AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) They’re older now, no longer the 20-somethings who together helped usher golf into a new era.

The evidence of that isn’t in their golf swings, but in their appearance. When Tiger Woods takes off his hat after a round, there’s a pronounced bald spot in the back and Phil Mickelson looks, well, like a guy should look as he approaches the half century mark in life.

In most other sports they wouldn’t contenders. In most other sports they wouldn’t even be playing.

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But here at the Masters, against a field loaded with young talent, they’re among the favorites.

Not just of the fans, who enjoyed the unlikely pairing of Mickelson and Woods in a rare practice round together on Tuesday. Oddsmakers in Vegas think both have a good shot at donning the traditional green jacket on Sunday, and if it’s Mickelson he would be the oldest Masters champion ever.

A Masters for the ages? How about one for the aged?

”We’re at the tail end of our careers, we bot..

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Shubhankar Sharma got his first glimpse of childhood icon Tiger Woods four years ago at the Delhi Golf Club.

Sharma, his father and several friends were among the thousands crammed throughout the tight course to watch Woods play an exhibition round.

”We were pretty much running from one green to another,” Sharma said. ”It was a great thing. Tiger has been a big inspiration not only to me but to a lot of kids back home, so it was just great to watch him play in person and got to learn a lot.”

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Sharma expects to top that this week at Augusta National.

The 21-year-old from India, a rising star on the European Tour, is making his Masters debut and has his sights set on meeting Woods.

He got sort of close on Tuesday.

”I saw his bag outside the clubhouse,” Sharma said with a smile.

Sharma hopes to really cross paths with Woods before play begins Thursday.

”Tiger has a different aura about him and just the player that he is and how he domi..

TheaDesignA 16-year-old allegedly stole a car, led police on a chase through a golf course, and sang the “Cops” theme song when he was finally caught. Score one for the “TV is ruining this country's youth!” crowd.
RELATED: More weird golf news
According to northjersey.com, all of this happened during Saturday's early morning hours in Haworth, N.J. The unnamed Newark teen, who drove through White Beeches Country Club, faces a slew of charges from resisting arrest to burglary, plus he received 10 motor vehicle summonses.
We're guessing cops didn't find him singing “Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do?” very amusing. But at least one observer was entertained.
“It was like 'Live PD' right in front of my house. It was phenomenal,” a witness told NBC.com.
But don't get any ideas, people. Watching “Cops” is fine. Being on “Cops” — unless you're wearing a uniform — isn't.
Shoot, now we've got that song stuck in our heads.
RELATED: Police car..

You know what’s wrong with most grocery stores? You can’t grab a dozen balls and a push cart, while you’re out picking up baby wipes, eggs and some frozen beef vindaloo for dinner.
But now Lidl, the German discount supermarket chain with 10,000 stores worldwide (mostly in Europe, but there are several dozen in the U.S.), has you covered. Just in time for Masters week, the company unveiled a lineup of golf products that includes its own private label golf balls, tees golf bags, golf carts, putters and golf apparel.
FacebookPinterestLike much of Lidl’s items, the golf products come at bargain prices. That includes a dozen balls for $9.99 (a three-piece design with a Surlyn cover), a putter for $19.99 (33- or 35-inch mallet designs with plumbers neck hosels) and a waterproof cart-style bag for $69.99 (14-way divider, 9.5-inch top, six pockets). The products will hit Lidl stores April 15.
The golf products will go under Lidl’s Crivit brand, which also includes fitness and cycling items. Li..

The return of Tiger Woods and Tiger-mania has stolen golf's spotlight. And golf's other marquee at the Masters names don't mind.

Icon SportswireAttention, fans of baseball-adjacent jobs: If you live in Chicago, need some extra cash and don’t mind working for a dancing anthropomorphic bear, have we got news for you!
Five games into the 2018 campaign, the Chicago Cubs are in need of the following: Base hits, the ability to occasionally take a pitch, and, most importantly, someone to handle their mascot while they’re working out that other stuff. The position, which is about to destroy the grammar of this sentence, is officially called Part Time Handler, Mascot Program and frankly, it’s the most pressing of the three. Hits and plate-patience will come around, but if we know anything about Cubs fans, it’s that they’re not really excited or loyal about their team.
Here’s the official job description: “The Part Time Handler, Mascot Program will assist the Mascot Coordinator during all gameday and non-gameday appearances.” So if we’re reading this right, this person will assist the person handling the person inside the..

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) The Latest on the Masters (all times local):

5:25 p.m.

Jordan Spieth admittedly felt a little panic last month at the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida.

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Spieth shot a 6-over 76 in the opening round and missed the cut the following day.

”I made big strides in the last two weeks to get from kind of a panic place to a very calm, collected and confident place,” Spieth said two days before the Masters. ”It’s difficult to do in two weeks. Sometimes it takes years. And I feel like I’ve been able to speed that process up a lot over the last couple weeks.”

Spieth believes he got off to a slow start in 2018 partly because he was sick for most of December. Taking a few lengthy flights in January didn’t help him recover. He missed the cut in Phoenix in early February and reached a low point – especially with his usually steady putter – in the Tampa Bay area two months later.

He says, ”You’re like, `What the heck happened?”’

The 2015 ..

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) The Latest on the Masters (all times local):

2:45 p.m.

Rory McIlroy knows how significant this Masters could be in terms of golf history.

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Once again, he’s got a shot at the career Grand Slam.

The Masters remains the only major championship to elude McIlroy, who has won the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship. Only five players have captured all four of the modern major championships, making it one of golf’s most exclusive clubs.

McIlroy says he needs to ”relish the opportunity that’s been put in front” of him, and then ”go out and grab it.”

Amazingly enough, McIlroy nearly won his first major at Augusta National in 2011. He led after each of the first three rounds and seemed to be cruising toward the green jacket, only to collapse on the back nine Sunday.

McIlroy says that experience made him ”a better golfer, a better person.” Without the lessons learned that day, he doubts that he would’ve had so much success.

Wh..