The Seattle Seahawks' game plan for this week's divisional-round matchup with the Green Bay Packers will include more Beast Mode.

Coach Pete Carroll said as much Monday, first in his morning radio show on 710 ESPN Seattle and again in his afternoon news conference. Marshawn Lynch has backed up rookie Travis Homer in each of his first two games since rejoining the Seahawks in Week 17, playing a combined 41 offensive snaps, compared to 94 for Homer.

"He's going to play more this week," Carroll said. "He's ready to, and he's had enough time with us. He feels confident about what he's doing and the plan. We can get him in and out of there and have those two guys really go at it."

Lynch scored his second touchdown in as many games in the Seahawks' wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. He also had a 20-yard reception that converted a third-and-1 two plays before DK Metcalf's touchdown.

But Lynch (six carries, 7 yards) and Homer (11 carries, 12 yards) didn't find much running room against Fletcher Cox and Philadelphia's defensive front. Russell Wilson accounted for 45 of the team's 64 rushing yards.

"They're really good," Carroll said of the Eagles' run defense. "They did really well. They loaded it up. They took a lot of shots at us. They brought guys off the edge to try to stop the running game. They've been a real committed run team all year. They gave up 90 yards a game rushing all season long, so they're really good at it. We weren't able to counter it like we had thought. We thought we'd put the ball in the perimeter a little bit on them and try to balance them out, but we didn't get much out of that, either. That's just the way it went."

It didn't help that the Seahawks were dealing with injuries along their offensive line that left them without both of their primary backup tackles and thus unable to employ the heavy packages that have become a staple of their offense. George Fant typically fills that role, but he had to fill in for Duane Brown at left tackle. Jamarco Jones replaced Mike Iupati at left guard.

Carroll said Iupati was still dealing with symptoms of his neck stinger on Monday. Defensive end Ziggy Ansah left Sunday's game after reaggravating his stinger. Carroll didn't know what the status would be for those two this week, nor for Brown, who had a minor knee surgery two weeks ago. Wide receiver Jaron Brown is back with the team after missing the Eagles game to attend to a family situation.

Carroll admitted last week to being surprised by how well Lynch bounced back physically from Seattle's loss to San Francisco in the regular-season finale, which was his first game in 14 months. The Seahawks re-signed Lynch and Robert Turbin after losing Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise to season-ending injuries in Week 16. Rashaad Penny went on IR earlier in December.

Lynch hasn't been on the injury report since his return, indicating full participation in every practice.

"We're really pleased that he's able to take the additional reps," Carroll said. "He feels great. He's doing fine. ... We were taking this one day at a time. It's been nothing but positive. It's been such a positive experience, a great choice by [general manager John Schneider] to get this thing worked out. Give credit to Marshawn for the way he's attacked this thing. He's really going for it. He's doing everything our fans would hope he would do. He's trying to be everything in all aspects of it. He's deserving of seeing some more reps. That's all."

Carroll weighed in on Jadeveon Clowney's hit on Carson Wentz that knocked the Eagles' quarterback out of the game for good, saying there was no ill intent.

"He hit him in the back of the head, but he wasn't trying to hurt him or anything," Carroll said. "That just happened. It's football, and unfortunately, he got banged. Hate that he didn't get to play the game. I don't know. I don't know why there's much discussion about it. I mean, the guy is chasing, and he dove on the guy and hit him. It's unfortunate."

Carroll said Clowney is expected to play this week with the core-muscle injury he has been dealing with since Week 10. The Seahawks will need him as they try to snap an eight-game losing streak (regular season and playoffs) at Lambeau Field, where they last won in 1999.

"There's no tougher place to play than going to Green Bay," Carroll said. "We're as ready as you can get. I like that."

DALLAS -- Opposing defenses go to such great extremes in the attempt to make Luka Doncic uncomfortable that Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle has made a point to publicly and profanely complain about their physical tactics.

