AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Seven tournaments into the year, Jordan Spieth has two top 10s, two missed cuts and no serious chances at winning.

He also sees no reason to panic just yet.

Certainly not this week.

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His stretch run to the Masters begins Wednesday with the Dell Technologies Match Play, and while Spieth has made it out of group play just once in three years of this format, it’s the first time all year he won’t have a scorecard in his hand.

It’s about winning matches, not posting scores. That might be just what he needs.

”This match play could free me up a bit to play more aggressive and putt more aggressively, and it could be a trigger for a successful rest of the year,” Spieth said. ”That’s what I’m looking forward to.”

Spieth has spent most of the year watching everyone else win and build momentum toward Augusta National.

Dustin Johnson smoked the field at Kapalua to win by eight. Jon Rahm, Jason Day, Justin Thomas and yes, even Phil Mickelson, all..

Andy HaytSAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 24: Wil Myers #4 of the San Diego Padres hits during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on September 24, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Andy Hayt)Many baseball players have been known for playing golf as well, especially during spring training. Fewer are doing so now because of changing workout routines and schedules. But it still remains popular with some players – the San Diego Padres even held a golf scramble at Wildfire in Phoenix this week.
Here are some thoughts from various players on playing the two sports:
Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin on the decline: “Guys are so much more into their sleep and nutrition and are there at the ballpark earlier, and they’re working out. I would say it’s far fewer. Back when I played, it was basically, if you left spring practice early, everyone went to the golf course.
“It’s not the same now. I would say more pitchers golf because they get off a little earlier but not nearly the..

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Tiger Woods has come close to looking like the player who ruled golf for the better part of 15 years, and Ernie Els is happy to see it.

Never mind that Els was on the losing end to Woods more than any other player.

He speaks for his generation of Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and others. Els keeps hearing about the depth of talent being greater than ever, and he has seen it. But he gets weary listening to suggestions that Woods might not have 79 PGA Tour victories if he had to face this group.

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”I’m just glad he’s playing like I know he can play to validate me – validate me, Phil and Vijay,” Els said. ”We weren’t bad players. This guy was a special player. To see him back, playing special stuff again … is great for the game.”

Generational debates are nothing new.

Every generation was better than the next one. Then again, Jack Nicklaus used to lament that Woods was lacking competition from players who had more experience winning majors, ..

How hungry is Seattle for another professional sports franchise? The city is already arguing over a potential—at this point, still very potential—NHL team, before the next steps are taken to bring a hockey team to the Emerald City.
Many expect Seattle to be tapped by the NHL to be its 32nd franchise, given the success of the Las Vegas Golden Knights team, and the purported interest in an NHL team in Seattle—given the report that more than 25,000 people submitted a deposit on season tickets in less than an hour. Amazing—for a team that doesn't exist!
To some in the city, however, the team's nickname might be a mere formality at this point. This comes after Washington's governor Jay Inslee referred to what the team name might be in an interview about the building of a rail line to be installed between Seattle and Vancouver—essentially confirming that the proposed franchise might be more official than anybody thought.
“We cannot wait to get on a high-speed rail line to come..

VERY UNPOPULAR TRUE OPINION ALERT: “Friday Night Lights” the movie is better than “Friday Night Lights” the TV show. These are the facts folks, and they are undisputed. (Editor's note: the opinions of Christopher Powers do not reflect the views of this company.)
Why am I saying this? Well, because the better version of “Friday Night Lights” is among a plethora of fine movies (and TV shows) coming to Netflix this April for all of your pre-summer, post-Masters/March Madness binge-watching needs. Among the other highlights are classics such as “Along Came Polly”, “The Iron Giant” and “Seven.” I'm aware of how eclectic that trio is, and yes, I will watch them in that order.
Now that you've gotten over the initial shock of my very true opinion, it's time to make my case. Let me preface this all by saying the TV Show is not good, but GREAT. It's one of top 10 greatest TV shows ever made. No debate there. But the movie is significantly better, and here's nine of ..

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Memories are strong in match play, which might explain why Ian Poulter picked up a new nickname.

Golf held its version of a selection show Monday night at a downtown hotel when the 16 four-man groups were drawn for the Dell Technologies Match Play. Poulter is the No. 58 seed in the 64-man field, and when his number popped up, he was referred to as a ”ninja” in match play.

Not just once. Three times.

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”I’ve never really gone up against a ninja before in my life, so it will be a new experience,” said Tommy Fleetwood, who faces Poulter in the opening session. ”I don’t know what’s in Austin, but if there is like `Karate for Dummies’ that I can start up on just before Wednesday, I’ll give it a visit.”

He spoke with respect, as most do when it involves Poulter and this head-to-head format.

Fleetwood was finishing up his first full season on the European Tour in 2012 when he watched the Saturday afternoon session of the Ryder Cup at Medinah ..

Welcome to Tuesday in late March. Opening Day is a week out, the Masters two, and the NCAA Tournament, where all your teams have already been unceremoniously booted to the curb anyway, isn't back until Thursday. In other words, we're all a little desperate for A-grade sports content that isn't LeBron slamming a basketball all over some poor sixth man's soul, as entertaining as that is the first 12.3 million times you see it.
But as they say, ask and you shall receive, and so at approximately 1:30pm ET Tuesday, March 20th, 2018 CE, the sports gods reached down, unfurled their glowing palms, and bestowed upon us the glory of Russell Martin. Amen.
https://twitter.com/MLB/status/976155525019652096
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An epic of Homerian proportions, the highlight of Spring Training thus far picks up the Blue Jays catcher tracking a pop-up in foul territory. Casting off his mask, Martin and his epic man bun drift cl..

There are some matches you're fine missing over the next three days at Austin Country Club and a few that you should be glued to if you call yourself a golf fan

According to the Golf Channel, the qualification process will remain unchanged for the 2020 Tokyo Games

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner is out indefinitely after breaking his wrist on a HBP during Monday night's Spring Training game debacle. If you're a Dodgers fan, this is very definitely not a great way to start the season. Turner, who batted .322 with 21 homers and 71 RBIs last year, is arguably the Dodgers' most consistent offensive weapon—a fact not lost on this little guy, who, upon hearing that Turner would be out likely until May, offered his help to the LA medical staff:
https://twitter.com/espn/status/976094740167962624
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So yeah, a perfect 10 on the cute scale, and kudos to Turner for offering tickets to the family. You gotta start' em young and Turner obviously recognizes a Dodgers die-hard in the making. That said, the actual medical merits of kissing a boo-boo remain somewhat less promising. If we were Turner, we'd start with an ice pack and a splint, but wh..