Matsuyama, The Master

April 12, 2021

By: Carlos Alvarez

Welcome Back 

For the first time in the 85-year history of The Masters, an Asian-born golfer dons the green jacket. A historic weekend in sports didn’t disappoint. Let’s run it back.

Letter Rip!

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THE MASTERS ️

Matsuyama, The Master

Photo: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images

Hideki Matsuyama (-10) Makes History With Win at Augusta National

 

Never before in the 85-year history of The Masters had an Asian-born golfer won the green jacket, but that drought ended on Sunday. Hideki Matsuyama — behind a scorching hot 65 (7-under) on Saturday — went wire-to-wire atop the leaderboard on Sunday at Augusta National. The 25th-ranked golfer in the world took a four-shot lead into the final round before holding off a trio of challengers in Will Zalatoris, Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth. Matsuyama walked onto the 18th tee with a two-stroke lead needing a bogey to win it. He put his second shot in the greenside bunker and brought a little drama to the finale. But an up-and-down tap-in for bogey sealed the deal.

 

Matsuyama, The Master

Sunday’s victory was the sixth PGA Tour win for the 29-year-old Japanese golfer, but it was his first win in 2021. On Sunday’s broadcast, commentator Nick Faldo tried to express what the win means for Japan. He predicted that Matsuyama will earn the honor of lighting the Olympic flame this summer. Time will tell. Congrats to the new champion in the green jacket, Hideki Matsuyama.

 

Final Leaderboard

H. Matsuyama (-10)

W. Zalatoris (-9)

X. Schauffele (-7)

J. Spieth (-7)

J. Rahm (-6)

M. Leishman (-6)

J. Rose (-5)

 

Other Notable Scorecards: C. Conners (-4), P. Reed (-4), T. Finau (-3), C. Morikawa (-1), P. Mickelson (E), J. Thomas (E) | Full Leaderboard

 

Highlights: Every Shot From Matsuyama’s Final Round

 

Additional Storylines

Watch: Matsuyama Caps Historic Week of Firsts

Golf Channel: The Hideki Matsuyama Impact is Just Beginning in Japan

PGA: Hideki Matsuyama’s Win Will Inspire His Homeland

Golf.com: 13 Photos That Capture the Emotion of Hideki Matsuyama’s Historic Masters Victory

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MLB

Pitching Padres: The Musgrove No-No

Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

Joe Musgrove Tosses 1st No-Hitter in Padres History After Return to San Diego

 

It didn’t take long! After the Padres acquired Blake Snell and Yu Darvish this offseason, who knew that Joe Musgrove would be the one to deliver the first no-hitter of the 2021 MLB season. Musgrove fanned 10 batters over nine shutout innings with 112 pitches in a 3-0 win over the Rangers. It wasn’t just the first no-no of the MLB season, but the first in the Padres’ 53-year franchise history.

 

“It’s awesome to have it be in a Padres uniform. To have it be the first in the history of the franchise, that’s incredible.” — Joe Musgrove

 

Musgrove was born and raised just outside San Diego, and he grew up a Padres fan. It was just his second start for the team since returning to San Diego this offseason.

 

Watch: All 27 Outs From Joe Musgrove’s No-Hitter

 

Fun Fact: Victor Caratini was behind the plate for Musgrove’s no-hitter. He was also behind the plate for Alec Mills’ (Cubs) no-hitter in September of last season, making him the first ever to catch successive no-hitters in MLB history.

 

Additional Storylines

The Athletic: Hometown Hero: Joe Musgrove Gives Padres a No-Hitter Catharsis (Paywall+)

CNN: Hometown Pitcher Throws First No-Hitter in San Diego Padres History

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NBA

When It Rains, It Pours

Photo: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images

High-Scoring NBA Performances Delivered Historic Weekend in the Record Books

 

With less than a month until the NBA playoffs, teams are turning things up a notch. That was evident over the weekend when a flurry of players absolutely shredded the scoresheet with record-setting performances. Jayson Tatum (53), Zach LaVine (50) and Gary Trent Jr. (44) poured in career-high scoring nights. LaVine’s first 50-ball still came in a loss, but he had 39 in the first half. Meanwhile, Tatum became the first Celtics player to score 53 points in a game since Larry Bird (60 points, 1985). The Raptors’ newly-acquired Gary Trent Jr. may have had the best showing of all, tallying 44 with only two missed shots (17-for-19, FG).

 

When it rains it pours, and it’s starting to pour in the NBA playoff race.

 

NBA Breakout Performances

*Jayson Tatum (Celtics): 53 points

*Zach LaVine (Bulls): 50 points

*Gary Trent Jr. (Raptors): 44 points

Trae Young (Hawks): 42 points

Donovan Mitchell (Jazz): 42 points

Zion Williamson (Pelicans): 38 points

Steph Curry (Warriors): 38 points

 

*Career-High

 

Other Highlights

Enes Kanter Sets Blazers’ Single-Game Rebound Record (30)

Hornets’ Miles Bridges Posterizes Clint Capela With Dunk of the Year

Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan Nets 33 Points & Game-Winner to Sink Mavericks

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🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

🏒 NHL: Capitals Ring 8 Goals on Bruins

The Washington Capitals had a lamp-lighting party on Sunday in Boston when they shellacked the Bruins (8-1). T.J. Oshie, Connor Sheary and Lars Eller scored two goals each, and Washington is back atop the East.

 

⚽️ NWSL: The NWSL Challenge Cup

The NWSL season kicked off over the weekend with the first four matches in the Challenge Cup. Two played to a draw — Orlando-Louisville and Houston-Chicago — while Portland Thorns FC and North Carolina Courage were season-opening winners.

 

⚽️ EPL: Pulisic Scores Brace for Chelsea

American Christian Pulisic (2 goals) had one of his best showings yet in a Chelsea uniform this weekend as the Blues crushed Crystal Palace (4-1).

 

🏒 NCAAH: UMass Wins NCAA Men’s Hockey Title

The University of Massachusetts men’s hockey team won its first championship on Saturday with a shutout win (5-0) over St. Cloud State.

 

🥎 NCAAS: Pitcher Throws 21-Out Perfect Game

Have a night, Hope Trautwein! The North Texas softball pitcher struck out all 21 batters for a perfect game, no-hit shutout on Sunday.

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THE STORYLINES 

⛳️ Lee Elder Has His Day in the Sun

The ovation began as Lee Elder approached the first tee at Augusta National Golf Club… Tiger Woods’ mentor, and the man who broke the color barrier at The Masters in 1975, finally had his moment as an honorary starter. (GolfWeek)

 

🏈 Altering the NFL’s Jersey Numbers

NFL owners are expected to approve a proposal that would alter the league’s jersey-number rules in 2021. The rule-change was proposed by the Chiefs, and it would allow receivers, running backs and tight ends to wear single-digit numbers. (SI)

 

🏛️ A Sad Season for College Sports

More than 171 collegiate sports programs have been eliminated since March 2020 because of what most schools have described as financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s how athletes and coaches are coping with their programs getting cut. (USA Today)

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