Maybe teams should try putting microphones in Doncic's face and asking him about his historic production. He's clearly uncomfortable when that occurs.

"I don't know what to tell you, man," Doncic said with a swarm of media around his locker Monday after his 38-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist performance in a 118-110 win over the Chicago Bulls.

In this instance, Doncic was asked for his thoughts about recording more 30-point triple-doubles this season than the rest of the NBA combined. Doncic has hit that statistical milestone nine times this season, compared to a combined eight by every other player in the league, with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James (three) the only other player with multiple 30-point triple-doubles this season.

Doncic has squirmed several times when asked about his statistical accomplishments this season. For example, he insisted that nobody compared to Michael Jordan when his run of 20-point, five-rebound, five-assist outings surpassed Jordan's for the longest such streak by anyone other than Oscar Robertson. Doncic's streak reached 20 games before ending when he sprained his ankle.

"I don't mind, but [it's] just stats. I think every game is another stat," Doncic said, referring to frequent notes on the rare historical company he joins statistically. "For me, all I would say is it's more important to get a win."

The 23-13 Mavs are 7-4 when Doncic has a triple-double this season. He broke the franchise record set by Jason Kidd in 1995-96 with his 10th triple-double of the season, with 39 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in Saturday's overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

This marks the second time this season that Doncic has had 35-plus-point triple-doubles in consecutive games. He has scored at least 35 points in a triple-double six times this season. Houston's James Harden and the Lakers' James are the only other players to have such games this season, with one apiece.

"The rare thing about Luka is he's doing this at 20," said Mavs shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored 15 points in 22 minutes after missing the previous three games with a strained left hamstring. "I haven't really seen any 20-year-old be this effective on both ends of the floor."

Doncic indeed has no historical peer when it comes to producing triple-doubles at such a young age. He has 19 in his career. Next on the list for most triple-doubles before turning 21: Magic Johnson with seven and James with five.

SAN ANTONIO -- Outside of the visitors locker room at AT&T Center, a scrum of reporters with cameras and microphones huddled around coach Mike Budenholzer to swarm him with questions about Milwaukee's 126-104 loss to San Antonio.

Even after suffering the largest regular-season loss of his Bucks tenure on Monday, the sideline leader defended his team's effort.

"I mean there's no doubt that [DeMar] DeRozan and a few of the other guys made some tough kind of pull-up 2s, midrange, some tough floaters and then they had the 3-ball going, too, so they kinda had everything," Budenholzer said. "I probably could've done a better job at coaching, maybe adjusted earlier, quicker, so I think I need to be better but like I said, we'll learn from it and hopefully we'll be better going forward."

Including the postseason, it was Milwaukee's largest margin of defeat since Game 1 of last season's Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston, after which the Bucks went on to win four straight.

Their latest defeat kicks off a four-game West Coast road trip with Golden State, Sacramento and Portland next on the schedule.

Prior to today, the Bucks (32-6) had dropped only two games this season by double digits, both of which were on the road (11 points at Boston in October, 12 points at Philadelphia on Christmas).

"At the end of the day, we're sitting in a good place right now," Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe said. "This one is out the window. We can't focus on it because it kind of takes me back to the Toronto series when we lost, so we've just got to move on and get prepared for Golden State."

Milwaukee was held to just 40% shooting while the Spurs were hot, shooting 51.1% from the field and 54.3% from 3. Members of the Bucks don't necessarily notice any troubling road trends but more so a fundamental element that they lacked in their road losses.

"If you look at those games, I believe they shot the ball extremely well and we shot the ball poorly," said Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo, who added 16 points off the bench. "So, I think we have to have a little bit more focus, but it's a long season and we'll lock in and get used to being on the road."

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists but called it "big" for his coach to defend the team in his comments. The Eastern Conference's top team was already mentally pushing forward before exiting the San Antonio arena.

