Bayer Leverkusen wins first Bundesliga title, ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year reign

LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — It’s “Neverkusen” no extra.

Coached by Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen received the Bundesliga title for the primary time Sunday to finish Bayern Munich’s 11-year reign as champion.

Ultimately, it wasn’t even shut — Leverkusen leads second-place Bayern by 16 factors after stretching its German report unbeaten run to 43 video games throughout all competitions this season.

Florian Wirtz scored a hat trick as Leverkusen routed Werder Bremen 5-0 and the sport ended with a pitch invasion Sunday to safe the membership’s first-ever German league title with 5 video games remaining.

“It’s indescribable … I don’t suppose it’s potential, or I personally can’t even notice it but,” Wirtz advised broadcaster DAZN.

“I want a little bit extra time within the locker room to essentially get my head round what we’ve achieved. However yeah, thus far it’s simply been good to social gathering exterior with the followers and still have a little bit of a celebration within the locker room.”

Followers had already stormed onto the sphere when Leverkusen scored its fourth aim with seven minutes to go, and the ultimate minutes had been performed in thick purple smoke from supporters’ pyrotechnics whereas gamers on Leverkusen’s bench clapped alongside to songs, danced and hugged each other.

The fifth aim within the ninetieth introduced extra followers onto the sphere — a whole lot this time — and the referee ended the sport amid confusion and jubilation. 1000’s of supporters crowded the sphere waving flags, flares and cardboard copies of the Bundesliga trophy.

Leverkusen lastly shed its status as perennial runner-up after 5 second-place finishes within the league and one within the Champions League.

Alonso, who took over as coach when Leverkusen was within the relegation zone in October 2022, mirrored on ending Bayern’s dominance.

“Maybe it’s wholesome for the Bundesliga, additionally for German soccer, for an additional staff to win,” stated Alonso, who received three Bundesliga titles with Bayern as a participant from 2015-17.

“It’s an excellent pleasure and we’ve got to take pleasure in it. We’d like a bit extra time to appreciate what we’ve achieved. However it’s a brilliant second and sure, we’ll see what occurs subsequent,” Alonso stated, referring to the opposite trophies that his staff can win this season. “However now could be the time to rejoice.”

Victor Boniface — beginning a Bundesliga recreation for the primary time since December due to harm — settled Leverkusen’s nerves with the opening aim from the penalty spot earlier than Granit Xhaka hit an audacious long-range shot to make it 2-0 with half an hour to go.

Bremen folded after that with substitute Wirtz scoring a aim similar to Xhaka’s, then one other on the counter within the 83rd and a 3rd to finish the sport, his first profession hat trick.

Leverkusen is aiming for a historic treble of trophies. Alonso’s staff will play second-division Kaiserslautern within the German Cup ultimate in Berlin on Could 25 and has a 2-0 lead over West Ham after their Europa League quarterfinal first leg.

The title places the highlight firmly on an industrial metropolis of just below 170,000, which has been overshadowed by bigger, extra well-known neighbors.

“Not in Cologne and Duesseldorf, no, we’re at house right here,” is the third line of the membership music performed simply earlier than kickoff. Soccer is how Leverkusen stands out.

The membership began as a staff’ staff for the Bayer pharmaceutical big 120 years in the past and is a uncommon exception in Germany, the place most golf equipment are majority-controlled by members underneath the so-called 50+1 rule.

Twelfth-place Bremen was in difficulties even earlier than kickoff because the membership accused midfielder Naby Keita of strolling out on the squad after he was disillusioned to not be within the beginning lineup. Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky handled the few probabilities Bremen created.

Within the early recreation, Ritsu Doan’s first-half strike was sufficient for Freiburg to win 1-0 at last-place Darmstadt, which moved nearer to automated relegation.

Darmstadt, with 14 factors, was 12 factors from the relegation playoff spot with 5 matches to play. No staff within the Bundesliga has ever overcome such a deficit at this stage of the season to outlive.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Bayer Leverkusen win first Bundesliga title, ending Bayern Munich’s reign | Football News

Leverkusen beat Werder Bremen 5-0 to win soccer’s Bundesliga with 5 video games remaining, ending Bayern’s run of 11 consecutive titles.

Undefeated Bayer Leverkusen have secured their first Bundesliga title with a 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen, breaking an 11-year stranglehold on the league by Bayern Munich.

Xabi Alonso’s staff, who’ve now gone a league-record 29 matches with out defeat this season to safe their first trophy since 1993, have a 16-point lead over Bayern with 5 matches remaining.

They’ll add extra titles this season, having reached the German Cup remaining and the Europa League quarterfinals, the place they’ve a 2-0 first-leg benefit over West Ham United.

