BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Sabres' list of injuries continues to grow, with defenseman Rasmus Dahlin out indefinitely with a concussion.

The playmaking defenseman was hurt when he was elbowed in the face by Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak during Buffalo's 5-2 loss Monday. Cernak wasn't penalized for the hit but has since been issued a two-game suspension by the NHL.

With Dahlin's addition, the Sabres have five regulars on the injured list as they prepare to host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.

The Sabres also announced forward Vladimir Sobotka is out indefinitely after having surgery on an injured right knee.

The team said doctors determined surgery was an appropriate step while Sobotka recovers from a hip injury he suffered in a game against Tampa Bay in Sweden on Nov. 8.

The 11-year veteran is in his second season with Buffalo and has a goal and two assists in 16 games.

Luke Shaw will face FC Astana in the Europa League on Thursday after being told that he must dislodge Brandon Williams from the Manchester United team following the teenager's emergence this season, sources have told ESPN FC.

Shaw, a £30m signing from Southampton in 2014, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since August and his absence has led to 19-year-old Williams grasping his chance in the left-back position for the club.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjkaer has been so impressed by the performances of Manchester-born Williams that he has now shelved plans to sign competition for Shaw in the January transfer window, sources have told ESPN FC.

With Williams missing the trip to Kazakhstan in order to prepare for Sunday's Premier League clash with Aston Villa alongside the majority of United's senior players --Shaw, Jesse Lingard and goalkeeper Lee Grant are the only experienced players to travel to face Astana -- Shaw will be handed the chance to prove his worth to Solskjaer against the Kazakh champions.

Sources have told ESPN FC that, while Shaw remains a key member of Solskjaer's squad, the emergence of Williams has given the former England defender a much-needed jolt in terms of making him earn his place.

The 24-year-old has made just 109 appearances in all competitions for United in five years due to injury and form issues and Solskjaer had been determined to test his resolve by signing a left-back to compete for the first-team spot.

Williams has now solved that problem for the United manager, who is now set to focus his attentions on bolstering his options in midfield, both in the centre and on the right-hand side.

Cape Cobras will not be sanctioned for missing Cricket South Africa's (CSA) transformation target in a four-day first-class fixture last month. They will, however, be expected to make up the numbers in a future match.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that a meeting between the Cobras and CSA, which took place shortly after it was reported that CSA were yet to launch its inquiry, resulted in the board all but accepting the Cobras' reasons for their team selection and undertaking to discuss the implementation of targets at domestic level, which could change in the near future.

As reported two weeks ago, CSA was due to consider aligning domestic targets with national targets, which are calculated on average over a season, after their coaches' conference in May. This did not happen but the matter is expected to be on the agenda at CSA's next meeting along with a proposal to not distinguish between players of colour (including those of Asian or Mixed Race heritage) and black African players.

Currently, the national team must field an average of six players of colour of which at least two must be black African, while domestic franchise teams must field six players of colour including at least three black Africans. The national team's targets are calculated over the course of a season, but the domestic teams have been expected to adhere to targets in every game until the Cobras opted not to.

By the system followed at national-team level, if only two black African players are included in the XI in any match and four in another, the target would be considered to have been met.

For their first fixture against Warriors, the Cobras fielded only two black African players in their XI, among seven players of colour. The Cobras explained their selection to CSA in writing before the match, saying they prioritised giving those players who had returned from the Test tour of India (such as Zubayr Hamza and George Linde) game time while also retaining in-form players from the previous three rounds. They claim CSA understood and approved their team.

When the match began and the team was made public, CSA was questioned about the composition of the Cobras' line-up. CSA spokesperson Thamie Mthembu told ESPNcricinfo that an inquiry would be conducted to ascertain whether the Cobras had a valid reason for missing the target.

CSA is yet to deliver its findings in writing to the Cobras or to make them public but sources have revealed that the franchise will not be penalised. Instead, they will be expected to field four black African players in a fixture later in the season, in what is essentially an application of the system used with the national team.

