Another Scottie Sunday

04/15/2024

By: Jeff Yoder

Welcome Back!

Scottie Scheffler said that he would leave The Masters — even in the lead — if his wife went into labor. Sunday was her due date. But ‘Baby Scheffler’ hung out a little longer, and his dad captured another green jacket while the rest of the field crumbled.

Plus, the NBA Playoff bracket is here, and UFC 300 was worth every penny of the pay-per-view. It’s a Monday of knockouts, and it starts now.

Letter Rip!

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THE MASTERS

Scheffler’s 2nd Green Jacket

*(Scottie Scheffler Celebrates After Winning 2nd Masters) — Photo: Warren Little / Getty Images*

Scottie Scheffler (-11) Cards 7 Birdies on Sunday to Secure 2nd Green Jacket in 3 Years

When the oddsmakers opened The Masters lines last week, it was Scottie Scheffler and the field. That proved to be the right call yet again in golf’s most illustrious weekend. Several low scores came out on Thursday and Friday at Augusta National, but one by one, every golfer fell victim to more difficult pin locations and weekend conditions… Everyone except Scottie. On a Sunday that marked Scheffler’s wife’s due date — the couple is expecting their first child any minute — baby Scheffler decided to wait just long enough to let dad secure his second green jacket by the age of 27. Only eight players finished the 72-hole march in red numbers.

Another Scottie Sunday: Scheffler (-11) birdied seven holes in his final round to win by four strokes. Only Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (-7) came close. Three players tied for third at 4-under overall, but there was little in the way of pressure down the stretch. Scottie was only one stroke up on the field after seven holes. He was 1-over with two bogeys in those first seven before a streak of six birdies in the last 11 holes. The green jacket was in the bag after a birdie putt on the Par-3 16th. Scheffler also won it by three strokes (-10) in 2022, and he’s quickly elevating from World No. 1 to the best player of a generation.

Scheffler’s 2nd Green Jacket (History)

4th Youngest 2-Time Winner (27 Years Old)
18th Player to Win 2 Masters
2nd Player to Win 2 Masters in First 5 Starts (Horton Smith, 1936)

Aberg’s Emergence: The secondary storyline on Sunday was Aberg (-7), who was the only golfer within seven strokes of the champ. The 24-year-old has only recently emerged on the scene. It was his first major appearance following last year’s Ryder Cup nod for Team Europe.

Tiger’s Cut Record: Tiger Woods played just well enough on Thursday and Friday and earned his Masters record 24th consecutive made cut at 1-over, but the weekend wasn’t as kind. Woods finished +16 after implosions on Saturday and Sunday for the lowest 72-hole score in his career at Augusta. Sunday marked his 100th completed Masters round.

Final Leaderboard

1. Scottie Scheffler (-11)

2. Ludvig Aberg (-7)

T3. Collin Morikawa (-4)

T3. Tommy Fleetwood (-4)

T3. Max Homa (-4)

T6. Cameron Smith (-2)

T6. Bryson DeChambeau (-2)

8. Xander Schauffele (-1)

Other Notable Scorecards: W. Zalatoris (E), T. Hatton (E), C. Young (E), R. McIlroy (+4), J. Niemann (+4), P. Cantlay (+4), R. Fowler (+5), H. Matsuyama (+7), J. Rahm (+9), B. Koepka (+9), T. Woods (+16) | Full Leaderboard

Watch: Scottie Scheffler’s Final Round Highlights at The Masters

Golf.com: Scottie Scheffler’s Unselfish Gesture Steals Post-Masters Win Celebration

NBC Sports: Scottie Scheffler Wins The Masters, Joins Selected Group of 2-Time Winners

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NBA

The Playoff Bracket (Official)

*(Thunder Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Drives) — Photo: Joshua Gateley / Getty Images*

Thunder Blast Mavericks By 49 to Earn West’s No. 1 Seed; Knicks End Season on 5-Game Win Streak to Earn East’s No. 2 Seed

The NBA’s regular-season conclusion was full of seeding scenarios all weekend long, and we now know who’s playing who in the NBA’s postseason. The Thunder left no doubt with a 49-point blowout against the Mavs on Sunday (135-86) to eke out the tiebreaker over the Nuggets for the No. 1 seed in the West. Out East, the Celtics had long clinched the top seed, but the Knicks finished a five-game win streak to cap the regular season with an overtime win over the Bulls (120-119, OT) — and another 40-piece from Jalen Brunson — to leap the Bucks for the No. 2 seed. The Play-In awaits this week, and it features the 76ers, Heat, Lakers, and Warriors. Buckle up.