Leverkusen left nothing to likelihood and sealed their title win on the first alternative with Florian Wirtz bagging a hat trick in a win that stretched their unbeaten run throughout all competitions to a exceptional 43 video games this season.

“I can not describe this,” Germany worldwide Wirtz mentioned. “I personally can nonetheless not realise this has occurred. I’ll want a number of moments within the altering room to know what we have now achieved.

“We couldn’t have imagined one thing like this once you see how the earlier season went.”

Xabi Alonso, who took over as coach when Leverkusen was within the relegation zone in October 2022, mirrored on ending Bayern’s dominance.

“Maybe it’s wholesome for the Bundesliga, additionally for German soccer, for an additional staff to win,” mentioned Alonso, who gained three Bundesliga titles with Bayern as a participant from 2015-17.

“It’s an important pleasure and we have now to take pleasure in it. We want a bit extra time to grasp what we’ve achieved. Nevertheless it’s a brilliant second and sure, we’ll see what occurs subsequent,” Alonso mentioned, referring to the opposite trophies that his staff can win this season.

“However now’s the time to have fun.”

Victor Boniface – beginning a Bundesliga recreation for the primary time since December due to damage – settled Leverkusen’s nerves with the opening objective from the penalty spot earlier than Granit Xhaka hit an audacious long-range shot to make it 2-0 with half an hour to go.

Bremen folded after that with substitute Wirtz scoring a objective similar to Xhaka’s, then one other on the counter within the 83rd minute, then a 3rd to finish the sport, his first profession hat trick.

Followers had already stormed onto the sphere when Leverkusen scored its fourth objective with seven minutes to go, and the ultimate minutes had been performed in thick purple smoke from supporters’ pyrotechnics whereas gamers on Leverkusen’s bench clapped alongside to songs, danced and hugged each other.

The fifth objective within the ninetieth minute introduced extra followers onto the sphere – tons of this time – and the referee ended the sport amid confusion and jubilation. Hundreds of supporters crowded the sphere, waving flags, flares and cardboard copies of the Bundesliga trophy.

Leverkusen had lastly shed its popularity as perennial runner-up after 5 second-place finishes within the league and one within the Champions League.

The title places the highlight firmly on an industrial metropolis of just below 170,000, which has been overshadowed by bigger, extra well-known neighbours.

“Not in Cologne and Dusseldorf, no, we’re at dwelling right here,” is the third line of the membership tune performed simply earlier than kick-off.

The membership began as a staff’ staff for the Bayer pharmaceutical big 120 years in the past and is a uncommon exception in Germany, the place most golf equipment are majority managed by members below the so-called 50+1 rule.

Review: Billy Joel and Sting light up crowd at wet San Diego concert

Take a bow, mom nature!

Because of some uncharacteristically moist April climate throughout Billy Joel’s sold-out live performance with Sting at Petco Park on Saturday night time, pop-music’s famed piano man has achieved an elite — if not totally coveted — distinction. He now joins the Rolling Stones, Miles Davis and Tony Bennett on the very brief record of legendary musicians whose open-air San Diego live shows noticed them forge forward in a noble quest to reign within the rain.

Fortunately, no precipitation marred Sting’s very good, 83-minute opening set, which included a propulsive model of his funk-fueled 1993 romp, “Heavy Cloud No Rain.” Alas, the track features a couplet that proved all too prescient Saturday night time on the downtown ball park: The clouds gained’t go until their work is finished / Each morning you’ll hear me pray / If solely it might rain at this time.

The clouds began their work at 9:10 p.m., halfway by “Movin’ Out,” the second choice by Joel and his brassy, one-woman, seven-man band. The sunshine however regular rain continued by his subsequent seven numbers, which included “Vienna,” “An Harmless Man,” “Don’t Ask Me Why,” a truncated model of the Rolling Stones’ “Begin Me Up,” and the jazzy, finger-snapping “Large Man on Mulberry Avenue,” which featured Joel buying and selling vocal strains with an umbrella-twirling Sting.

“Carry your raincoat!” Joel quipped as Sting strolled on to the large stage, which stretched throughout a lot of Petco Park’s proper and middle fields.

Many followers wore rain gear to Saturday’s sold-out Billy Joel and Sting live performance at Petco Park. Few attendees appeared deterred by the moist climate.

(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Earlier than “Begin Me Up,” Joel instructed the viewers: “Don’t get all excited; I ain’t Mick Jagger.” Certainly, at 74, Joel is six years youthful than the hyper-kinetic, age-defying Jagger (The Rolling Stones, by the way, had been the primary rock act to carry out on the then-new Petco Park in 2005, a 12 months after it opened.)