Whether that will prompt a change that applies to throughout the domestic system is yet to be seen. The five other domestic franchises have treated the target as mandatory since they were implemented in 2016 but, having seen the Cobras successfully argue otherwise, they may be tempted to do the same.

Tiger Woods had just celebrated his 33rd birthday, the days going by slowly as he endured rehabilitation from major knee surgery and attempted to reassemble the pieces of a golf swing that had won him the U.S. Open a few months earlier.

The questions in early 2009 were about when he would return to competition, how his knee would respond and whether it would have any impact on his chase of Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships. It was a long way removed from what would unfold later in the year, when Woods' personal life unraveled due to an infidelity scandal that played out for months and months.

Although Woods rebounded from his personal woes to win again -- it would take more than two years -- he would need nearly 10 more years before he added that major title that seemed a formality back then.

Here is a rundown of the events leading up to Woods' Thanksgiving 2009 car accident that altered his life and career path -- and the key events that followed through the decade and his 82nd PGA Tour victory, which tied Sam Snead for the record.

Before the scandal

Feb. 25, 2009
Returns to the PGA Tour after eight months away due to surgery to replace the ACL in his left knee that occurred just days after winning the U.S. Open, his 14th major title, in a playoff over Rocco Mediate. Woods makes it to the second round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, where he is defeated by Tim Clark.

March 29, 2009
Stuns Sean O'Hair by coming from five strokes back at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, converting a birdie putt on the 18th hole at Bay Hill to capture his first tournament title since the 2008 U.S. Open in just his third start after returning from knee surgery.

July 17, 2009
Coming off his third victory of the year at the AT&T National and having posted eight top-10 finishes -- including three wins -- in nine starts, Woods surprisingly misses the cut at The Open after rounds of 71-74 at Turnberry. It is his first missed cut as a pro at The Open and just his third as a pro in major championships.

Aug. 16, 2009
Following consecutive victories at the Buick Open and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Woods goes for three in a row at the PGA Championship, where he has a four-shot lead through 36 holes and a two-shot advantage heading into the final round. But unheralded Y.E. Yang shoots a final-round 70 to Woods' 75. It was the first time Woods failed to hold on to a 54-hole lead in a major championship.

Sept. 13, 2009
Cruises to an eight-shot victory with a final-round 68 at the BMW Championship, his sixth win of the year on the PGA Tour.

Sept. 27, 2009
Finishes second to Phil Mickelson by three strokes at the Tour Championship but wraps up his second FedEx Cup title in three years.

Nov. 15, 2009
Posts a seventh worldwide victory of the year by shooting a final-round 68 at Kingston Heath to capture the Australian Masters in Melbourne.

Nov. 25, 2009
A story published by the National Enquirer alleges Woods was having an affair with a New York woman named Rachel Uchitel, who had been with Woods while he competed in Australia. She later denied the report.

The scandal erupts

Nov. 27, 2009
Woods crashes his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and a neighbor's tree early Friday morning following Thanksgiving. The incident happened just yards from his Florida home. Woods' wife, Elin, used a golf club to smash a back window as Tiger lay unconscious. Woods was briefly hospitalized.

Nov. 29, 2009
Woods releases a statement on his website taking blame for an "embarrassing" crash and saying that "This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again."

Nov. 30, 2009
Citing the injuries suffered in the accident, Woods withdraws from the Chevron World Challenge, the annual tournament that benefits his foundation and is run by his staff. He says he will not compete again until next year.

Dec. 1, 2009
The Florida Highway Patrol announces that Woods faces a $164 fine for careless driving and four demerit points against his driver's license. He will not face criminal charges. The same day, Us Weekly magazine says it has a cover story in which Jaimee Grubbs, a 31-year-old cocktail waitress, says she had an affair with Woods for more than two years and has text messages to prove it.

Dec. 2, 2009
Woods admits to unspecified "transgressions" that he regrets "with all my heart" in a statement on his website. "I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves," he said. "I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone."