"Having a guy like Coach Bud to come out and say, 'Oh, it's my fault. I could've did a better job' and having guys in this locker room to say, 'It's one game, we didn't play well. It's our fault, we've got to do a better job,' that's big instead of us just making excuses," Antetokounmpo said.

"That's why this team is great," he continued. "That's why we're going to keep getting better and we're going to win more games."

PHILADELPHIA -- Joel Embiid said he could miss Thursday's showdown with the Boston Celtics after dislocating his left ring finger in the first quarter of Monday night's 120-113 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Wells Fargo Center.

"That's a possibility," Embiid said after finishing with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists in 32 minutes. "I want to play. It's a big game. Last time we played them, we had great success, but at the end of the day, whatever they want me to do. Obviously, I'll try to fight it, but they care about me, so whatever they want to do. ... We'll see."

When Embiid came to the podium for his postgame interview after meeting with the team's doctor, he wasn't wearing anything on his left hand or finger. Embiid said the evaluation was about the ligaments in his finger.

"They were just talking about the ligament," Embiid said. "They're still figuring out what's next."

The finger became an issue early in the game, when he began flexing his left hand midway through the first quarter. Eventually, he went back to the locker room to get it checked out. Embiid said that at that point, he felt his finger "snapping, and I thought I fractured it."

After he received X-rays and was cleared, he returned to the game. Then, after coming in and again clearly being in discomfort, he went to guard Thunder center Steven Adams in the post and quickly turned away, signaling for a timeout. His ring finger was pointing in a direction it was not supposed to be.

"I came back in, and then it just happened," Embiid said. "It was unfortunate."

After again going to the locker room, Embiid returned at the start of the second quarter with his middle and ring fingers taped together and checked back into the game. That sight was a relief to the Sixers, who saw Embiid's finger and initially were concerned it could be a serious injury.

"Yeah, I nearly threw up when I saw that," Ben Simmons (17 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists) said with a smile. "But I'm glad he came back out. We needed him. He's a big part of this team. We were glad to have him back out there."

"I was worried," said Al Horford, who finished with 13 points in 34 minutes for Philadelphia. "I have had a dislocated finger, but I don't know if it was dislocated or more severe. It looked pretty bad. I was relieved once I saw him come in so quickly and be able to go for the start of the second quarter."

Although Embiid was able to keep playing with the fingers taped, it was clear that he wasn't himself. He admitted after the game that he couldn't go up with two hands to secure rebounds -- one reason Adams was able to finish with 24 points and 15 rebounds, including nine offensive rebounds, matching Philadelphia's team output in that category.

With the Sixers in the midst of a four-game losing streak, Embiid said he was determined to do what he could to get his team a victory.

"It was pretty bad," he said. "I basically could only play with one hand. It was really bad. But in the midst of the losing streak, I just wanted to make sure that I do everything possible to get us a win, and I was glad to get us a win.

"The consequences, you assume them later, but as the leader, I wanted to go out and show your teammates that you want to win, and you're going to do whatever possible to do so."

Even with a lessened Embiid, the Sixers managed to hold off the Thunder, who entered the game with five straight victories and wins in nine of their past 10 games. After taking a 14-point lead in the third quarter, Philadelphia saw the lead dwindle to one in the fourth before managing to hold on, thanks to a late 7-0 run that gave the Sixers some breathing room.

In the end, though, a win is a win -- and, after losing those four in a row, the Sixers were happy to get one however they could. Embiid's return from injury was, in the eyes of Sixers coach Brett Brown, a catalyst toward their doing so.

"For him to go back in and come back out and play, I was shocked [he] was able to come back out and play," Brown said. "That is a tough return to the court. That is a competitive statement. I appreciate him. I respect that. We needed to play well here at home. We haven't been on the right side of the win-loss column lately."

NEW ORLEANS -- A possible non-call that went against the home team in New Orleans. The officials reviewing a call after time expired. Those same officials being escorted out of the playing area showered by boos.