When “Begin Me Up” concluded, Joel and his well-drilled band playfully broke into a couple of verses of the 1964 Riveras’ chestnut, “California Solar,” which was memorably lined in 1977 by the Ramones. Raindrops had been seen on components of his grand piano, however Joel was undaunted.

“We’re from New York — that is nothing!” he instructed the cheering crowd. Even so, Joel’s stage apparel was topped off with a black zip-up jacket, a cap and a wool scarf. The drizzle was fixed sufficient that a number of of this reporter’s pens stopped working due to how moist the pages in my pocket book had grow to be.

The rain abated — for some time — shortly after Joel launched into his ninth choice, “New York State of Thoughts,” his signature track and one of many highlights of his set.

Despite the wet weather, Billy Joel was in good spirits at Petco Park

Regardless of the moist climate, Billy Joel was in good spirits at his Petco Park live performance on Saturday night time.

(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The air was alternately dry and moist for the 13 numbers that adopted in Joel’s live performance. It culminated with 5 sure-thing encore numbers — “We Didn’t Begin the Hearth,” “Uptown Woman,” “It’s Nonetheless Rock and’ Roll To Me,” “Large Shot” and “You Could also be Proper,” which included a charged snippet of Led Zeppelin’s 1971 traditional, “Rock and Roll,” sung by Joel band guitarist Mike DelGuidice.

The present ended at 10:55 p.m., 5 minutes earlier than Petco Park’s curfew. It was Joel’s second look on the stadium, the place he delivered a memorable, 26-song efficiency in 2016 to a sold-out crowd.

Then, as on Saturday, Joel’s grand piano periodically rotated on the stage to afford the viewers on both facet of the packed stadium a greater vantage level. Saturday’s live performance was shorter by 5 songs than in 2016. What additionally differed is Joel’s singing voice, which has misplaced a few of its vary and affect.

He acknowledged as a lot when introducing “An Harmless Man,” the title monitor of his 1983 album. “I didn’t notice once I recorded this that I used to be saying goodbye to loads of my excessive notes,” Joel stated. “If I hit loads of flat notes, you’re allowed to groan.”

He was completely engaged and his singing was heat and resonant on successful renditions of “Vienna,” “Solely the Good Die Younger,” “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” and “Piano Man.” And his keyboard work was not often lower than glowing. However on different numbers, he repeatedly strained to hit notes, regardless of singing them in decrease keys than they had been initially recorded.

Sting performs in concert at Petco Park on Saturday, April 13, 2024 in San Diego, CA.

4 massive video screens supplied concertgoers with up-close photographs at Saturday’s Billy Joel and Prince live performance at Petco Park.

(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

After all, the rain and funky night time air might have been components for the veteran troubadour, who tonight at 9 will be featured on the CBS TV live performance particular, “Billy Joel: The one centesimal — Reside at Madison Sq. Backyard.”

However indoors or out, his crowd-pleasing Petco Park live performance was marred by inconsistent pacing, no extra in order that when “The River of Goals” segued into Ike & Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain Excessive” — a superb, however not nice, showcase for singer and multi-instrumentalist Crystal Talifero. This was adopted by guitarist DelGuidice’s vocal rendition of the storied Puccini opera aria, “Nessun dorma” — which interprets as “No one’s Sleeping” — because the lead-in to “Piano Man.”

Say, what? Even when this was meant as an inside joke, clearly no one was sleeping on such a moist, cool night. And the enthusiastic viewers, which sang alongside and danced en masse, left little question of its devotion to Joel and the songs that many attendees grew up listening to.

Pacing and vocal energy had been no drawback for Sting, whose 16-song opening set was a grasp class in the best way to construction, stability and ship a live performance that soared from begin (a spirited duet with Joel on “Each Little Factor She Does is Magic”) to complete (“Each Breath You Take,” probably essentially the most memorable rock track ever about stalking).

Sting, who carried out with equal elan in October at his SDSU live performance right here, was in glorious voice all through Saturday. Regardless of what number of occasions he has beforehand sung “Roxanne,” “Message in a Bottle,” So Lonely” and “If You Love Any individual Set Them Free,” he made every sound splendidly contemporary and important. Sting’s songs are sturdy and versatile, enabling him to change their keys, time signatures and preparations in a fashion that concurrently saluted and prolonged them.

His exemplary bass enjoying was, likewise, a marvel of style, concision and musicality that added welcome dimension to the songs at hand. He was matched, word for word, by his very proficient, one-woman, five-man band. It included Ben Butler, very ably subbing for longtime Sting guitarist Dominic Miller (who’s now launched into a solo tour in Europe).