Dec. 9, 2009
Grubbs, on a syndicated entertainment show, apologizes to Woods' family for her affair with the golfer.

Dec. 11, 2009
The Sun, a British tabloid, reports that Woods is ready to quit golf to save his marriage. Woods releases a statement the same day on his website saying he is taking an indefinite leave from golf to work on saving his marriage. "After much soul-searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf," Woods said. "I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person."

Dec. 12, 2009
Gillette, one of Woods' sponsors, says it will phase him out of its advertisements while he takes time away from the game.

Dec. 13, 2009
Accenture Ltd. becomes the first major sponsor to completely cut ties with Woods, saying the golfer is "no longer the right representative" after the "circumstances of the last two weeks." Woods had made his return at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in February.

Dec. 15, 2009
The New York Times reports that Woods is linked to Canadian doctor Anthony Galea, who is under investigation for providing athletes with performance-enhancing drugs. The report says Galea visited Woods' home four times as Woods was recovering from knee surgery to provide "blood spinning" -- a legal procedure -- to help speed recovery.

Dec. 16, 2009
Woods is voted Athlete of the Decade by The Associated Press. According to the AP, more than half of the ballots were returned after his Nov. 27 accident. Woods received 56 of 142 votes cast after November. Lance Armstrong had 33 votes and Roger Federer had 25.

Dec. 17, 2009
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem speaks for the first time and attempts to dispel the "doom-and-gloom" outlook for golf without Woods, while acknowledging that "no sport would be at the same level without its No. 1 player." On the same day, Woods is voted Player of the Year for 2009 by the Golf Writers Association of America.

Dec. 18, 2009
Dr. Anthony Galea's lawyer says Woods is in no way linked to the criminal charges brought against his client. The PGA Tour announces that Woods has won its Player of the Year honor, voted on by players.

Dec. 31, 2009
AT&T becomes the second sponsor to break ties with Woods. The company will continue to sponsor the AT&T National, which benefits Woods' foundation, but Woods will not be the tournament host.

Jan. 16, 2010
Several reports indicate Woods has checked into a sexual addiction treatment facility in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Four days later, a celebrity website posts photos from the National Enquirer that show Woods at the facility.

Feb. 11, 2010
Woods leaves inpatient therapy after 45 days and returns to his Florida home.

Feb. 19, 2010
In a 13½-minute statement televised to a worldwide audience from PGA Tour headquarters in Florida, Woods makes his first public comments since the scandal began but takes no questions. "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did was not acceptable," Woods says to a room full of family members, supporters and three journalists. "For all that I have done, I am so sorry. I have a lot to atone for, but there's one issue I really want to discuss. Some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It hurts me that people would fabricate a story like that." Woods gives no indication when he will return to competitive golf.

Feb. 20, 2010
Woods leaves home for family counseling in Arizona.

Feb. 25, 2010
Gatorade ends its contract with Woods after having three years earlier announced plans to develop a branded drink called Gatorade Tiger.

March 3, 2010
Woods' longtime caddie, Steve Williams, tells a New Zealand television show that he knew nothing about the golfer's extramarital affairs and was angry with him about his behavior. "Tiger is one of my closest friends and needs my support right now," Williams says. "And I'd never think of walking away."

March 16, 2010
Woods issues a statement announcing his return to competitive golf at the Masters. "After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta," he says.

March 21, 2010
Woods conducts his first television interviews, five minutes each with the Golf Channel and ESPN, in which parameters are set for him to be standing during each. He tells Golf Channel that he tried to stop having extramarital affairs but couldn't; he tells ESPN he is "a little nervous" about the reception he will receive from spectators at the Masters. Read the entire interview here.

April 5, 2010
Woods takes questions from reporters for the first time in a surprising news conference set up by Augusta National on the Monday of tournament week. "Going forward, I need to be a better man than I was before," he says.

