there year for Woods, yet on this day he was formed and essentially never out of position on the fiendish Augusta National design. It nearly appeared to be that he was on journey control, as though he could drift to a 68.

“I did everything well today,” Woods, who is not prone to self-congratulation, said after his round.

Each and every other prepared competitor in the field knows the Masters history when Woods has a decent opening round. It isn’t accurate that he has won each time he has shot 70 or better in the first round. It has, nonetheless, happened multiple times. He has genuinely battled on the three different events when he has been two strokes or more under standard after the main day, completing fourth twice and 6th once.

At the point when Woods was inquired as to whether he was amazed at how well he had played given his lopsided exhibitions during the main part of this season, he shrugged.

“Understanding how to play this golf course is just a big part of playing well here,” he said. “It’s so familiar.”

He knows the domain; he could discover the TV distant in the corner of his parlor, as well.

Woods’ consistent play was a distinct difference to most all that else occurring during the primary Masters round ever challenged in November. Nothing else appeared to be common, with the regularly tricky greens wet and moderate, the spring botanical tones missing and the displays missing as a result of the Covid pandemic.

“There were a lot of differences today,” Woods said. “There was a drone flying over the green. You don’t hear drones here. There were no patrons, no roars. A lot of firsts today. That’s kind of the way this entire year has been.”

Numerous players had a similar feeling of being in conspicuous, yet modified, place. Xander Schauffele shot a splendid 67 to complete the day in a tie for second with Webb Simpson, however he appeared to be uncertain about what to think about his round.

“A lot of it felt wrong, in all honesty,” Schauffele said. “The greens are really soft, so there isn’t a whole lot to be scared of. It was really strange. You would play less break on putts and hit it harder, which is something you never do here.”

Casey, who has had five top-10 completions in 13 past Masters appearances, made a falcon on the second opening with a methodology shot that he expected to wind up over the green.

“I hit a 6-iron to a left-hand pin on No. 2, and you can’t hit that shot in April,” Casey said. “Today, it just pitched and stopped instantly. In April, it would have one-hopped over into the patrons. I probably make five, not three.”

Yet, with regards to engaging, unexpected minutes in this initially round of the Masters, it would hard to beat seeing seven golf players, caddies and authorities chest high in the azaleas looking for Bryson DeChambeau’s unruly ball.

Subsequent to beginning his round on the tenth opening, DeChambeau thumped his tee shot on No. 13 into the trees and went after for a fragile recuperation. All things being equal, he seriously snared his ball and it wound up covered in the hedges behind the green. At that point, on the off chance that he didn’t find that ball, DeChambeau hit a temporary shot that arrived in Rae’s Creek, shy of the green.

“I was really worried about finding that ball,” said DeChambeau, who entered the round as the tournament favorite. “I would have made a bad number if I didn’t find it.”

In the wake of finding the ball, he announced it unplayable and needed to drop on a precarious incline. He at that point flubbed an unpredictable chip and wound up making twofold intruder. DeChambeau mounted a noteworthy convention to complete his round at two under standard and remain in the title pursue. Be that as it may, his flourishing drives, which were relied upon to overwhelm Augusta National, wound up being a factor on a couple of openings. Additionally, he didn’t utilize the 48-inch driver — the longest permitted — that he had been exploring different avenues regarding.

“My driving wasn’t great,” DeChambeau said. “You know, this place can bite back if you make mistakes. But I’m very happy with the patience I showed today.”

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49ers’ Playoff Chances Decline Despite Sunday’s Victory

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The 49ers’ resounding victory over the unfortunate Chicago Bears on Sunday gave them a chance to look like Super Bowl contenders for the first time. However, the Niners’ odds of making the playoffs worsened despite the win.

For San Francisco, especially in the NFC West, it was a difficult weekend for their hopes of qualifying for the NFC playoffs. Despite improving to 6-7, the Niners’ odds of winning the division were reduced by one percentage point from the previous week to 4% according to the Athletic’s playoff model. They still had a 6% chance of making the playoffs overall.

Using various statistical models or projections doesn’t seem to improve the situation significantly. San Francisco has an 8% probability of making the playoffs, according to NFL.com’s NextGenStats model. The Niners have a 2% chance of winning the division and a 4% chance of making the playoffs, according to the Washington Post’s most pessimistic prediction.

The Niners’ three blown leads in their divisional matchups and the prolonged consequences from them are the primary causes of the lower odds, despite their victory.