NBA Playoff Picture

Eastern Conference

1. Celtics (64-18)

2. Knicks (50-32)

3. Bucks (49-33)

4. Cavaliers (48-34)

5. Magic (47-35)

6. Pacers (47-35)

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7. 76ers (47-35)

8. Heat (46-36)

9. Bulls (39-43)

10. Hawks (36-46)

Western Conference

1. Thunder (57-25)

2. Nuggets (57-25)

3. Timberwolves (56-26)

4. Clippers (51-31)

5. Mavericks (50-32)

6. Suns (49-33)

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7. Pelicans (49-33)

8. Lakers (47-35)

9. Kings (46-36)

10. Warriors (46-36)

Play-In Schedule (Tuesday & Wednesday)

#8 Lakers at #7 Pelicans (Tues. 7:30 pm ET, TNT)

#10 Warriors at #9 Kings (Tues. 10:00 pm ET, TNT)

#8 Heat at #7 76ers (Wed. 7:00 pm ET, ESPN)

#10 Hawks at #9 Bulls (Wed. 9:30 pm ET, ESPN)

ESPN: Thunder Clinch 1-Seed But Keeping ‘Eyes on the Prize’

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UFC 300

The Nastiest Knockout Ever?

*(Max Holloway KOs Justin Gaethje in Final Seconds) — Photo: Jeff Bottari / Getty Images*

Stacked UFC 300 Card Delivered 5 Epic Fights, 2 Knockouts, 1 Unforgettable Max Holloway Moment

Saturday night’s milestone card at UFC 300 snuck up on us during The Masters excitement last week, but we hit pause after golf to tune into the pay-per-view event. And goodness, we weren’t disappointed. The main card was stacked with three hours of celebrity appearances and crazy fights. Bo Nickal introduced himself to the world with an early submission. Arman Tsarukyan overpowered veteran Charles Oliveira. Welli Zhang and Yan Xiaonan also delivered five epic rounds in an all-China women’s strawweight. But two fights — and their finishing moments — stole the show:

Holloway Night-Nights Gaethje

Max Holloway broke Justin Gaethje’s nose early in Round 1 of their lightweight bout, but Gaethje fought through it and almost went the distance. In the final seconds of Round 5, Holloway did it his signature standoff in the center of the ring and invited Gaethje for a swingfest. He delivered a lights-out right-hand to put Gaethje out cold with one second left on the clock. The internet lost its mind. It was truly one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history.

Pereira Punishes Hill in 1st Round

The main event featured light heavyweight challenger Jamahal Hill and defending champ Alex Pereira in a mismatched title fight. Hill was cocky. Pereira was stone cold. The Brazilian champ danced for a few minutes before sending Hill to the canvas and dropping the hammer fists for a KO in the first round.

Overall, a huge night for UFC300.

ESPN: UFC 300 Takeaways: Pereira’s Triple-Champ Aspirations, Holloway Holds All the Keys

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HIGHLIGHTS

Frozen Four

#3 Denver def. #1 Boston College (2-0)

Denver’s 2nd Championship in 3 Seasons

Goaltender Matt Davis (35 Saves) Blanks No. 1 Team

MLB

Braves def. Marlins (9-7)

Marcell Ozuna Hits Go-Ahead 3-Run HR

Orioles def. Brewers (6-4)

Jackson Holliday Records 1st Career Hit

Astros def. Rangers (8-5)

Jose Altuve Has 2-HR Game

Pirates def. Phillies (9-2)

Andrew McCutcheon Hits 300th Career HR

NHL

Predators def. Blue Jackets (6-4)

Roman Josi (2G, 2A), Preds Clinch

Golden Knights def. Avalanche (4-3, OT)

Thomas Hertl Nets OT Winner, VGK Clinches

Red Wings def. Maple Leafs (5-4, OT)

Dylan Larkin Scores Winner, DET Still Alive

Rangers def. Islanders (3-2, S/O)

Rangers 1 Win From Locking Top Seed

Soccer

EPL: Crystal Palace def. Liverpool (1-0)

EPL: Aston Villa def. Arsenal (2-0)

Liverpool & Arsenal Give Up Ground to Man. City

Tennis

Stefanos Tsitsipas Beats Casper Ruud (6-1, 6-4) to Win Monte-Carlo Masters

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STORYLINES

Lundquist’s Last Masters

Iconic broadcaster Verne Lundquist made his 40th and final appearance from Augusta National this week at the age of 83. The course, patrons, and players made it memorable. (Golf Digest)

WNBA Mock Draft

Tonight’s WNBA Draft holds no surprises with the No. 1 pick, but what stars could and should go next after Caitlin Clark joins the Indiana Fever? Here’s the latest mock draft. (ESPN)

Spring Football Game Standouts

Saturday delivered a loaded slate of spring games around college football campuses. Believe the hype about young Gators QB DJ Lagway and LSU’s QB Garrett Nussmeier. (CBS Sports)

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NEWS

Conor McGregor to Fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 After 3 Years Off (B/R)

Chicago Sky Swap 2024 WNBA Draft Picks & Prospects With Minnesota Lynx (ESPN)

Novak Djokovic Curses at Heckling Fan During Monte-Carlo Masters (SI)

Mets Retire Doc Gooden’s No. 16 Jersey at Citi Field (CBS Sports)

Caitlin Clark Appears on Saturday Night Live to Dunk on Michael Che & Defend Women’s Sports (Yahoo! Sports)

Bad Bunny-Founded Sports Agency Under Investigation by MLBPA (Sporting News)

O.J. Simpson Estate Plans to Fight $33.5 Million Payout to Families of Brown & Goldman (FOX Sports)

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SCHEDULE

Tonight’s Must-Watch List