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The 2026 Masters ushers in the next era of PGA golf, the Padres return home after a good road trip, a new pitch introduced to MLB, a scandal involving Patriots head coach and an NFL reporter, and more
For many years, I worked in an office environment where following golf throughout the day felt impossible. This is not one of those years.
This year, I have a clear runway to watch hours upon hours of Masters coverage before we even get to the weekend, and I’m honestly thrilled about it. There’s something about the Masters that is unlike any other tournament, it’s an incredible test for even the greatest golfers on the planet, and it’s all done over lightly-played piano keys in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable.
The Masters officially starts today. And, while they haven’t been at the top of the sport for some years now, the golf world is feeling it as the first Masters post-Tiger and post-Mickelson. Neither guy will be playing, both of them off dealing with their own personal demons, and neither guy will likely ever play it again. It’s time for the next era of golf to take the spotlight.
The weather seems absolutely stunning for all four days, if not a little hot a muggy, so it’ll be up to the golfers themselves to make the shots and win the glory with every golf fan watching them.
Now, onto the links…
San Diego Padres
Padres complete winning road trip with win over Pirates, return home at .500 - San Diego Union-Tribune
After scoring a total of 12 runs and never more than three in their first five games, the Padres scored seven in the finale of their homestand and 27 runs on the six-game road trip. Even after the breakout game at Petco Park on April 1, they left San Diego batting .197 with a .561 OPS. They hit .228 with a .663 OPS over their past six games.
San Diego Padres Daily Farm Report April 8 - MadFriars
Jason Adam pitched in what very well might be his final tuneup before returning to San Diego. Adam needed just 14 pitches to retire all six batters he faced. His average fastball velocity was down nearly two mph to 93, while his spin rate was down 20%. How much of that is due to pitching in high altitude is unclear. However, in four games with El Paso, Adam has yet to allow a run and has only allowed two hits.
San Diego FC / San Diego Wave FC
Eleven San Diego Wave FC Players Called Up for April FIFA International Window - San Diego Wave FC
Eleven San Diego Wave FC players have been called up to represent their respective countries during FIFA’s April international window, spanning five federations across both senior and youth levels.
SDFC tries to bounce back at home after 4-match winless streak - Times of San Diego
While it may be easy to criticize the goalkeeping over the past few weeks, a more objective analysis shows that it is the backline and midfield that are most to blame for the team’s current predicament.
It’s next to impossible for even the best goalkeepers to consistently stop near point-blank shots or penalty kicks, especially when teammates create free counterattacks for the opponents thanks to unforced turnovers.
“Too many guys not executing the way they should be executing and too many young guys who are playing a little bit naive right now. We have to improve from that,” Varas added.
The Masters
History says one of these three golfers will win the Masters - The Athletic
It’s very rare (three times in history) for a first-timer to win at the Masters. The past shows that the winner can usually absolutely bomb a long drive. The winner is also usually one of the top 20 players in the world, and typically not a long shot. And yes, that is unique compared to the other majors.
So, if the numbers are uniquely consistent at this tournament, why not use them to narrow the field to the most likely candidates to win it this year?
Scottie Scheffler brings different vibes to Augusta than other star golfers - ESPN
Tiger and Phil, to different degrees, brought a winning-is-everything ethos to the sport, complete with plenty of off-course soap operas and scandals. Scheffler appears to be a well-adjusted, soft-spoken, faith-balanced, family man from Texas.
This week he spoke, again, about how he didn’t want winning and losing to define him. He noted that he doesn’t know how to use Instagram, which explains the sporadic posting. On Wednesday, he walked through the crowds to the practice green, carrying his putter, all alone, without any caddie, entourage or security. Perhaps he thought no one would notice him.
He appeared more comfortable discussing his family -- he and wife Meredith have Bennett, nearly 2, and newborn Remy -- than his golf swing. Meredith, for example, is handling the midnight wake-ups so he can get some sleep, it being Masters week and all.
Masters 2026: Former major winner reportedly kicked off Augusta National property for having a cell phone - Yahoo Sports
Augusta National is serious about its no-phones policy, and not even former major champions are immune. According to a report in Golfweek, Mark Calcavecchia, the 1989 Open champion, was escorted from Augusta National by security in a phone-related incident.
Patrons at Augusta National cannot have cell phones anywhere on property, a rule that’s been repeated so often that it’s a key foundational element of the Augusta National culture. In case you haven’t been paying attention to golf the last, oh, nine decades, the Masters also helpfully notes throughout every entryway to the course that phones are not in any way permitted.
Bryson DeChambeau: Using iron made with 3D printer at Masters - ESPN
DeChambeau, who got his nickname because of his analytical, physics-based approach to golf, said he has been working on building his own clubs for years.
Why use at least one -- or maybe more -- in the Masters?
“Because they’re finally ready,” DeChambeau said.
The United States Golf Association would have to approve DeChambeau’s clubs before they are used in competition.
Odds & Ends
What would you call this pitch? - The Bandwagon
If I were talking to a new fan or a kid trying to learn the game, well, I don’t know what I’d say. Because that thing is being called a slider. The common understanding of a slider is that it breaks toward a pitcher’s glove hand, so a right-handed pitcher’s slider typically dives away from a right-handed hitter. So this is generating interest for being a wrong-way slider, or a backward slider.
Shai, Jokic, or Wemby? Picking the NBA’s Impossible MVP Race. - The Ringer
To me, lost in the conversation about two-way players—defense being 50 percent of the game, etc.—is the rudimentary fact that outscoring your opponent by a ton when you’re on the floor, regardless of how it looks or happens, is kind of the whole idea. Jokic generates the most points in the league (53.7 per game) for an offense that continues to be the sport’s golden standard. When he’s on the court, Denver yields an NBA-best 125.8 points per 100 possessions. This is largely thanks to an anti-solipsistic approach that directly enhances all of his teammates, nearly all of whom are considerably more efficient when they share the floor with him. Jokic is first in passes and touches while ranking 38th in on-ball percentage among players who’ve logged at least 1,500 minutes. Life at his side is the basketball equivalent of a beach vacation.
Mike Vrabel And Dianna Russini Insist There’s Nothing Strange About Them Holding Hands And Hugging At A Hotel - Defector
In the midst of yet another apocalyptic news cycle, nothing lifts my spirits more than a good old-fashioned sex scandal. And what’s this? It appears that Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who once told the world he’d cut off his own penis to win a Super Bowl, has decided to make good use of that penis while it’s still attached to his body. Tuesday night, Page Six ran a series of photos showing Vrabel getting up close and personal with The Athletic’s NFL insider Dianna Russini at an adults-only, honeymooner resort in Sedona, Ariz. Both Vrabel and Russini are married, just not to each other. They also each have two kids … again, not with one another. Oh shit.