Man pleads guilty in theft of Arnold Palmer green jacket, other Masters memorabilia from Augusta
A former warehouse assistant for the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia has pleaded guilty to transporting millions of dollars' worth of stolen Masters tournament memorabilia and historic items, including one of Arnold Palmerโs green jackets.
PGA Tour players learn how much loyalty is worth in new equity program
Players who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour in the divide with Saudi-funded LIV Golf are starting to find out how much that loyalty could be worth.
Maine joins compact to elect the president by popular vote but it won't come into play this November
Maine is joining a multistate effort to elect the president by popular vote with the governorโs announcement that sheโll let the proposal become law without her signature.
Amen Corner proves pivotal as Scottie Scheffler's closest pursuers falter in final round of Masters
The famed stretch of holes known as Amen Corner at Augusta National proved pivotal in the final round of the Masters on Sunday.
Tiger Woods finishes Masters with his highest score as a pro, sets sights on upcoming majors
Tiger Woods finished the Masters on Sunday wtih a 16-over 304, his highest 72-hole score ever in a career that spans three decades.
Craze for Masters gnomes grows. The little golf- centric statue becoming coveted collector's items
Gnomes, those quirky statues people often have in their gardens, are flying off the shelves at Augusta National.
The Masters begins after weather delay, though high winds are still expected at Augusta National
The Masters began after a weather delay of 2 1/2 hours on Thursday, though the heaviest of rains that were expected overnight had missed Augusta National.
No inflation here: Affordable Masters' menu still includes $1.50 pimento cheese sandwiches
Inflation may be driving up food cost around the country, but patrons generally wonโt see those increases at Augusta National.
Lottie Woad delivers Masters-like charge to win Augusta National Women's Amateur
Lottie Woad of England is the Augusta National Women's Amateur champion with a stunning finish at the home of the Masters.
Opponents of Maine's new abortion law won't seek to nullify it through a referendum
Groups opposed to Maine's new law expanding access to abortions wonโt attempt to nullify the new statute through a so-called Peopleโs Veto referendum.
Maine lawmakers are a single vote from approval of bill to allow later abortions
The Maine House has voted again to allow later abortions in some circumstances, putting the proposal one final vote away from going to the governor for her signature.
Police: Maine man killed parents before firing on motorists
Police say a man confessed to killing four people, including his parents, and then firing on motorists on Interstate 295, just days after being released from prison.
Chipotle agrees to pay after closing store that sought union
Chipotle Mexican Grill has agreed to pay $240,000 to former employees as part of a settlement stemming from a complaint that the company violated federal law by closing a restaurant where workers wanted to unionize.
Former University of Texas star Scottie Scheffler wins the Masters
Former Texas Longhorn Scottie Scheffler has ascended quickly to become the top golfer in the world. On Sunday, he won his first Masters to further accentuate his spot atop the golf world.
25 years later: The shot that might have launched the legend of Tiger Woods, and changed golf forever
In addition to the storyline of it likely being Tiger Woods' first tournament since a car accident, this year also marks the 25th anniversary of his first Masters and major tournament win that forever changed the game of golf.
Oosthuizen-Schwartzel surge to Zurich Classic 3rd-round lead
Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel birdied six of their final eight holes Saturday to shoot a 9-under 63 and take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Zurich Classic.
Five months later, measure of normalcy at Masters in April
(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)AUGUSTA, Ga. โ The record score at Augusta National wasn't all that set Dustin Johnson apart from other Masters champions. No other Masters champion was allowed to keep his green jacket for only five months before it was time to try to win it again. Augusta National is blazing with pink and red and purple azaleas, accented by the white blooms of dogwood. AdโI think it will be back to feeling like a normal Masters,โ Johnson said. Augusta National had no choice but to keep the spectators away in November because of the pandemic, just like the other majors last year.
