Sports
Rory McIlroy taps into Masters champion confidence to spark rally
April 9, 2026; Augusta, Ga.; Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on the fifth hole at Augusta National. Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy admitted he hasn’t felt the same at “certain” golf tournaments since completing the career grand slam 12 months ago, but all the same old feelings came rushing back on the first tee at Augusta National on Thursday.
And that’s a good thing, in his estimation.
“It’s the Masters. If I felt absolutely nothing on that first tee, that’s not a good sign,” he said after carding a 5-under-par 67 on Thursday to take a share of the lead. “So, it was nice to feel my hand shaking a little bit when the tee went into the ground and struggle to put the ball on top of the tee.
“So, I knew I was feeling it. That’s a good thing. That’s why we want to be here. We want to be able to try to play our best golf when we’re feeling like that.”
McIlroy entered Thursday with an average opening-round score of 71.7 in 17 previous Masters appearances. He appeared to be well on his way in that direction while missing his first six fairways with his driver and relying heavily on his short game to save several pars.
Sitting at even par just off the fairway on the eighth hole, that’s when McIlroy said the pre-Masters champion version of him might have started to lose confidence in his swing.
“It started pretty scrappy. I was hitting out of the trees a little bit the first seven holes,” he said. “Sometimes here that would lead me to get tentative and a little ‘guidey,’ and I kept swinging, just trusting that I’m going to find it eventually.
“So, maybe that was a little bit different.”
Rather than trying to get all of a 5-wood from the first cut off the eighth fairway, McIlroy choked down on a 3-wood and rolled it up to the center of the green. He two-putted for birdie, and the momentum shift was on. McIlroy would go 5 under for his final 11 holes of the day.
He said earlier in the week that winning a Masters makes it easier to win a second one. McIlroy is now just the seventh Masters champion to hold at least a share of the first-round lead the following year. The list also includes Jack Burke Jr. (1957), Arnold Palmer (1961), Gary Player (1962), Jack Nicklaus (1966), Jose Maria Olazabal (1995) and Jordan Spieth (2016).
“It’s hard to say because there’s still shots out there that you feel a little bit tight with, and you just have to stand up and commit to making a good swing and not worry about really where it goes,” he said.
“But I think it’s easier for me to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know that I can go to the Champions Locker Room and put my green jacket on and have a Coke Zero at the end of the day.”
McIlroy has also said repeatedly that he has things he still wants to accomplish in golf. He has declined to provide specifics other than to say the goal posts “keep nudging a little bit further and further out of reach.”
Asked if repeating as Masters champion was one of those goals, McIlroy said that “certainly wasn’t at the forefront of my mind when I started 2026.” But he did admit that it was a good sign that those nerves returned on the first tee at Augusta National.
“I was nervous, I was anxious just like I always am on that first tee,” he said. “It’s the first round of the 16 most important rounds of the season. It would be worrisome if I didn’t feel that way, because it still means something to me.”
–Derek Harper, Field Level Media
Sports
Red Sox stay hot with another win over Dodgers
Aug 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle (70) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images Ceddanne Rafaela hit two home runs, Andruw Monasterio doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the visiting Boston Red Sox slipped past the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Saturday.
Left-hander Payton Tolle gave up two runs on nine hits over six innings with seven strikeouts as the Red Sox opened August with a victory after they went 21-4 in July to set a franchise record for a full month with a .840 winning percentage.
Right-hander Justin Slaten (2-4) replaced Tolle and pitched the seventh inning before left-hander Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth inning for his 27th save as Boston played without first baseman Willson Contreras as a precaution after he was hit in the helmet by a pitch on Friday.
After winning the first two games in the series, the Red Sox are 5-1 on a seven-game road California road trip that included a stop to face the Athletics.
Teoscar Hernandez hit a home run among his three hits for the Dodgers, who lost for the fourth time in their past six games. Freddie Freeman also had three hits and has seven multi-hit games over his last nine contests.
Los Angeles right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-7) continued a run of solid pitching since the All-Star break by allowing three runs on four hits over eight innings but still took the loss. The Dodgers had 10 hits to four for the Red Sox but were hitless in four at-bats with runners in scoring position and stranded seven.
Boston took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Rafaela hit his first home run of the game on a drive to left-center field against Yamamoto.
The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the second inning on Hernandez’s two-run home run to right field. It was his 10th of the season and second in three games.