April 7, 2010
In a harsh rebuke, Masters chairman Billy Payne -- without prompting during his annual pre-tournament news conference -- says Woods did not live up to his role model expectations and had "disappointed all of us, and more importantly, our kids and our grandkids."

Golf and injuries

April 8, 2010
In the first round of the Masters, his first competition in five months, Woods shoots 68 at Augusta National -- the first time he has broken 70 on the opening day of the tournament.

April 11, 2010
Woods begins the final round with a chance at victory, but falls out of contention and shoots 69, tying for fourth.

April 30, 2010
With a second-round 79 at the Quail Hollow Championship, Woods misses the 36-hole cut for just the sixth time in his career, with his score of 153, 9 over, the highest of his career.

May 9, 2010
During the final round of the Players Championship, Woods withdraws on the seventh hole with a neck injury he fears is a bulging disk.

May 10, 2010
Noticeably absent during the Players Championship, Hank Haney, Woods' coach since 2004, says he is no longer his swing coach.

June 20, 2010
At Pebble Beach -- where Woods won the U.S. Open by 15 strokes 10 years earlier, he is in the second-to-last group after a back-nine 31 on Saturday, but bogeys five of his first 10 holes on Sunday to fall out of contention and finish tied for fourth.

July 4, 2010
For the first time in 11 years, Woods fails to break par in any round of a PGA Tour event, tying for 46th at the AT&T National, where he had won the year prior.

July 18, 2010
After changing putters for the first time in 12 years, Woods is not a factor at St. Andrews, where he had won the previous two Opens. He ties for 23rd, 13 shots behind champion Louis Oosthuizen.

Aug. 8, 2010
At a place where he has won seven times, Woods beats just one player at Firestone during the Bridgestone Invitational, posting the highest 72-hole score of his career (298) to finish in a tie for 78th.

Aug. 10, 2010
At the PGA Championship, Woods asks instructor Sean Foley to videotape his swing during a practice round, leading to a formal working arrangement.

Aug. 15, 2010
Woods ties for 28th in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits and fails to qualify for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Aug. 23, 2010
Woods and Elin Nordegren are officially divorced.

Aug. 26, 2010
Woods opens with a 65 at The Barclays to share the 18-hole lead, the only time all year his name is atop a leaderboard.

Sept. 7, 2010
Woods is chosen by captain Corey Pavin as one of his four at-large picks for the Ryder Cup to be played in Wales.

Sept. 10, 2010
With a tie for 15th at the BMW Championship, Woods fails to qualify for the Tour Championship for the first time in his career.

Oct. 4, 2010
Woods has his best Ryder Cup, making seven birdies and an eagle in singles against Francesco Molinari, to go 3-1 overall. But the U.S. team loses 14½ to 13½.

Oct. 31, 2010
Woods' record streak of 281 consecutive weeks atop the Official World Ranking comes to an end when Lee Westwood takes over the No. 1 spot.

Nov. 7, 2010
A final-round 68 means a tie for sixth at the HSBC Champions, officially ending Woods' streak of 14 consecutive years with at least one PGA Tour victory.

Nov. 17, 2010
Woods tweets for the first time.

What's up everyone. Finally decided to try out twitter!

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 17, 2010

He picks up more than 80,000 followers within the first 12 hours.

April 10, 2011
Woods is briefly tied for the lead during the final round of the Masters, where he shoots a final-round 67 to tie for fourth. But during the third round, he suffers an Achilles/knee injury while hitting a shot off pine straw, an injury that worsens and would eventually cause him to miss three months.

May 12, 2011
Woods returns at the Players Championship but, with his injury, shoots 42 for nine holes at TPC Sawgrass and withdraws. He doesn't return until late in the summer.

July 20, 2011
Woods announces that he has parted ways with longtime caddie Steve Williams, who says he is "shocked" by the decision. The parting had actually come two weeks earlier, but the news was kept quiet until after The Open. Woods won 72 times, including 13 major championships, over 12 years with Williams as his caddie. Part of the alleged reason for the split was Williams' decision to work for Adam Scott on an interim basis while Woods was out.