Virginia lawmakers vote to abolish the death penalty
Virginia State Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, front, looks at the vote tally board during a vote on a death penalty abolition bill at the Senate session at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, Va., Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. AdEven last year, death penalty abolition bills in the General Assembly went nowhere. Historically, Virginia has used the death penalty more than any other state, executing nearly 1,400 people since its days as a colony, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, Virginia, with 113 executions, is second only to Texas. Michael Stone, executive director of Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, called the vote to abolish capital punishment a landmark moment in the state's history.
Boat with 422 migrants, some with COVID-19, heads to Sicily
Migrants stand on the deck of the Ocean Viking rescue ship, in the Mediterranean Sea on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021. A rescue ship with 422 migrants aboard, some of whom tested positive for COVID-19, is heading to Sicily. (Hippolyte/SOS Mediterranee via AP)ROME โ A rescue ship with 422 migrants aboard, a small number of whom tested positive for COVID-19, was headed to a port in Sicily on Sunday. AdEight of the rescued migrants have COVID-19, according to tests administered by the crew, and were being isolated on board despite the difficulties of crowded conditions on deck. โBut although strict COVID-19 mitigation protocols apply on board the Ocean Viking, this is a vessel of 69 meters (228 feet) in length,โ Albera said.
State capitols boarded up, fenced off, patrolled by troops
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)A double row of chain-link fencing circles the Arizona State Capitol. National Guard troops in camouflage and flak jackets and heavily armed state troopers were stationed at state capitals across the U.S. in advance of protests planned for Sunday. Details were vague, but demonstrations were expected at state capitols beginning Sunday and leading up to Biden taking the oath of the office Wednesday. Sections of temporary fencing that encircled many state capitols were locked together in Sacramento with handcuffs. National Guard troops patrolled the California Capitol and streets of downtown Sacramento on Saturday.
Masters plans for a limited number of spectators in April
FILE - Dustin Johnson waves after winning the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga., in a Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, file photo. Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley said Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, the club intends to allow a limited number of spectators for the Masters on April 8-11, provided it can be done safely, given the coronavirus pandemic. Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley said Tuesday the club intends to allow a limited number of spectators for the Masters on April 8-11, provided it can be done safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Ridley said holding the Masters with only essential personnel made the club confident in its ability to stage a major championship with limited fans. For the Augusta National Women's Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt Finals, limited patrons would be allowed, most likely family members.
Masters field at 84 players heading into the final 3 months
55 after closing with a 77 in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai to drop to a tie for 23rd. That he accumulated the most world ranking points (463.54) was no surprise. Johnson received credit for the victory with the staggered start based on the FedEx Cup (he tied for third in world ranking points). DIVOTSDustin Johnson earned an average of 25.75 world ranking points in his 18 starts worldwide in 2020. That's more than the total ranking points Tiger Woods earned (19.08) in the nine tournaments he played.
In Georgia, Pence calls Senate GOP's 'last line of defense'
Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking vote. Highlighting the importance of the race, Biden plans to visit the state next week to campaign for Ossoff and Warnock. โLet them steal Georgia again, youโll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,โ Trump told rallygoers. โI want you to be confident about your vote," Pence said. โThatโs just not Georgia to me," said Davis, 57, who helped run her late husband's medical business.
Not good enough: Smith runner-up despite four rounds in 60s
On the heels of shooting 67, 68 and 69 over the first three rounds, Smith finished with a 15-under total that would've been good enough to win most years. โIt would have been cool to do that and win,โ Smith said โI would take 15 under around here for the rest of my career. Smith, playing up ahead in the next-to-last threesome, brilliantly scrambled for birdies at the seventh and ninth holes, leaving him two behind at the turn. โI wouldn't say I brought my best stuff, especially my longer stuff,โ Smith said. Unfortunately for Smith and Im, Johnson was even better.
Amen Coroner: 10 on Augusta's No. 12 kills Woods' Masters
Woods plunked three balls into Raeโs Creek on Sunday in front of the green on Augusta National's signature 155-yard par 3. The carnage at Amen Corner dropped him from 3 under to 4-over 76 for the day, and only a late string of birdies saved him from his matching his worst Masters round ever. โYou just have to turn around and figure out the next shot,โ said Woods, who followed the debacle at No. His third attempt to clear the creek โ shot No. 12, Woods was propelled to his fifth Masters title when four contenders dumped their shots into Raeโs Creek.