Sting constantly injected contemporary vigor into such favorites as “Message in a Bottle,” Model New Day,” “Fields of Gold,” and “King of Ache,” including welcome new twists whereas remaining true to every track’s essence. Quite than rush by songs, he prolonged a lot of them — together with “Strolling on the Moon,” which lasted 12 minutes however was not a second too lengthy — the higher to construct dynamic stress and launch.

Sting performs at Petco Park on Saturday, April 13, 2024 in San Diego, CA.

Sting’s bass enjoying at his Saturday Petco Park live performance was each bit as memorable as his evocative singing.

(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

No stranger to stadium live shows, Sting commanded the stage with an inviting mixture of authority, wit and good-natured bonhomie. Much more in order that Joel, he repeatedly engaged the viewers in spirited, call-and-response vocal exchanges. Sting additionally delivered a couple of well-timed asides. (Introducing The Police’s 1981 gem, “Spirits within the Materials World,” he deadpanned: “I can guarantee you it’s not a Madonna track,” a wry allusion to her 1984 hit, “Materials Woman.”)

After the harmonica-led “Model New Day,” Sting commented on the inclement climate, saying: “Man, it’s chilly! I come from England, the place it’s (now) sunny and heat. You’ll be able to’t belief the climate anymore, which is what this subsequent track is about.” He and his band then delivered an expertly calibrated model of “Heavy Climate No Rain,” throughout which he ad-libbed some additional lyrics: “You’re in San Diego — my ship simply got here in!”

Sting properly let his music communicate for itself, most notably on “Desert Rose.” Its snaking, Arabic-inspired melody appeared all of the extra poignant at a time when, sadly, warfare is once more rife within the Center East.

At 72, Sting stays an arresting musical power. The bar he set for Joel to comply with Saturday was, finally, a bridge too far — though that will replicate the actual fact Sting excursions consistently, whereas Joel presently averages simply two live shows a month. Both means, on Saturday neither of them let the rain dampen their musical parade.

george.varga@sduniontribune.com

Watch Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden Concert Special Online Free

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Billy Joel is bringing his iconic live performance to the small display with a brand new tv particular airing tonight on CBS.

Titled “The a hundredth: Billy Joel at Madison Sq. Backyard,” the efficiency airs dwell on CBS at 9 p.m. ET/PT. You may watch the Billy Joel MSG live performance dwell on TV by your native CBS affiliate.

Need to watch “Billy Joel at Madison Sq. Backyard” with out cable? Stream the live performance particular on Paramount+, which carries a CBS livestream. The Paramount+ With Showtime plan will get you entry to stream the Billy Joel particular dwell. Not a subscriber? Paramount+ has a 7-day free trial that you should use to observe “Billy Joel a hundredth” on-line free of charge. Proceed on with a subscription from $5.99 a month or cancel earlier than your free trial is as much as keep away from being charged.

One other approach to watch “The a hundredth: Billy Joel at Madison Sq. Backyard” on CBS is thru DirecTV Stream. The dwell TV streaming service contains CBS as a part of its channel lineup, and you may watch DirecTV Stream in your telephone, pc, pill or sensible TV. DirecTV Stream has a 5-day free trial right here that you should use to observe the Billy Joel live performance particular on-line free.

Joel’s live performance particular was filmed again in March to have fun the Piano Man’s record-breaking a hundredth consecutive efficiency of his MSG residency. In keeping with the CBS web site, the TV live performance will embody traditional Joel hits like “My Life, “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” “It’s Nonetheless Rock and Roll to Me,” and naturally, “New York State of Thoughts.”

Regardless of his decades-long profession, tonight’s present is Joel’s first live performance to air on a broadcast community. As for the singer’s residency, the historic run will come to finish when Joel performs his closing reveals this July.

Watch “The a hundredth: Billy Joey at Madison Sq. Backyard” tonight at 9 p.m. on CBS or stream it on-line by Paramount+ right here.

Scottie Scheffler clinches second Masters title with virtuoso display



CNN
 — 

Scottie Scheffler clinched his second Masters title in type on Sunday, cementing the American’s standing because the preeminent power in males’s golf.

The world No.1 was unshakeable at Augusta Nationwide, shrugging off assaults from a number of challengers to complete 4 pictures forward of Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg and add to his victory in 2022.

Scheffler had arrived on the 88th version of the event because the odds-on favourite and proved bookmakers right, a closing four-under 68 lifting him to 11-under general and sealing his third win in simply over a month, in addition to a $3.6 million reduce of a Masters-record $20 million prize purse.

Unmoved by blustering winds that swept away a lot of his big-name rivals throughout the week, at instances it regarded like the one particular person able to denying Scheffler one other inexperienced jacket was his imminent first youngster.

