AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Facts and figures for the Masters:

Tournament: The 82nd Masters.

Dates: April 5-8.

Article continues below …

Site: Augusta National Golf Club.

Length: 7,435 yards.

Par: 36-36-72.

Purse: To be determined ($11 million in 2017).

Field: 86 players (80 professional, 6 amateurs).

Cut: Top 50 and ties, and anyone within 10 shots of the lead.

Defending champion: Sergio Garcia.

Last year: Sergio Garcia won his first major in his 70th attempt as a pro, rallying from a two-shot deficit with six holes to play to beat Justin Rose on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. The turning point came at the par-5 13th when Garcia had to take a penalty drop from the bushes left of the tee. He saved par, went birdie-eagle to tie Rose and won with a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole in sudden death after Rose made bogey.

Eye on Tiger: Tiger Woods returns after missing the Masters three of the last four years with a back injury.

The odds: The Westgate Las Vegas Superbook..

If you haven't noticed, the internet is a wretched, vile, despicable and miserable place. The keyboard warriors will chew you up and spit you out before you've even had time to process being chewed up and spit out. Just ask Ken Bone, who went from political Twitter sensation to creepy porn guy in a matter of 24 hours.
But there are rare viral sensations who can stand the test of time, and by test of time I mean almost two full weeks. The shining example of this is Loyola Chicago's Sister Jean, whose improbable run has lasted throughout the NCAA Tournament without a hitch. Obviously, being a 98-year-old nun helps, but the Twitter eggs and internet investigators are ruthless enough to dig up dirt and attack just about anyone, including an elderly sister. But so far, Sister Jean has remain unscathed.
But a good thing can only last so long, and with the massive media attention coming Loyola Chicago's way for the Final Four, it appears the callous, cold-hearted commenter..

A capsule look at 15 top contenders for the Masters, which starts April 5 at Augusta National Golf Club:

DUSTIN JOHNSON

Age: 33.

Article continues below …

Country: United States.

World ranking: 1.

Worldwide wins: 17.

Majors: U.S. Open (2016).

Masters moment: Slipping down the stairs and wrenching his back on the eve of the Masters, leading him to withdraw as the No. 1 player and heavy favorite in 2017.

Backspin: He doesn’t have nearly the momentum he had last year when he was coming off three straight victories. But he hasn’t been awful, either, except for his 0-3 mark at Match Play. He won Kapalua and was runner-up at Pebble Beach. He figured out how to play the course two years ago when he contended for the first time.

—

BUBBA WATSON

Age: 39.

Country: United States.

World ranking: 21.

Worldwide wins: 12.

Majors: Masters (2012, 2014).

Masters moment: Hooking a gap wedge out of the trees on No. 10 to set up a par in a sudden-death playoff for his first Masters victor..

Icon SportswireDeontay Wilder—40-0 WBC heavyweight title holder/227-pound human bio weapon—is a scary dude. If you're not familiar with his oeuvre of pain, just check out what he did to Bermane Stiverne back in November, which at the time we called “the single most terrifying highlight of the sports weekend.”
But if you think that's scary (and it most definitely is), just wait until you hear what Wilder had to say about his, er, career goals in an interview with Charlamagne tha God and Angela Yee on The Breakfast Club on Friday morning:
When asked about “sympathy” for his opponents, Wilder responds immediately and with emphasis:
“I want a body on my record. I want one. I really do.”
At that point the entire room goes dead silent as Wilder goes on to explain that it's not really him, but his Bronze Bomber alter-ego—an unthinking, unfeeling masked haymaker machine—who wants the blood on his gloves.
“When I'm the Bronze Bomber, I don't really care. Everything abou..

The Masters Par 3 is the rare tournament players aren't overly keen on winning. Or so goes the superstition since no one has ever won the Par 3 and the Masters in the same year.
FacebookPinterestblog-rory-wozniacki.jpg

But what the tournament lacks in cutthroat competition, it makes up for in surprise cameos. Take, for instance, the presence of Caroline Wozniacki, who caddied for then-boyfriend Rory McIlroy in 2013. The sight of a former world No. 1 tennis player in a caddie jumpsuit might be groundbreaking material if not for the fact that by Par 3 standards, celebrity caddies are nothing new.
Related: Augusta National's Unwritten Rules
Below our list of noteworthies:
FacebookPinterestblog-roddick.jpg

Andy Roddick: The now-retired tennis star, himself an avid golfer, looped for Zach Johnson in the Par 3 in 2011. The two hadn't met prior to that day, but they got along well enough for Johnson to let Roddick get in a swing himself, which he summarily dunked in the water..

Logan Riely/Atlanta BravesThe breakout star of the 2017 MLB season wasn't a player or manager, but instead a mid-inning speedster know only as The Freeze. The Freeze's skill set is obvious—pure sneaker-melting speed—and mission simple—to incinerate hapless ballpark goers in flip flops—and by the looks of things on Opening Day, he's already in mid-season form:
https://twitter.com/BeatTheFreeze/status/979478403614232581
https://twitter.com/BeatTheFreeze/status/979469016489189377
A security guard, member of the Braves' ground crew, and college sprinter, Nigel Talton has now stretched his 15 minutes of fame into at least half an hour, attracting the attention of one Usain Bolt with his Thusday histrionics.
https://twitter.com/usainbolt/status/979488249323442176
Needless to say, having the world's fastest man say you're too quick him has to feel pretty cool, but we're sure it felt even better after Nick Markakis blasted a three-run walk-off homer to top th..

If you're a hockey fan, or follow this site, you know about the NHL's emergency goalie rule, requiring teams to have an EBUG (emergency backup goalie) in the building at each home game. We've covered a few of the funnier EBUG stories this year, like the New York Rangers “McBackup” and the St. Louis Blues vending machine worker that took shots in warmups.
But neither McBackup nor vending machine guy had to see any real action, which seems like it would be a dream come true until it actually happens and 90+ MPH clappers are being fired in your general direction. For Blackhawks emergency goalie Scott Foster, this “dream”/worst case scenario was realized on Thursday night, when Chicago's starter Anton Forsberg was scratched before the game and backup Collin Delia was injured late in the third period. Foster, a 36-year-old accountant, was immediately thrown into the fire against the Winnipeg Jets, and he did a damn good job of goaltending, saving all seven shots he faced..

Miami HeraldBaseball is back and, judging by what we saw on Thursday, quite possibly better than ever. On an Opening Day when all 30 MLB franchises were scheduled to play for the first time (and 26 actually did), mayhem was expected and insanity was delivered, literally from the very first pitch. So if you, contributing member of the American workforce, missed any of the ridiculous October-in-April highlights, don't worry, we're here to help, breaking down the biggest moments from the first best (and best first?) day in baseball.
Ian Happ Swings First, Asks Questions Later
What's the best possible way to start an MLB season? SURVEY SAYS: A first pitch dingah! Just ask little-known Cubs leadoff man Ian Happ who blasted a homer off Jose Urena on the very. first. pitch. of. the. season. In other news, it's going to be a long, longgggg year for the Marlins.
The Bronx Hypetrain Leaves the Station
Ask any Yankees fan for the time, and they'll tell you all about how, ..

Golf-fitness professional Kaitlyn Pimentel has designed a simple cardio routine that requires little more than a pair of sneakers—and your commitment. You can vary sets and duration based on your fitness level, but be prepared to sweat.

In the 83-year history of the Masters, none of the nearly 6,500 golfers who have played in the tournament have been able to accomplish this