The Latest: DJ coasts to 5-shot win and 1st Masters title
___12:20 p.m.Dustin Johnson has made the turn in the final round of the Masters with a two-shot lead over Cameron Smith. That broke a stretch of 33 consecutive holes without a bogey going back to the second round. The Masters leader three-putted from just off the front of the green at the par-3 fourth hole in the final round. The final round of the Masters began with another weather delay, this one only 10 minutes because of fog. Johnson is the 16th player to lead by four shots or more going into the final round at Augusta National.
Rahm joins the lead and the large pack chasing green jacket
Tiger Woods remains in the mix with one birdie and seven pars to complete a 71, leaving him four shots behind. As the sun broke through the clouds when the second round ended, it revealed a Masters that even without spectators was shaping up to be as exciting as always. Rahm joined the lead pack at 9-under 135 with a wedge to 5 feet for birdie on the par-5 13th to resume his second round, but the next par 5 meant just as much. The cut was at even-par 144, a Masters record and a reflection of how rain has affected this Masters in November. That included Woods, who won his fifth green jacket last year by coming from behind for the first time in a major.
DeChambeau ailing after barely making the cut at Masters
I donโt know what was going on, a little something weird.โDeChambeau played 12 holes in the second round Friday before play was halted by darkness. DeChambeau had a double-bogey 7 at the 13th hole on Thursday when he hit his ball into some azalea bushes. โI donโt know whatโs going on. DeChambeau barely made the cut after bogeying the final two holes. โItโs more of just (being) very dizzy, and Iโve got a pain in my stomach, so I donโt know.
The Latest: Johnson ties Masters' 54-hole record at 16 under
He quickly distanced himself from the pack with an eagle on the second hole, then followed with birdies on Nos. Mickelson drove into a batch of pine trees, then actually went backward when his second shot ricocheted off one of the trees. ___12:30 p.m.Dustin Johnson eagled the second hole at Augusta National to move into the lead alone in the Masters. On the 575-yard, par-5 second hole, Johnson followed a 363-yard drive with an approach that ended up 3 feet from the pin. ___8:10 a.m.Vijay Singh has withdrawn from the Masters because of illness after completing 10 holes in the second round.
Round 2: Green jackets brace for more red numbers at Masters
The green jackets who run the Masters knew moving the tournament from April to November meant ceding some control. The scoring average for Round 1 โ which wasnโt wrapped up until Friday morning โ settled at 71.41, the lowest ever at the Masters. His tee shot found a muddy stretch well left of the fairway, but after a search he couldnโt find the ball. He bogeyed the next two holes, turning the rest of his round into a desperate rescue effort. Afterward, Rahm, one of his playing partners, was asked whether he was involved in the search for DeChambeauโs wayward tee shot at the third.
Ageless wonder Bernhard Langer oldest to make Masters cut
Langer, a two-time Masters champion and ageless wonder, gets to play two more rounds. He became the oldest player to make the 36-hole cut at the Masters, topping the record by Tommy Aaron in 2000 by 33 days. Tiger Woods constantly cites Langer and Fred Couples as examples of Masters champions who can find their way around the course and post good scores. When golf returned from the pandemic in June, Langer teed it up twice on the PGA Tour because the 50-and-older PGA Tour Champions had not resumed. Langer still decided to check on the policy on Tuesday night during the Masters Club dinner for past champions.
Johnson, Thomas part of 4-way share atop Masters leaderboard
What two days have shown is that Masters experience only goes so far on a soft course with rye grass that isn't grown in quite the way it usually is in April. Another Masters rookie, Sungjae Im (70), was in the group another shot behind that included Patrick Cantlay (66), who contended for the green jacket last year. โYou have to really throw all the past knowledge out the window this week, as weird as it is,โ Thomas said. Johnson quickly became the first player this week to reach 10 under with three birdies around Amen Corner. The two-time Masters champion shot 68 in the morning on a long, soft course.