The Texan had vowed to desert the event if his spouse Meredith went into labor, with the due date anticipated throughout the subsequent few weeks.

“I’m coming house. I’ll be house as fast as I can. I really like you,” Scheffler replied when requested by Augusta Nationwide chairman Fred Ridley if he had a message for his spouse.

“You’re about to make me cry right here in Butler Cabin. It’s a really particular time for each of us. I can’t put into phrases what it means to win this event once more. I actually can’t put into phrases what it’s going to be prefer to be a father for the primary time.

“I’m trying ahead to getting house and celebrating with Meredith. Its been a protracted week right here with out her.”

Scheffler may have an opportunity for extra glory when the lads’s main circuit heads to Kentucky’s Valhalla Golf Membership subsequent month for the PGA Championship, gained for the third time by Brooks Koepka final yr.

Scheffler’s ninth PGA Tour title – and third in his final 4 begins – sees the 27-year-old turn into the 18th participant to tally a number of Masters wins, and the fourth youngest to attain the feat after Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods, who completed sixtieth following his a centesimal spherical on the main.

5-time Masters champion Woods – making solely his third aggressive begin since limping out of final yr’s event – had quelled doubts over his capacity to navigate the hilly Augusta terrain to make the reduce for a record-breaking twenty fourth consecutive time, however struggled over the weekend.

Having opened with rounds of 73 and 72, the 48-year-old shot 82 – his worst-ever spherical on the event – and a 77 to complete 16-over par, final of these to make the reduce.

“It was week,” Woods advised reporters.

“Coming in right here, not having performed a full event in a really very long time, it was combat on Thursday and Friday. Sadly yesterday it didn’t fairly prove the best way I needed it to.”

Åberg ran Scheffler closest with a superb show in his first main look, carding a closing spherical 69 to fall simply wanting turning into the primary participant since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 to win on his Masters debut.

It accelerates the 24-year-old’s meteoric rise since turning skilled final June. The world No. 9 performed a starring function in Workforce Europe’s Ryder Cup victory in Rome lower than 100 days after calling time on a prodigious beginner profession, and clinched his first PGA Tour title on the RSM Basic a month later.

“Enjoying right here at Augusta Nationwide is a dream come true,” he stated.

“To be on this state of affairs and really feel the nerves and the strain of strolling down the final couple holes is what you dream of. That is what I’ve been desirous to do for such a very long time, and it’s fairly surreal to truly have the chance to expertise it.

“I’m so pleased with myself, the entire individuals on my crew, my household and everybody concerned.”

Åberg continues to impress.

American duo Max Homa and Collin Morikawa had joined Scheffler and Åberg atop the leaderboard throughout the closing spherical, however noticed their challenges falter to slip to a share of third alongside England’s Tommy Fleetwood at four-under par, seven pictures behind the victor.

World No.2 Rory McIlroy’s anticipate the elusive profession grand slam continues. The Northern Irishman is a Masters away from profitable all 4 majors however completed tied-Twenty second on his sixteenth look at Augusta Nationwide.

Spain’s Jon Rahm by no means regarded prone to turn into solely the fourth participant to defend the Masters, failing to shoot under par as he completed tied-Forty fifth at nine-over par earlier than presenting Scheffler along with his inexperienced jacket in a task reversal of final yr’s ceremony.

Considerably surprisingly given his constant brilliance on the largest stage, solely as soon as earlier than had Scheffler woken up on Sunday at a significant championship because the chief.

Ominously for the chasing pack although, that one event simply so occurred to be at Augusta Nationwide two years in the past, because the Texan completely preserved his three-stroke closing spherical benefit to ease to his first main crown.

It was a suitably much less snug one shot cushion this time round, and that slender benefit evaporated quickly.

By the point Scheffler made his method onto the eighth fairway, he was joined atop the leaderboard by taking part in companion Morikawa, in addition to Homa and a streaking Åberg, who birdied two of his first seven holes to make brief work of his three-stroke beginning deficit.

Morikawa made a fast start to his final round.

Uncharacteristically, Scheffler had began sloppily, lacking greens and skewing one tee drive right into a tree en route to 2 bogeys.

These in sizzling pursuit smelled blood, and even when the world No. 1 corrected course with a birdie on the eighth, taking part in companion Morikawa instantly adopted him in to keep up parity.

Mesmerizing pictures adopted in fast succession. Aberg beamed from ear to ear after curling in a 36-foot birdie putt to get a fleeting style of his first ever main co-lead, however Scheffler responded with a surprising iron strategy that – having come inside inches of spinning again into the cup for eagle – arrange a easy tap-in that restored his lead on the flip.

