Few champions in golf have invited as much personal scrutiny as Patrick Reed

David Becker/Golf ChannelAdmittedly, I have a weakness for certain kinds of reality shows. I was something of a “Big Break” superfan in high school, when the show first came out in the 2003, and when I began seeing promo spots for Golf Channel’s new series “Shotmakers,” I wasn’t just curious. I was genuinely excited.
The show takes place in Topgolf’s stunning new Las Vegas location at the MGM Grand, with the first episodes airing on Monday and Tuesday. In each episode, two-person co-ed teams attempt to accumulate as many points as possible with a series of cash prizes on the line. One team is eliminated each night, with the series whittling down from nine original teams to a three that will advance to the finale, which airs at the end of the month.
Monday night’s format was effectively alternate shot: Each team had a combined five attempts to rack-up as many points as possible by hitting their ball into five different targets (plus a longer ditch at the very back of the range). Teams c..

Jared C. TiltonFor many people, the RBC Heritage is the official name for That Tournament After the Masters, the one with fewer big names, 100% less Tiger and … more expensive drink prices. (To be fair, after you’ve spent 95 minutes traveling there, $12 Bud Lights don’t look so bad). For those of us who lived on Hilton Head Island, this is dumb and wrong and also dumb! Now in its 50thyear, the RBC (it’s a Canadian bank, we guess) Heritage beautifully fills the post-Masters space with a laid-back weekend in lush Hilton Head, a near-perfect destination for people trying to flee a DEATHLESS WINTER THAT WON’T STOP. If this sounds like you, read on.
What’s the vibe that weekend?
The Heritage is easily Hilton Head’s biggest deal of the year, unless an imposing 12-foot alligator emerges from the ocean and heads toward a crowded beach, which happens sometimes. But the Heritage scene is less Furious Golf Combat and more Grown Person Spring Break, everyone hanging around Harbour Town in the swee..

It's a good time to be Mets fan. Yeah, I just jinxed it. Obviously, it's all going to come crashing down in calamitous, gut-wrenching fashion. I know this in my bones. But for now the Metropolitans are 9-1, enjoying the best start to a season in franchise history, and rocking the best celebration in the Majors. Ladies and gentlemen, behold the MIGHTY PEPPER GRINDER!
FacebookPinterestNow, if you're the kind of person who prefers the Yankees' egomaniacal dugout “interviews” or the sociopathic silent treatment the Angels gave Shohei Ohtani following his first major league homer, this one isn't for you in much the same way Rembrandt isn't for people who see Transformers movies. It's subtle. It's tasteful. A little twist goes a long way, and, if you'll excuse the obvious analogy, it really brings out the flavor of the 2018 Mets—a team ridiculed for it's AARP-approved offseason acquisitions and inability to watch Netflix without needing Tommy..

Robert LabergeThe end of this NBA regular season can't come soon enough, especially this year, where the tanking has been so blatant teams are out here losing by 61 points and no one's batting an eye. Yet in a meaningless game 81, the Association somehow provided the story of the year on Tuesday night at the Staples Center.
Due to a slew of injuries, including to top players Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, the Los Angeles Lakers have been severely undermanned as the team tries to finish out another underwhelming year. With two games left and a roster spot in need of filling, Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka called up Andre Ingram, a 32-year-old guard on the L.A.'s G-League team that had never played in an NBA game. On Tuesday Ingram, who has played in the G-League for the last decade, made his NBA debut at the Staples Center, and he damn near carried the Lakers to victory against the Houston Rockets. Check out his full highlights:
https://twitter.com/Bleache..

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) Don Byers didn’t know he was auditioning for a spot on the Bellevue University golf team when coach Rob Brown joined his group as a guest at his club last August.

Byers was booming drives close to 300 yards, making his putts and under par after nine holes.

Brown asked Byers if he had any eligibility left. Byers thought it was a joke.

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He’s a 61-year-old grandfather, after all.

”We laughed about it and moved on,” Byers said, ”but afterward he said he was serious. I gave him my number and said if you are, give me a call. That’s the last I thought I’d hear about it.”

Brown called Byers a couple weeks later and said the offer stood. Now Byers is a freshman on the Bruins’ seven-man roster.

A true graybeard, he’s the oldest NAIA athlete since 61-year-old Alan Moore kicked an extra point for the football team at Faulkner University of Alabama in 2011. NAIA spokesman Chad Waller said he knows of no older competitors in any sport, past or pr..

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Patrick Reed won’t have to wait until next April to defend his title in the Masters.

Even as he slipped into a green jacket, he was perceived more as a villain than a victor.

The loudest cheer from the first tee at Augusta National was for Rory McIlroy, who played with Reed in the final round. The loudest cheer on the 18th green was for Rickie Fowler, who finished ahead of Reed.

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The mood all afternoon screamed out, ”Anyone but Patrick.”

Reed had the last shot, a 3-foot par putt for a one-shot victory and his first major championship.

All he did was play a brand of golf that champions from any era would embrace.

He seized control on Saturday with two eagles on the back nine, the second a 3-wood from just under 270 yards into the wet, heavy air that barely cleared the water in front of the 15th green. From there, he chipped in from 80 feet. And on Sunday, he heard the cheers ahead of him for Jordan Spieth and answered with a 25-foot bi..

Cristiano Ronaldo is no mere mortal. If you're not familiar with the man's oeuvre, first of all, welcome to earth, and second of all, watch the can of whoop-ass he opened on Juventus in last week's Champions League quarterfinals…
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If for some reason that doesn't convince you, here's what happens when a normal everyday schmuck—in this case an Argentinian journalist Manuel Sanchez—tries to recreate the mighty feats of CR7:
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RELATED: This second-division Dutch soccer brawl is peak human stupidity
Now, we're no orthopedic surgeons, but that sure as hell looks like a busted leg, and subsequent images of Sanchez with a walking boot and crutches seem to suggest as much. On the brightside, however, fellow Argentina legend Lionel Messi remains a whopping 15 points clear of Ronaldo and Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table and Sanchez—presumably looking for a little bit of viral sauce—got more than he could hav..

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Rory McIlroy’s fourth bid for the career Grand Slam was his best chance. He played in the final group with Patrick Reed and pulled to within one shot early until his putter failed him. He tied for fifth, and would seem to have time on his side.

”Come back again next year and try,” McIlroy said. ”I’ve played in two final groups in the last seven years. I’ve had five top 10s. I play this golf course well. I just haven’t played it well enough at the right time.”

McIlroy has five straight top 10s, though he has yet to finish closer than six shots to the winner.

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From purely a historical perspective, it might not get any easier the longer he goes.

While five players have completed the career Grand Slam, only three of them knew what they were winning. The modern version of the Grand Slam didn’t really start until Arnold Palmer raised the notion of winning all four professional majors in 1960. No one asked Gene Sarazen about the career Grand S..

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where the loudest roar for Patrick Reed on Sunday may have come from a potential new match-play teammate. Don’t get too jealous, Jordan Spieth:
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In case you don't know, that's NBA star J.R. Smith, who is also arguably the biggest golf fan on the planet. Patrick’s timing in winning the Masters was perfect, because his NYC media tour overlapped with Smith’s Cavs visiting the Knicks. So THE KING was in the building at MSG on Monday night. But even LeBron takes a backseat to CAPTAIN AMERICA (Patrick, please wear golf shoes that say that on the back at your next tournament):
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Wow, J.R. is really itching to play that member-member. We can only hope this entertaining duo teams up on the links — and that someone documents it. In the meantime, there’s plenty to document from a fun-filled week at Augusta National.
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Patrick Reed: Golf is a weird sport, huh? After watching up close R..