The division-leading Seattle Seahawks improved to 8-5 on Sunday by defeating the Arizona Cardinals 30-18 in the Valley of the Sun. That earned Seattle their third division victory of the season and kept San Francisco two games behind them.

If Seattle defeats the Rams on the road in Week 18 and records one additional victory (hosting the Packers and Vikings before traveling to play the Bears), the Niners will not be able to win the division, even if the 49ers finish 10-7, which would put their division record at 3-3. A victory over the Rams would give Seattle four NFC West victories, and since the teams have split their two games this season, division record will be the next tiebreaker.

In the meantime, the Rams advanced to 7-6 by defeating the Buffalo Bills 44-42 in a shootout in Inglewood. The Rams will end their schedule by playing the Jets away from home before hosting the Cardinals and Seahawks, but the 49ers can even the score in their Thursday night matchup. The Rams, who are now 2-1 in the division, could sweep their next three games and defeat the 49ers for a division title even if they lose; the final two victories would give them four NFC West victories.

Given that the Washington Commanders are 8-5, the 49ers still have a chance to earn a wild card berth. However, the 49ers will need to lose two of their next four games (at the Saints, hosting the Eagles and Falcons, and then at the Cowboys) in order to even have a chance of catching up to Washington. Although it seems unlikely, it is undoubtedly conceivable.

Regardless of your point of view, the 49ers will not be in charge of their own fate and will want assistance from some of their NFC opponents in order to maintain their prospects of making the playoffs.

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Caitlin Clark declined a larger offer and invested in the team ownership bid despite earning a five-figure WNBA salary

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The investment group for FC Cincinnati stated that Caitlin Clark is contributing to a bid for a Cincinnati-based National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team.

“The NWSL Cincinnati bid team is thrilled that Caitlin Clark has joined our ownership group in pursuit of bringing women’s professional soccer to our city,” the announcement read.

“Her passion for the sport, commitment to elevating women’s sports in and around the Greater Cincinnati region and influence as an athlete and a role model for women and girls around the world make her a vital part of our compelling bid to become the 16th team in the NWSL.”

Cincinnati joins Cleveland and Denver as the third finalist for an expansion bid.

The amount that Clark contributed to the proposal has not been made public.

According to 2024 Sportico data, the average NWSL team is worth $104 million. At $250 million, Los Angeles’ Angel City FC is the league’s most valuable team, while the Chicago Red Stars are the least valuable at $53 million.

Clark’s investment would certainly surpass her whole yearly WNBA pay if it were even close to 1% of the average franchise’s total worth.

The Impact Of Caitlin Clark On Men’s Basketball In Detail

In the first year of her rookie deal with the WNBA, Clark earned $76,535 in salary. She will earn $78,066 next year.

Joining the new Unrivaled 3-on-3 league, which will take place during the WNBA summer, gave Clark the opportunity to augment her basketball revenue. Clark was apparently being offered more than $1 million by Unrivaled. Clark, however, declined. Like other WNBA players, she declined chances to play professional basketball in Europe.

This offseason, Clark played a little amateur golf, but she has mostly been going to Taylor Swift concerts and other athletic events, such as Butler University college basketball games, which are coached by her boyfriend.

It will be April 2025 before she reports to training camp for her second WNBA season.

Clark is thought to have numerous more sources of income from endorsement deals, though.

Over the course of eight years, Clark’s endorsement contract with Nike is worth roughly $28 million. This contract covers Nike marketing initiatives, product endorsements, and promotional appearances.

She also has agreements with Goldman Sachs, Wilson Sporting Goods, Gatorade, Bose, State Farm, Buick, H&R Block, Topps, and Shoot-A-Way.

Hy-Vee even makes a cereal that she calls “Caitlin’s Crunch Time.”

Since Clark keeps her spending habits under wraps, not much else is known about her lifestyle. However, if the city wins the expansion franchise, everyone will know if she is responsible for her investment in the Cincinnati FC proposal. Clark’s involvement as an investor might influence the choice.

Swift and Clark were recently featured on the cover of Time magazine’s Inspiring Women special edition issue, which highlighted eight women in leadership roles, including several athletes.

Clark appeared in all 15 of the WNBA’s most watched games from the previous season.

The willingness of Cincinnati residents to support a professional women’s soccer club might therefore have a significant impact on her financial future if that secures her investment group the NWSL team.