No, this wasn't a Saints playoff game. This was the scene at Smoothie King Center at the end of the New Orleans Pelicans' 128-126 loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday.

Just one day after the Saints' season ended after officials determined there was no offensive pass interference on the final play of the game in overtime, Pelicans coaches, players and fans were also looking for a whistle on the game's last play -- one that could have sent the game into overtime.

With Utah up two, the Pelicans forced Bojan Bogdanovic into a missed 3-pointer, which led to a chance to tie the game or take the lead. Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram grabbed the rebound, and that's where some of the wildness started.

As soon as the ball touched Ingram's hands, three Pelicans signaled for a timeout: Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry and guard Lonzo Ball near half court and guard JJ Redick near where Ingram took in the rebound.

None of those three timeout signals was granted. Redick pulled his back as soon as Ingram took a dribble, and Gentry and Ball stopped once Ingram started gaining steam toward the basket.

Ingram drove directly at Utah center and two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, who was at the rim. Gobert leapt straight up, and Ingram tried to contort his body around Gobert's to get the layup. Ingram's arm wrapped around Gobert, but Gobert's left arm made contact with Ingram's right arm as he released the ball.

The referees signaled that the game was over after going to the review to see if there was time left on the clock after any possible clock malfunction. Once they determined that, because rules prohibit them from retroactively adding a foul in that situation, the game was finished.

Gentry said he wasn't given an explanation on the court for why there wasn't a foul call.

"All we did was exactly what we were supposed to do -- took the ball, drove it hard at the basket -- and then they determined it wasn't a foul," Gentry said. "End of game."

Gentry added that the officials didn't give any explanation for missing the timeout signals, and he can't remember a late-game occurrence in which he wasn't granted a timeout in that situation.

Ball said the coaching staff told players that if they got a stop, they were going to immediately call timeout, and that's what he was doing. Once he saw Ingram going to the goal, he pulled back because "not many people can stop that."

What did Ball think of the end of the game?

"It was a foul, nothing more, nothing less," he said. "We should have got two free throws. We didn't. Ball game."

Ingram took the high road when asked about the contact at the end of the game.

"I don't really think it matters what I saw," Ingram said. "The referee seen something different."

When asked if he was fouled, Ingram said, "I felt like I got hit, but the referee sees differently, so that's the reality of it."

There was a lengthy review at the end of the game, despite most of the Utah bench heading to the locker room, but it didn't have to do with reviewing the foul itself.

Crew chief Kane Fitzgerald told the pool reporter after the game, "On the last play, we saw the drive to the basket by Ingram, and we felt during live play that Rudy played legal defense."

The sting of the game was particularly harsh for the Pelicans, who saw a similar non-call situation play out three weeks ago.

On Dec. 17, the Pelicans should have had a chance to win a game in regulation against the Brooklyn Nets, after the Nets committed a shot-clock violation with 2.7 seconds remaining. However, officials at the time determined that the ball hit the rim, no violation was called, and the Pelicans missed a heave to try to win the game.

The game went into overtime, and the Nets came away with a 108-101 win.

British number three Kyle Edmund was beaten by Filip Krajinovic in his first match of 2020 at the Qatar Open.

Edmund, 24, won the first set but fell to a 6-4 3-6 3-6 defeat by the Serb - the world number 40.

The Briton, who also led by a break early in the decider, had a disappointing 2019 season which saw him slip down the rankings to his current position of 69.

Sixth seed Krajinovic will play Spain's Fernando Verdasco in the last 16.

Favourites Egypt lived up to their billing on finals day of the 2020 Dunlop British Junior Open (BJO) in Birmingham
By DONNA HELMER – England Squash, Marketing and Communications Manager

The tears and tantrums of the past few days were replaced with triumphant smiles as some added to their BJO tallies, others won for the first time and there was even a first title for Pakistan since 2012.

On a day dominated by Egypt with seven trophies in 10 finals, in the pick of the encounters GU19 second seed and three-time BJO champion Aifa Azman was denied a fourth by top seed Jana Shiha winning in straight games 11-7, 11-6, 16-14.