Boston tied the score 2-2 in the third on another home run from Rafaela. It was his 14th of the season and his third in a span of four at-bats going back to the series opener on Friday.
Monasterio doubled to lead off the eighth, went to third on a Jarren Duran bunt single and scored on a double-play grounder by Connor Wong.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Padres upend Giants on Jake Cronenworth's late heroics
Aug 1, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth (9) celebrates after hitting a walk-off single during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Jake Cronenworth’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the San Diego Padres to a 6-5 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.
Xander Bogaerts started the winning rally by lining a double off Dylan Smith (0-3). After Freddy Fermin sacrificed Bogaerts to third, pinch hitter Gavin Sheets grounded out to third. San Francisco manager Tony Vitello ordered an intentional walk to Fernando Tatis Jr.
Cronenworth got behind Smith 0-2 and fouled off four pitches before lining a fastball into center field for his sixth career walk-off hit. It was San Diego’s eighth walk-off win of the season.
Mason Miller (4-1) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, although he blew his first save in 29 chances this season. The Giants’ Osleivis Basabe rifled a two-run double to the left field wall in the eighth to erase a 5-3 deficit.
Neither starter was involved in the decision. San Francisco’s Tyler Mahle allowed five runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings with two walks and a season-high nine strikeouts. San Diego’s Walker Buehler left after 4 1/3 innings, eight hits and three runs, walking two and fanning one.
Jackson Merrill gave the Padres a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, lining a two-out double to the wall in left-center that scored Manny Machado and Ty France.
The Giants responded with three runs in the third. Basabe, who got the start after Luis Arraez was scratched due to cramping, walloped a two-run homer — his first of 2026 — to left that traveled an estimated 402 feet. Three straight two-out singles led to Willy Adames’ bases-loaded walk that put San Francisco ahead.
The lead didn’t last long. Fermin put San Diego back in front in the fourth, lining a first-pitch fastball an estimated 383 feet to the left field seats with Luis Rengifo aboard. It was Fermin’s fourth homer.
Fermin upped the Padres’ advantage to 5-3 in the sixth when he drilled a two-out single to left that scored Bogaerts, who singled and advanced to second on a balk.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rafael Navarro's late penalty kick lifts Rapids past Austin FC
Aug 1, 2026; Commerce City, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rapids forward Rafael Navarro (9) and Austin FC defender Brendan Hines-Ike (4) battle for the ball in the first half at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Rafael Navarro converted a penalty kick in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time to give the Colorado Rapids a 1-0 victory over Austin FC on Saturday night in Commerce City, Colo.
Darren Yapi fired a shot from outside the box that Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver punched away with a diving save. But as Navarro chased down the rebound just inside the penalty area, he was fouled by Przemyslaw Placheta, and a penalty kick was awarded.
Navarro tucked the ensuing penalty inside the lower left corner as Stuver dove to his right.
Rapids goalkeeper Nico Hansen saved a shot from Myrto Uzuni in the 98th minute to preserve his third clean sheet of the season.
Stuver recorded seven saves while Hansen registered three. Austin (4-9-5, 17 points) is still in search of its first MLS road win of the season (0-7-3).
Colorado (7-10-1, 22 points) started on the front foot, earning five corner kicks in the opening 15 minutes. The Rapids finished with an 11-0 advantage over the Verde in corners.
In the fifth minute, Paxten Aaronson’s in-swinging corner found Rapids teammate Loic Williams, whose header was blocked.
Moments later, Aaronson again delivered a dangerous ball into the box, and Wayne Frederick met it at the back post, heading it into the top of the netting.
Hansen went to his knees to smother Uzuni’s shot after it skipped through the wall on a free kick from just outside the penalty area in the 22nd minute.
Aaronson created another chance from a corner in the 44th minute, picking out Frederick at the back post. This time, however, Frederick’s header found the side netting.
Colorado’s Georgi Minoungou threatened in the 46th minute, sending a shot toward the far post from the left side of the box that was deflected Stuver.
Joseph Rosales’ cross in the 63rd minute was ticketed for Brandon Vazquez. The pass pulled Hansen off his line, but Vazquez whiffed on the header.
Colorado finished with 60.5% of the possession and an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal.
–Field Level Media
Red Sox stay hot with another win over Dodgers
Padres upend Giants on Jake Cronenworth's late heroics