In 2023, Cincinnati’s median household income was $54,314. In 2022, the median household income in the Cincinnati metro region was $75,062, which is somewhat higher than the median for the entire country. Women make up more than half of Cincinnati’s population.

The WNBA does not have a team in Cincinnati. It does, however, have FC Cincinnati, a men’s professional soccer team in Major League Soccer. The city’s only professional sports teams are the Reds of Major League Baseball and the Bengals of the NFL.

Since turning pro, Clark’s fiercest WNBA competitor has already acknowledged having financial difficulties.

In an October social media post, Chicago Sky star Angel Reese acknowledged that she is unable to use her WNBA earnings to cover her rent. Reese earned $73,439 as a rookie with the Sky, but her annual rent of $8,000 is $96,000.

Reese said to her audience, “I just hope y’all know,” that “the WNBA don’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think that pays one of my bills. Literally. I’m trying to think of my rent for where I stay at. Let me do the math real quick.”

“I’m living beyond my means!” Reese said with a laugh after realizing her pay and what she was paying.

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Some ‘telekinesis’ helps the Utah Jazz defeat the Mavericks 115-113 for their first home victory

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To be honest, after the 3-pointer he had just made, that was the only suitable reaction. Clarkson almost double-dribbled, almost ran out of time, and then almost committed a backcourt violation. His shaky running 3-pointer from the wing instead went in.

At the end, he could have done the same.

To be honest, after the 3-pointer he had just made, that was the only suitable reaction. Clarkson almost double-dribbled, almost ran out of time, and then almost committed a backcourt violation. His shaky running 3-pointer from the wing instead went in.

After catching Dallas in a preswitch, Clarkson zipped a pass under the rim to a wide-open John Collins. With 6.4 seconds left, he made an uncontested two-handed slam that proved to be the game-winning basket as Utah defeated the Mavericks 115-113.

During that last possession, Luka Doncic was on Collins down low. Doncic had his sights set on the corner, and Quentin Grimes started to cheat up the wing to meet Collins, who seemed to be expecting him to run up to set a pick for Clarkson.

The issue? He was left alone in the most hazardous area of the court when Collins chose not to go up.

“I’m just happy me and John had some, like, telekinesis action going on,” Clarkson stated. “I mean, he just read my eyes and knew what I was looking for.”

“Me and JC were just like looking at each other: ‘You gonna be open?'” Collins grinned as he spoke. “You can see JC saying (with his eyes), ‘No stay, Here you go.’ And it was just like a great play that shows our chemistry. We always had a JC-to-JC connection. JC made a great read, finished the play, and we finally got a home win.”

Collins completed a 28-point evening with the final dunk, maintaining his impressive recent play.

After it appeared that the home team was losing the game, he scored Utah’s final two baskets. Utah led by 16 points early in the fourth quarter after a solid third quarter, which has been unusual for the Jazz this season. Doncic then guided Dallas to victory.

The Dallas star finished the game with nine assists and 37 points. With 1:33 left, he helped Derrick Lively, giving the Mavericks a two-point advantage.

At that moment, Utah appeared to have no answer for a Mavericks team on the rise and was without Lauri Markkanen, who was hurt in the eye and missed the end of the game.

Collins and Clarkson supplied one.

“JC and John were unbelievable down the stretch,” Hardy stated. “Their poise really stood out. JC, made big plays. John made big plays all night. His energy is infectious for us.”

Clarkson finished a 3-point play on the other end after he was knocked down by a bucket. Then, with 36.7 seconds left, Collins dunk after rebounding a rejected Clarkson jumper to put Utah ahead 3 points.

Klay Thompson’s wing three to tie the game only served to set up the last play by Clarkson and Collins.

“They got confused on whether they were switching or not—sort of two guys went back out towards the corner and JC threw him a dart,” Hardy recalled. “But that’s JC and John understanding the moment together.”

Collin Sexton ended with 16 points and five rebounds, while Clarkson finished with 20 points and four assists. Kyle Filipowski scored 11 of his 14 points in a dominant second quarter, and Lauri Markkanen added 14 points before he left.

Six of the Jazz’s players were in double figures.

“Tonight’s not about like the X’s and O’s piece, the tactical piece. It was about the mental and the physical toughness the team showed throughout and really stuck with it against a good team tonight. That’s what we’re looking for,” Hardy stated.

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