Homa was chasing a first major title.

The roars proliferated as droves of patrons crammed behind the ropes for what regarded set to be probably the most thrilling finale in latest reminiscence at Augusta Nationwide.

Rahm needed to come from behind final yr however shortly pulled away from a fading Koepka to ease house, whereas Scheffler had stood on the 18th tee with a five-shot lead on the earlier event.

Immediately although, the 2022 champion regarded on a mission to repeat the feat. Scheffler had calibrated his sights, cashing in on yet one more magnificent spinning strategy to roll his third consecutive birdie into the tenth cup.

Followers hoping on a multi-player shootout for the ages shortly noticed their issues compounded.

Scheffler’s ascent coincided along with his taking part in companion plummeting in a tailspin, as Morikawa took two makes an attempt to flee a bunker on the ninth earlier than splashing a shot into the water two holes later to card two double bogeys in a matter of minutes.

Stage on the high on the ninth tee, the surprised world No. 20 headed to the twelfth 5 pictures adrift.

Crowds flocked to applaud Scheffler home on the 18th hole.

No matter mysterious affliction had gripped Morikawa was spreading to his fellow chasers, too.

Aberg’s cost got here to a soggy standstill as he joined the American to find the pond at 11, his double bogey quickly matched by Homa after his tee shot on the par-three twelfth was swallowed up by a bush, forcing him to take a drop.

The ball was nonetheless nestled amongst the shrubbery when Scheffler rolled in for par on the identical inexperienced shortly after, extending his result in three.

Aberg did his greatest to show up the warmth with back-to-back birdies, however the stone-faced Scheffler was at his unflappable greatest, extending his buffer to 4 pictures along with his sixth birdie of the day – and twentieth of the week – on the par-three sixteenth.

His first Masters triumph had resulted in a shaky – albeit inconsequential – four-putt, however there have been no such blips this time spherical. After a standing ovation on his stroll to the 18th inexperienced, Scheffler signed off with a easy putt for par.

In the end, the world No. 1’s steely expression lastly cracked as he shared a protracted hug with caddie Ted Scott earlier than roaring in delight.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Masters Tournament : NPR

Scottie Scheffler celebrates on the 18th inexperienced after successful the 2024 Masters Match at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership on Sunday in Augusta, Ga.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs


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Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs

Scottie Scheffler celebrates on the 18th inexperienced after successful the 2024 Masters Match at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership on Sunday in Augusta, Ga.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs

Scottie Scheffler has gained the Masters Match for the second time, taking the inexperienced jacket in Augusta, Ga., on Sunday.

Scheffler, 27, took first place on one in every of golf’s greatest levels with a closing rating of 11 underneath par.

“I did my finest to remain calm on the market,” he mentioned afterward. “I did my finest to remain affected person on the course. And I used to be capable of make some key pictures and key putts in the present day to maintain my spherical going.”

The storied event at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership passed off over 4 days, with the fourth and closing spherical being performed on Sunday.

Scheffler entered the final spherical in first place, having shot 7 underneath par as much as that time.

Scheffler, who was making his fifth look on the Masters, gained the distinguished event in 2022, besting famous person Rory McIlroy by three strokes.

Not far behind Scheffler on Sunday was fellow American participant Collin Morikawa, who was additionally making his fifth look within the event. He was 6 underneath par going into Sunday and completed at 4-under and tied for third place with Tommy Fleetwood and Max Homa. Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg completed in second place at 7-under.

Golf legend Tiger Woods completed the event 16 over par, however not earlier than setting a brand new Masters file.

Woods grew to become the primary participant in historical past to “make the lower” on the event — which implies he performed nicely sufficient within the first two rounds to achieve the second half — 24 consecutive occasions.

He had beforehand tied the file for 23 straight cuts with Fred {Couples} and Gary Participant.

Wrexham secures promotion with magnificent 6-0 victory as Ryan Reynolds hails ‘ride of our lives’



CNN
 — 

Celeb homeowners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney couldn’t have written a greater Hollywood script since taking up Wrexham AFC in February 2021.

The Welsh membership earned its second consecutive promotion, this time to League One – English soccer’s third tier – following a 6-0 win over Forest Inexperienced Rovers on Saturday on the Racecourse Floor in Wrexham, Wales.

Following the ultimate whistle, followers of the membership rushed the sector to have a good time their return to the division for the primary time in 19 years.

With the win, Wrexham trails Stockport by 4 factors for the League Two title, although the league chief has performed one sport fewer.

“A couple of years in the past, if you happen to instructed me I might be crying tears of pleasure over a soccer match happening in North Wales, you’d be Rob McElhenney,” Reynolds wrote in a post on X, previously often called Twitter.