World number 78 Shiha’s power hitting and deft touch when required to save two game balls in the third extended her winning streak to 21 and brought the 18-year-old a maiden BJO title.

“It feels great, I have dreamt of winning this tournament since I was 10!” said Shiha.

Egyptian top seed Moustafa El Sirty also won his first BJO crown by seeing off another three-time champion, second-seeded compatriot Yahya Elnawasany 3-0 in a little over 30 minutes.

El Sirty said: “It’s an awesome feeling! I have always dreamed of achieving this title so it’s a dream come true.”

Both Egyptian boys U13 finalists [2] Youssef Salem and [9/16] Ahmed Rashed used every inch of the court and every angle possible as the second seed came back from a game down to win in four:11-13, 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 – the only match to go beyond three games.

Salem almost got more relaxed as the match went on and his calm demeanour was key against the free-hitting Rashed.

The day’s only upset belonged to GU11 [3/4] Harleein Tan of Malaysia who overcame home hope [2] Mariam Eissa 3-0 while BU11 [2] Yassin Kouritam (Egy) beat [3/4] Seif Belal El Shal (Egy) 3-0.

GU13 top seed Amina Orfi won her third BJO trophy after making light work of India’s [3/4] Anahat Singh 3-0: 11-0, 11-1, 11-4 to claim Egypt’s second title of the day.

“I’m feeling really happy because I’ve won the tournament three times in a row,” said Orfi.

GU15 second seed Fayrouz Abouelkheir (Egypt) made amends for final losses in the U13 event the last two years as she completed the perfect tournament by not losing a game.

The 13-year-old was too hot to handle for [5/8] compatriot Malak Taha, coming through in three in 20 minutes.

Pakistan’s BU15 [2] Muhammad Humza Khan then followed Abouelkheir’s achievement with a perfect streak of his own, showing no signs of nerves as he downed England’s [5/8] Yusuf Sheikh 3-0 in his first BJO final, also his country’s first win since 2012.

The volume went up a few notches as the older age groups took to the court, the day’s fourth all-Egyptian clash in the GU17 providing [2] Sana Ibrahim with her shot at a first BJO title since 2016 to make up for her runner-up finish in 2018.

Ibrahim saved a game ball for [3/4] Nour Khaled Aboulmakarim in the third game to register a 3-0 victory 11-4, 11-9, 12-10, the friends hugging warmly as they went off court.

In a complete contrast, Yorkshire BU17 Sam Todd [1] outplayed the patient Malaysian [5/8] Ishant Shah in three: 11-4, 11-2, 11-2 in 26 minutes with rallies noticeably longer than any match prior on the day.

The BJO title was Todd’s third, adding to wins at U15 and U13s, his recent experience on the PSA Tour proving vital as he was rarely tested by the steady rhythm of Shah.

“I was very happy with the way I played. I didn’t let him get in the match and I thought I was very solid throughout. Overall, I’m just very happy,“ said the 16-year-old, England’s first winner in the age category since James Willstrop in 2000.

Dunlop British Junior Open 2020: final results
GU11 [3/4] Harleein Tan (Mas) 3-0 [2] Mariam Eissa (Eng) 11-6, 11-9, 12-10
BU11 [2] Yassin Kouritam (Egy) 3-0 [3/4] Seif Belal El Shal (Egy) 11-9, 11-6, 11-7
GU13 [1] Amina Orfi (Egy) 3-0 [3/4] Anahat Singh (Ind) 11-0, 11-1, 11-4
BU13 [2] Youssef Salem (Egy) 3-1 [9/16] Ahmed Rashed (Egy) 11-13, 11-3, 11-5, 11-5
GU15 [2] Fayrouz Abouelkheir (Egy) 3-0 [5/8] Malak Taha (Egy) 11-5, 11-4, 11-9
BU15 [2] Muhammad Humza Khan (Pak) 3-0 [5/8] Yusuf Sheikh (Eng) 11-4, 11-3, 11-7
GU17 [2] Sana Ibrahim (Egy) 3-0 [3/4] Nour Khaled Aboulmakarim (Egy) 11-4, 11-9, 12-10
BU17 [1] Sam Todd (Eng) 3-0 [5/8] Ishant Shah (Mas) 11-4, 11-2, 11-2
GU19 [1] Jana Shiha (Egy) 3-0 [2] Aifa Azman (Mas) 11-7, 11-6, 16-14
BU19 [1] Moustafa El Sirty (Egy) 3-0 [2] Yahya Elnawasany (Egy) 11-8, 11-5, 11-7