Johnson joins Masters lead after round of record scoring
The opening round was delayed nearly three hours at the start by heavy rain, and with limited daylight in November, there was no way to complete the round. Greg Norman still holds the record for lowest opening round, a 63 in 1996, the year he lost a six-shot lead to Nick Faldo in the final round. There were 53 rounds under par in the 92-man field and 24 rounds in the 60s, both Masters records for any round. The previous mark was 47 rounds under par in the second round of 1992 (83-man field). This is his fifth Masters, and not only his lowest score, but the first time he has shot par or better in the opening round.
The Latest: Johnson shares Masters lead, play suspended
Play has been suspended in the second round of the Masters, with 48 players yet to finish. While the second round wonโt be completed until Saturday morning, Langer is assured of getting through. Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Cameron Smith and Abraham Ancer all have a share of the lead after finishing the second round at 9-under 135. ___11:50 a.m.Dustin Johnson is pulling away from the field in the second round of the Masters. The second round is underway at the Masters, and the first round hasn't quite finished up yet.
Round 1: Casey leads, Woods in hunt as field plays catch-up
Five-time and defending champion Tiger Woods dropped a turn-back-the-clock round of his own, relying more on experience than current form to post a 68. โThere is a sense of ease when I come here, just because I understand how to prepare for this golf course,โ Woods said after hitting 10 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. Small wonder, then, that Woods flashed a wide grin when asked what was most encouraging about the round. โThis golf course, as much as Iโm trying to attack it, it can bite back,โ he said. Still to be determined is how much firmer the greens and the rest of the golf course will get.
Fast start: Tiger bucks his Masters history with opening 68
Defying his lackluster form not to mention a history of slow starts at these hallowed grounds, Woods shot a bogey-free 4-under 68 on Thursday in the opening round of the Masters, a tantalizing display by the defending champion in his quest for a record-tying sixth green jacket. Woods hasn't played much this year, returning warily from a five-month layoff to play a half-dozen tournaments leading up to the Masters. It was only the second time he's broken 70 in the opening round at Augusta, matching the 68 he shot to begin the 2010 Masters. More telling, it was his first bogey-free round in a major championship since the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine. โI got off to a fast start today, which is good, but I think everyone is,โ Woods said.
Casey rides the buzz of Masters history to 65 and early lead
Paul Casey matched his lowest score at the Masters with a 7-under 65, giving him a two-shot lead among half the field fortunate to play in perfect scoring conditions. It was the fifth hole, which he bogeyed all four rounds last year when he won the Masters. He was joined by Xander Schauffele, a runner-up to Woods last year, who had seven birdies in his round of 67. The delay was the last thing the Masters needed with limited daylight hours leading to the two-tee start. The loudest cheer โ applause, certainly not a roar โ came for Nicklaus and Player hitting tee shots so early that they couldn't see where they landed.
Honorary starters, then rain, as 1st fall Masters begins
Jack Nicklaus waves after hitting a ceremonial first ball before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Honorary starters, then rain, as 1st fall Masters begins
โI was pleased it was dark, because you didnโt see where my ball went,โ Nicklaus told reporters afterward. No fans are allowed at this yearโs event except for the playersโ significant others and coaches, along with Augusta National members. Normally a rite of spring, the Masters has a different look and feel this year, given the move to November. A drone TV camera, allowed for the first time this year, also seemed out of place at the usually staid golf club. The COVID-19 protocols prevented Nicklaus from bringing one of his grandchildren to caddie for him, like he usually does.
The Latest: Woods off to bogey-free start in Masters defense
Also, itโs the first bogey-free round for Woods in a major since the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine. The 43-year-old Englishman is leading the Masters after shooting a 7-under 65 in the opening round. But he turned things around in his return to Augusta National, which was delayed for seven months by the coronavirus pandemic. ___2:05 p.m.Tiger Woods is off to a strong start in defense of his Masters championship. He has six top-10 finishes at Augusta National, including a second-place finish in 2010 and a tie for second in 2016.