“Congrats to Wrexham and to my co-chairman in crime. Double up the city! That is the experience of our lives.”

McElhenney added on X, “No phrases.”

The recognition of Wrexham has risen lately partly on account of the success of the FX docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham,” which shall be heading into its third season subsequent month.

Wrexham is now two promotions away from the English Premier League, with the Championship – English soccer’s second tier – the following purpose.

The Welsh membership will look to proceed its quest for a League Two championship when it subsequent performs on April 20 towards Crewe Alexandra at The Mornflake Stadium in Crewe, England

Kayla Harrison Beats Holly Holm By 2nd-Round Submission in Debut at UFC 300 | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC by way of Getty Photographs

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison launched herself to the UFC with a second-round submission win over Holly Holm on the undercard of UFC 300 from Las Vegas.

There weren’t many moments that weren’t dominated by Harrison within the first spherical. She landed a judo throw early within the spherical that Holm reversed to wind up in prime place however Harrison merely muscled her method again to her toes.

From there, Harrison took over.

The professional judoka threw Holm down at will and confirmed off her ground-and-pound expertise. She hammered Holm with elbows, which weren’t allowed underneath PFL guidelines.

MMA on SiriusXM @MMAonSiriusXM

Kayla Harrison with a dominant spherical 1 doing precisely what she stated she’d do #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/lZPHL8J8hs

The dominance continued in the second round as Harrison went right back to the well. Her submission attempt could be considered mercy as she took Holm’s back and locked in a rear-naked choke that drew a nearly immediate tap.

Shaheen Al-Shatti @shaunalshatti

Kayla Harrison’s 1st UFC round: 46-1 edge in significant strikes.

Kayla Harrison’s 2nd UFC round: Instant RNC of an ex-champ.

The queen has arrived indeed. My goodness. #UFC300

Ariel Helwani @arielhelwani

Harrison: I want my title next, Joe. …

By the end of the year, I will be UFC champion!

Harrison made her name first in judo where she won gold at both the 2012 and 2016 games as well as just about every other tournament of significance in the sport. Much like fellow Judoka Ronda Rousey, she then made a successful transition to MMA.

Harrison took PFL by storm, winning the women’s lightweight tournament twice in that promotion. Up until now, the vast majority of her mixed martial arts career was spent in the PFL where she racked up a record of 16-1 with six knockouts and six submissions.

One of the most notable things about her UFC debut actually came the morning before her fight when she made the bantamweight limit. Harrison competed at 171 pounds in Judo and has bounced between featherweight (145 pounds) and lightweight (155 pounds) in PFL.

Proving that she can make the weight at 135 pounds opens up a whole new group of options as she transitions to the UFC.

But the goal for her is the same as it has been for all of her stops in combat sports: Gold.

“I’m a world champion, a two-time Olympic champion, I’ve won every tournament there is to win in judo, I’ve gotten plenty of money in the bank. But when I started MMA, the goal was to be UFC champion. And I had a year to think about if that was still my goal — and it is,” she said in the lead up to the fight, per Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Preventing.

A win over Holly Holm may not imply what it used to. The previous UFC and boxing champion is 5-6 with one No Contest over her final 12 fights, however she remains to be an skilled veteran with a top-five rating.

Contemplate this win a warning for the remainder of the division. Raquel Pennington may not be holding onto the belt for lengthy.

Kayla Harrison chokes out Holly Holm to win debut at UFC 300

LAS VEGAS — Kayla Harrison’s UFC debut couldn’t have gone any higher.

The previous two-time Olympic judo champion dominated former champion and fight sports activities legend Holly Holm, beating Holm with a rear-naked choke submission at 1 minute, 47 seconds of the second spherical Saturday within the prelims of UFC 300 at T-Cell Area.

“I need my title subsequent. That is what I came visiting right here for — one factor and one factor solely,” Harrison stated in her postfight interview. “By the tip of the 12 months, I will probably be UFC champion.”

Harrison, who was slicing to bantamweight for the primary time in her MMA profession, took Holm down within the first spherical and blasted her with laborious ground-and-pound, together with elbows. These elbows have been a significant factor within the battle. Harrison was not ready to make use of these in PFL, the place she beforehand fought attributable to that promotion’s guidelines. Harrison was a two-time PFL ladies’s light-weight champion.

The second spherical was extra of the identical. Harrison went for a head kick after which shot in for a takedown, which succeeded. She grabbed for a guillotine choke, which Holm defended. However then she landed a judo journey, acquired Holm’s again and sunk within the rear-naked choke for the victory.