Pictures courtesy of  England Squash

WELCOME, N.C. – Richard Petty Motorsports has announced that Jerry Baxter will join the organization as crew chief of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE driven by Bubba Wallace in the NASCAR Cup Series.

A native of San Diego, Calif., Baxter is no stranger to teaming with Wallace, as the pair worked together for two seasons dating back to Wallace’s time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. It was with Baxter that Wallace finished third in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series driver point standings in 2014.

As a duo, Wallace and Baxter have amassed five victories, 14 top-five finishes and 25 top-10 finishes while leading 963 laps collectively, as well as securing three pole awards.

“During our time together, he trusted what I did as a crew chief, and trusted himself more and more, and we got better and better as we went,” Baxter said. “This is an incredible opportunity, and change is good. Having the confidence of Bubba and everyone at Richard Petty Motorsports means a lot to me. I am excited about working with Bubba again, and the foundation Richard Petty Motorsports has in place with their group of guys.”

Since 2012, Baxter served as a crew chief in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Series, building strong foundations for many careers. Most recently, Baxter spent the season on top of the pit box for the 2018 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt, collecting four wins en route to championship contention in 2019.

“The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season is a crucial year for Richard Petty Motorsports,” Wallace said. “As a team, we have made a ton of progress from my debut in 2018, and we are looking to continue that progress with Jerry calling the shots.

“He has been a great mentor, and even better friend, since we were able to work together in 2013 and 2014. I am excited to see him get this opportunity in the NASCAR Cup Series, and use our past success to take this team to new levels.”

With 34 years of experience as a crew chief in NASCAR, Baxter has been atop the pit box in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Series. He has scored victories in two of the top three series with nine drivers, including Wallace. In 2007 Baxter led his team to a runner-up finish for the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and guided David Reutimann to his first-career victory.

TOLEDO, Ohio – The ARCA Menards Series West will continue the history of one of the longest-running stock car series in the United States with a 10-race championship schedule this year.

The slate will include visits to seven western states and include stops at some of the most iconic venues in the region.

In its first season under the ARCA banner, the West Series will continue the lineage of crowning series champions that dates back to Lloyd Dane’s Pacific Coast Late Model Division title in 1954.

The slate brings the total ARCA Menards Series calendar to 38 races over 34 weekends, covering the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and the inaugural Sioux Chief Showdown. The showdown is a 10-race super series within the 20-race ARCA Menards Series bringing the best drivers from all three series together.

“Equally important as we move forward with the ARCA Menards Series was ensuring that we maintained the traditions of each of the series,” said ARCA Series president Ron Drager. “We’re very pleased to be able to build a schedule that will not only bring out the best in the drivers over a variety of venues, we were also committed to continuing our relationships with the tracks that have helped build the West series.”

The 67th season will take the green flag at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Thursday, Feb. 20, with the Star Nursery 150 kicking off the Pennzoil 400 weekend at LVMS. The ARCA Menards Series West championship will culminate at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 7, as part of the NASCAR championship weekend.

The West Series has run all three venues at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including seven times on the Bullring, dating back to the 1994 race won by future NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. Last year, Hailie Deegan won a thrilling final lap clash with Jagger Jones to take the checkered on the neighboring half-mile Dirt Track at LVMS. This season, the series will take its action to the fast .375-mile asphalt oval.

