From The Sports Desk: Everyone’s Talking Tiger

8 hours ago

It’s Masters week, and everyone is talking astir a golfer who isn’t location … Tiger Woods. We reside nan elephant successful nan room and besides rank nan field, arsenic nan first information tees disconnected today. We’ll beryllium live-blogging nan last round Sunday, truthful bent retired pinch us. We’ll beryllium serving pimento food sandwiches. As always, cheque NBC News for much coverage.

Concern for Tiger

Tiger Woods won’t beryllium astatine nan Masters but his beingness looms large. He’s been a predominant taxable of speech astatine Augusta this week, aft he was arrested connected a DUI complaint in Florida past period aft a conveyance rollover.

Woods has won nan famed greenish overgarment 5 times, his astir wins successful immoderate of nan PGA Tour’s majors. Those wins see his ascendant 12-stroke triumph successful 1997 and his emotional triumph successful 2019, which remains Woods’ past master win, awesome aliases otherwise.

This twelvemonth marks only nan sixth clip Woods will not play successful nan tourney since debuting astatine Augusta successful 1995, and nan guidance of his chap golfers seems to echo nan larger emotion of fans: concern.

On Thursday, erstwhile Masters champion Gary Player told reporters, “Do I blasted him for taking medicine? Hell, no. He has slumber deprivation. Do I blasted him for taking thing to thief him sleep? No.

“But I don’t deliberation he should thrust a car. When you’re taking that medicine, it’s vulnerable erstwhile you’re driving a car, aforesaid arsenic it’s vulnerable erstwhile you look astatine your cellphone successful nan car.”

Golfer Tiger Woods stands by his overturned conveyance successful Jupiter Island, Fla., connected March 27, 2026.

While Jason Day, nan 2011 Masters runner-up, said it was a small “selfish” of Woods to thrust and put group successful harm’s way, he besides described Woods arsenic his hero.

“I cognize that he’s getting nan thief now, which is good,” Day added. “I’m conscionable hoping he comes retired connected nan different broadside and is better.”

Fred Couples, a longtime believe partner of Woods, said to reporters, “What would I show him? I show him I emotion him and things tin ever get better.”

Said Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champ: “I told him from time 1 that we started hanging retired backmost successful ‘06, ‘07, location successful there, that I’m pulling for him arsenic a quality being. Forget his golf, I could attraction little astir his golf.”

Jon Rahm, nan 2023 Masters winner, hopes to spot him backmost connected nan course.

“All I tin dream is that he gets nan thief that he tin get and he tin travel backmost successful a amended position aft that,” Rahm said. “I mean, he is arguably nan king of comebacks. If there’s personification that has nan intelligence spot to travel backmost from an rumor for illustration that, it will beryllium him.”

Ranking nan Field

Matt Fitzpatrick of England plays a changeable during a believe information anterior to nan 2026 Masters Tournament astatine Augusta National Golf Club connected April 8, 2026.

Ninety-one players are slated to play successful nan 90th Masters Tournament this week astatine Augusta National Golf Club, marking nan commencement of nan 2026 fields season.

Who will gaffe connected nan greenish overgarment travel Sunday evening? If history is immoderate indication, nan database of existent contenders tin usually beryllium trim down to astir a twelve players based connected tourney trends.

NBC Sports’ Patricia Duffy classed nan field:

1. Matt Fitzpatrick: The 2022 U.S. Open champion is coming disconnected a triumph astatine nan Valspar successful his past start. Before that, he vanished 2nd astatine The Players. He ranks 2nd connected Tour successful strokes gained tee-to-green and seventh successful approach. Whether he tin conquer Augusta’s accelerated and analyzable greens will apt find if this is his year.

2. Ludvig Åberg: Two starts, 2 apical 10s. Åberg vanished solo 2nd successful his Masters debut successful 2024 and followed it up pinch a solo seventh. He’s basking this season, posting 3 top-five finishes successful his past 3 starts. At nan aforesaid time, he’s had aggregate chances to triumph this play but travel up short, for illustration his last information illness astatine nan Players a fewer weeks ago.

3. Robert MacIntyre: MacIntyre has been correct location pinch Åberg astatine some nan Players (fourth) and Valero (T-2), but while Åberg dropped nan shot astatine TPC Sawgrass, Bobby Mac did it astatine TPC San Antonio past weekend.

4. Jon Rahm: Five starts connected LIV this play and nan Spaniard hasn’t vanished little than fifth. He won successful Hong Kong and has 3 runner-up finishes. The 2023 Masters champion was T-14 successful 2025 and seems to beryllium playing amended this year.

There are 87 much golfers to go! Read nan remainder of NBC Sports’ rankings here.

Jon Rahm of Spain holds up nan Masters trophy

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What We're Reading

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether nan NFL is forcing shot fans to pay excessively much successful TV subscription fees.

Florida prosecutors activity Tiger Woods’ medication records aft his DUI arrest.

In grant of noted Chicago White Sox instrumentality Pope Leo XIV, nan squad plans to springiness distant limited-edition “Pope hats,” during a crippled connected August 11.

RIP Dodgers great Davy Lopes.

Hall of Famer Sue Bird is joining NBC Sports arsenic a WNBA workplace analyst. Welcome to nan Peacock, Sue!

WNBA stars get nan franchise tag worth up to $1.4 million.

The Big Ten convention is dominating assemblage sports successful nan NIL era.

Angels’ Jorge Soler and Braves’ Reynaldo Lopez get a seven-game suspension for their brawl.

The NCAA is proposing major changes to its eligibility rules, including property limits.

Paige Bueckers used 1 connection to picture nan spat betwixt her erstwhile coach, Geno Auriemma, and Dawn Staley.

What We're Watching

By nan clip you’re reference this, ESPN will beryllium airing first information sum of nan Masters. A reminder: We’ll beryllium live-blogging nan last round Sunday, search nan leaderboard, pursuing each shot, providing penetration and analysis.

Tonight, there’s a heavyweight matchup successful nan NBA betwixt nan Boston Celtics and nan New York Knicks. Celtics prima Jayson Tatum will beryllium returning to Madison Square Garden, wherever he tore his Achilles tendon during past year’s playoffs.

All times are Eastern:

3 p.m.: First information sum of nan Masters, connected ESPN
7:30 p.m.: Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks, connected Amazon Prime
10 p.m.: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors, connected Amazon Prime

That’s it for now! We’ll beryllium backmost tomorrow.