Harrison outlanded Holm 51-2, together with 46-1 within the first spherical.

In her postfight interview within the Octagon, Harrison named bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington and former champ Julianna Peña as potential opponents she’d prefer to face subsequent. It caught the eye of retired champ Amanda Nunes, who posted a video of herself on social media listening to Harrison’s interview and questioning why she did not point out Nunes by identify.

“I did not name Amanda’s identify as a result of Amanda’s not the UFC champion,” Harrison stated at her postfight information convention. “I believed she was fortunately retired. I’d like to win the UFC title, and if Amanda desires to come back again, I’d welcome her with open arms.”

Harrison (17-1) was coming off a unanimous resolution over UFC veteran Aspen Ladd below the PFL banner in November. The Ohio native, who lives and trains in Florida, has solely misplaced to Larissa Pacheco in 2022. Harrison has additionally crushed Pacheco twice. Harrison, 33, had 13 finishes in 18 professional fights.

In PFL, Harrison fought principally at 155 kilos and competed within the Olympics at round 172 kilos. One of many greatest exams for her was making 135 kilos, which she wanted to do to be able to come to the UFC. Harrison efficiently made the burden Friday.

Holm (15-7, 1 NC) had only one loss in her previous 5 fights coming in. The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native famously knocked out Ronda Rousey to win the UFC ladies’s bantamweight title in 2015. Rousey and Harrison have been former judo teammates. Holm, 42, had a profession in boxing earlier than changing to MMA and is within the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame.

Coyotes relocation is on the owner, not us

Say goodnight. The Coyotes are going darkish. Their hockey gamers are relocating to Salt Lake Metropolis. Our inglorious run as a serious league sports activities city is coming to an finish. 

Such a tragic, pathetic, pointless ending. 

For these clinging to hope and redemption, there may be nonetheless an open window. Present proprietor Alex Meruelo can win a state land public sale, as initially meant; navigate all of the zoning points, political shenanigans and unplanned bills that may inconveniently pop up, whereas privately funding the event for a state-of-the-art hockey area.  

He’ll reportedly have 5 years to drag off his personal miracle on ice. 

Many have questioned if and why the NHL would welcome Meruelo again into the fold, an proprietor that stopped paying his payments in Glendale and couldn’t win an election in Tempe on acreage that at the moment homes a landfill. 

Perhaps they don’t need him again within the membership. Perhaps the NHL is simply calling his bluff. Or possibly this shall be Meruelo’s final litmus check after the rocky begin to his stewardship in Arizona. As in: If he can pull this off, he’ll deserve to offer $1 billion again to the NHL, get one other hockey workforce in return and press reset with an enlargement franchise in Arizona. 

Yeah. Not holding my breath. 

The disgrace is how we’ve squandered our big-league standing. The Coyotes received a referendum for a brand new stadium in November 1999, on the identical night time the Spurs received a vote for a brand new area in downtown San Antonio. Optimism was excessive. 

That public vote known as for an area to be constructed at Los Arcos, a run-down shopping center on the doorstep of Outdated City Scottsdale. That undertaking went poof when the Scottsdale mayor didn’t belief Steve Ellman’s funds. The workforce landed in Glendale on a wing and a prayer, careening on nearly 20 years of relocation whispers that produced precisely one prolonged playoff run.   

Alas, their try and get again to the East Valley has been a catastrophe, particularly the horribly botched alternative in Tempe, the place the Coyotes assumed voters would consider in large speak and fairly renderings. 

The disgrace is that we’re an excellent hockey city. 

Whereas Canadian critics are certainly chuckling and chortling over our endgame failure, they may definitely miss the handy flights and low-cost tickets to see their favourite groups play within the Valley. They’re additionally lacking the purpose. 

This failure isn’t ours. That is on the overextended house owners who at all times gave us a diluted, diminished product, failing to offer the form of playoff hockey that grows a fan base and sells itself. That is on the politicians who’ve sabotaged their efforts each step of the way in which.   

In the long run, we’re dropping elite standing, certainly one of 13 cities/areas with all 4 main skilled sports activities. We’re dropping a younger nucleus of gifted hockey gamers, a roster leaving city on the tail finish of an enormous rebuild. And we would lose the grass-roots motion that made the Valley fertile floor for aspiring younger hockey gamers, like present Toronto star Auston Matthews.      

So unhappy, so pointless. There was a time when the Coyotes have been an actual participant on the town. They’d star energy and a downtown handle. They sparked actual conversations round Valley water coolers. And, tragically, the one residence to name their very own was a palace constructed on quicksand, violating the highest three guidelines of actual property: 

Location, location, location. 

Attain Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Hearken to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports activities.

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