Sports
Maniacal Masters? Players bracing for Augusta National at its crustiest
Apr 9, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Jon Rahm reacts after a putt on the 10th green during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-Imagn Images AUGUSTA, Ga. — With no rain in the forecast and sunny, warm conditions forecast through the weekend, the players in the 2026 Masters said they are at the mercy of the tournament officials setting up Augusta National for the final 54 holes.
“I think this could be the toughest Masters we’ve played in a while,” Ireland’s Shane Lowry said after posting a 2-under-par 70 in Thursday’s first round. “You look at the forecast. They can do whatever they want with the golf course this weekend.
“I think over the last few years we’ve had a day every year where it’s been raining or it’s been heavy rains. It’s kind of helped us a little bit, but I think before the week is out, it’s going to get very, very crusty around here.”
Patrick Reed was at 4 under when he struck what he thought was an excellent 7-wood into the par-5 15th hole. The ball landed on the green but bounded over it and down into the water 40 yards away.
Regardless of the bad break, Reed said bring it on when asked about the likelihood of an increasingly difficult Augusta National.
“They could make this place really, really hard if they wanted to,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised. We have the best players in the world here. Why not? Challenge us and make it difficult, because it’s one of these golf courses, though, if you hit quality golf shots, you’re going to get rewarded for it.
“If it’s going to firm up and it’s going to get faster and faster,” Reed continued, “you’re just going to have to hit quality golf shots and know where you are going to hit the ball.”
The par-5s — outside of the aforementioned 15th — were the only holes to play under par on Thursday. The par-4 seventh hole played the hardest at an average of 4.42 shots. The back nine had four of the six hardest holes in the first round, including the closing two holes tying for the fourth-hardest at 4.33.
The first-round scoring average steadily increased throughout the day and finished at 74.65.
Lowry, Reed and defending champion Rory McIlroy, who each took advantage of earlier tee times on Thursday, will go out in the afternoon on Friday, when conditions are expected to be at their firmest and fastest. Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, the co-leader at 5-under 67 with Sam Burns, tees off in the second-to-last group at 1:44 p.m.
He said conditions like these are why he switched to a softer golf ball that allows him to generate more spin and stop it quicker on the green.
“I’ve said for the last few years that I’ve started to really relish that type of golf. I really want to excel at that type of golf,” McIlroy said. “When these greens get fast — last year they got really fast and firm on Sunday — but I think you’re going to see that for the next three days.
“There’s still opportunities to shoot really, really good scores,” McIlroy added. “Look at Justin Rose last year on the final day. But it takes a very, very good, solid round of golf to do that.”
–Derek Harper, Field Level Media
Sports
Athletics' Jeffrey Springs dominates Yanks in 1-hit shutout
Apr 9, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Athletics pitcher Jeffrey Springs (59) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Jeffrey Springs allowed one hit in seven outstanding innings to lead to the visiting Athletics to a 1-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday afternoon.
Springs (2-0) took a no-hit bid into the seventh before Ben Rice cleanly singled to right field following a one-out walk to Giancarlo Stanton. The veteran left-hander allowed only Rice’s hit, struck out six and walked two.
Springs threw 60 of 93 pitches for strikes and only allowed four baserunners. He struck out Aaron Judge on a called third strike to end the third with two on and retired Austin Wells on a fly ball with two on to end the seventh.
The A’s won their first series over the Yankees in New York since getting a three-game sweep April 19-21, 2016. The A’s did not score until Max Muncy tripled and trotted home on a single by Tyler Soderstrom off New York starter Ryan Weathers (0-1).
The A’s won for the fifth time in eight games after dropping their first four contests and finished with eight hits.
After Springs finished, right-hander Justin Sterner retired Judge on a groundout with a runner on first to end the eighth. Left-hander Hogan Harris struck out Rice to cap a perfect ninth and notched his first save.
The A’s earned the win after losing right fielder Brent Rooker to right flank discomfort on a swing in the opening inning.
The Yankees were held to one hit for the first time since Aug. 15, 2023, at Atlanta. The A’s allowed one hit for the first time since April 11, 2024, at Texas when JP Sears lost a no-hit bid in the seventh.
Weathers allowed one run on seven hits in a season-high seven innings. The left-hander struck out seven, walked none and threw a career-high 101 pitches.
The Yankees lost for the third time in four games and had three at-bats with a runner in scoring position. New York has not scored since taking a two-run lead on Luis Severino in the first inning of Wednesday’s 3-2 loss.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Austrian teen Lilli Tagger stuns No. 3 Liudmila Samsonova in Linz
Lilli Tagger celebrates winning her first-round match over Varvara Gracheva of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Thursday, March 5, 2026. Tagger, just 18-years-old, marked her first-ever WTA 1000 event win. Local wild-card competitor Lilli Tagger pulled off a 6-2, 7-6 (11) defeat of No. 3 Liudmila Samsonova of Russia on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz in Linz, Austria.
Tagger, who turned 18 in February, converted three of five break-point opportunities while winning 22 of 32 second-return points (69%). She staved off four set points in her final service game of the second set before clinching after a marathon second-set tiebreaker to reach her first clay-court semifinal on the WTA Tour.
Next up for Tagger is fellow Austrian Anastasia Potapova, who blew past Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch for a 6-2, 6-1 victory in 91 minutes, converting seven of her 14 break-point opportunities.
No. 2 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia was also ousted from the tournament in the second round, thrashed by unseeded Czech competitor Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-3 in 60 minutes.
Croatia’s Donna Vekic also advanced to the quarterfinals via walkover as Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina was forced to withdraw due to illness. She’ll face Pliskova for a semifinal on the side of the bracket which has no seeded players left after Thursday’s two upsets.
–Field Level Media
Sports
New York City FC's Drew Baiera (ACL) to undergo surgery
Mar 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC defender Drew Baiera (38) looks on during the second half against the Inter Miami at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images New York City FC defender Drew Baiera will undergo surgery to repair a ruptured ACL in his left knee, the team said Thursday.
Baiera played in 21 minutes over three matches for NYCFC and didn’t dent the scoresheet.
Per NYCFC.network, Baiera sustained the injury during his recent stint with the U.S. youth national team.
The 19-year-old will begin rehab immediately after the surgery.
New York City FC visit the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
Athletics' Jeffrey Springs dominates Yanks in 1-hit shutout
Austrian teen Lilli Tagger stuns No. 3 Liudmila Samsonova in Linz