Phoenix Raceway has hosted the West since 1977 when another future NASCAR Hall of Famer, Cale Yarborough, won the season finale, and Bill Schmitt won his first of four titles. Ty Gibbs won the 2019 race as Derek Kraus was crowned the series’ champion.

The ARCA Menards West schedule will include its annual road-course event on Saturday, June 13 at Sonoma Raceway. The winding, multi-elevation course in northern California, first hosted the series in 1969 and has been a staple of the schedule every year since 2006.

The three jewels of California short tracks will play crucial roles in the ARCA Menards Series West championship, beginning Saturday, March 28, at Irwindale Speedway and continuing in October at All American Speedway in Roseville (Saturday, Oct. 10) and Kern County Raceway Park (Saturday, Oct. 24). The West has been a regular visitor to Irwindale, outside of Los Angeles, since it opened in 1999, and Kern County since it opened in Bakersfield in 2013. All American, a fairgrounds short-track near Sacramento, first hosted the series in 1977 and has been on the schedule every year since 2008.

The Pacific Northwest will again be home to a pair of races. The Douglas County Speedway on the fairgrounds in Roseburg, Oregon, will welcome the series on Saturday, May 16, while the historic Evergreen Speedway will bring the series to Monroe, Washington, on Saturday, Aug. 8. Roseburg, located south of Portland and Eugene, has held 17 races, including each of the last five years. Evergreen, outside of Seattle, held its first West race in 1964. This year will be the 60th race at the Super Speedway of the West.

Meridian Speedway in Idaho will host the Idaho 208 on Saturday, Aug. 29. The quarter-mile track held one West race in 1972, and has been part of the schedule every year since 2015, including Deegan’s historic first NASCAR win in 2018.

2020 ARCA Menards Series West Schedule

Feb. 20 – The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, Nev.
March 28 – Irwindale Speedway – Irwindale, Calif.
May 16 – Douglas County Speedway – Roseburg, Ore.
June 6 – Colorado National Speedway – Dacono, Colo.
June 13 – Sonoma Raceway – Sonoma, Calif.
Aug. 8 – Evergreen Speedway – Monroe, Wash.
Aug. 29 – Meridian Speedway – Meridian, Idaho
Oct. 10 – All American Speedway – Roseville, Calif.
Oct. 24 – Kern County Raceway Park – Bakersfield, Calif.
Nov. 6 – Phoenix Raceway – Avondale, Ariz.

During his annual media briefing at Kapalua on Sunday morning, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was asked a variety of questions during a 45-minute Q&A session with a small group of reporters. The topics included slow play, gambling and more, including one question about Patrick Reed.

Reed has faced severe scrutiny after the much-maligned player received a two-shot penalty for improving his lie last month at the Hero World Challenge. While Reed maintained that he did not intentionally brush sand back from behind his ball twice during his third round in the Bahamas, many golf fans felt Reed should've received a harsher penalty.

When asked whether Reed deserved further disciplinary action for what unfolded in the Bahamas, Monahan said he felt the punishment was fitting while siding with Reed.

“Golf is a game of honor and integrity, and you've heard from Patrick,” Monahan said. “I've had an opportunity to talk to Patrick at length, and I believe Patrick when he says that [he] did not intentionally improve [his] lie. And so you go back to that moment, and the conversation that he had with [rules official] Slugger [White], and the fact that a violation was applied and he agreed to it, and they signed his card and he moved on.

"To me, that was the end of the matter.”

Only it hasn't been for some golf fans. Reed was heckled considerably at the Presidents Cup in Australia and again at last week's Sentry Tournament of Champions. As Reed missed a birdie putt on the third playoff hole Sunday evening at Kapalua, a spectator could be heard screaming, "Cheater!"

Reed, who lost to Justin Thomas in the playoff, did not comment on the situation afterward.