Aug. 4, 2011
After missing the U.S. Open and The Open, Woods returns to competitive golf at Firestone Country Club, where he has previously won seven times. But after an opening-round 68, he struggles, finishing in a tie for 37th, 18 strokes behind winner Adam Scott. Afterward, Steve Williams calls it "the greatest" of his caddie victories.

Aug. 11, 2011
Woods opens the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club with a 77, assuring a missed cut and meaning Woods will not qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time.

Sept. 23, 2011
Following the final round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta, Woods announces that he is hiring veteran caddie Joe LaCava to work for him. LaCava, who had spent the majority of his caddie career with Fred Couples, had been working for Dustin Johnson.

Sept. 26, 2011
Despite having played just two tournaments since the Masters, Woods is selected by captain Fred Couples at one of his at-large selections for the Presidents Cup to be played in December. There was no drama, as Couples had said weeks earlier that Woods would be on the team.

Oct. 6, 2011
At Couples' request, Woods makes a rare fall appearance, playing the Frys.com Open in California. After an opening-round 73, Woods is never a factor, but he does get better each day and ends up tied for 30th. Perhaps the biggest excitement of the week was when a spectator snuck under the ropes and threw a hot dog at Woods during the final round.

Nov. 13, 2011
Woods' closest brush with victory since 2009 comes at the Australian Open, where rounds of 68-67 give him the 36-hole lead. A third-round 75 dooms his chances, but Woods rebounds with a final-round 67 to finish 2 strokes behind winner Greg Chalmers in third place.

Nov. 20, 2011
Woods earns the clinching point in the United States' 19-15 Presidents Cup victory at Royal Melbourne as he wins his singles match, 4 and 3, over Aaron Baddeley. Woods goes 2-3 overall in the competition.

Dec. 4, 2011
At the Chevron World Challenge, Woods' annual event to benefit his foundation, he shoots a final-round 69 to edge Zach Johnson by a stroke, winning for the first time since 2009. Although the victory is unofficial, it does come with world ranking points and boosts him to 21st in the world after he had been 50th following the Australian Open.

Jan. 18, 2012
Woods calls it "unprofessional" that his former coach, Hank Haney, is writing a book about their relationship, to be released prior to the Masters. "I think it's unprofessional and very disappointing," Woods says. "Especially because it's someone I worked with and trusted as a friend."

Jan 29, 2012
Skipping his traditional start at Torrey Pines, Woods heads to the Middle East for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, where a third-round 66 puts him on the brink of victory before he finishes in a tie for third, 2 strokes behind winner Robert Rock.

Feb. 12, 2012
For the first time in 10 years, Woods plays the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and has Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo as his amateur partner. And after rounds of 68-68-67, Woods finds himself grouped with Phil Mickelson for the final round, 3 strokes back of leader Charlie Wi. But it is all Phil on Sunday, as Lefty shoots 64 to win while Woods slumps to a final-round 75 to tie for 15th.

March 4, 2012
Woods puts a scare into Rory McIlroy as he rallies with a final-day 62 that includes an eagle on the 18th hole at the Honda Classic. He ends up 2 shots behind McIlroy but a week later withdraws during the final round at Doral due to an Achilles issue.

March 25, 2012
A final-round 70 is good enough for a 5-stroke victory over Graeme McDowell at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, his first official win since December 2009 and first on the PGA Tour since September 2009.

June 3, 2012
With the help of a holed pitch shot from behind the 16th green, Woods shoots a final-round 67 to rally for a 2-shot victory at the Memorial, his second win of the year and fifth overall at Jack Nicklaus' tournament. It is the 73rd PGA Tour victory of his career, tying him with the Golden Bear for second most behind Sam Snead.

July 1, 2012
A third victory of the year comes at the AT&T National, the tournament at Congressional that benefits Woods' foundation. It comes the day after a severe storm meant playing before no spectators.

Aug. 12, 2012
After holding a share of the 36-hole lead in a major for the second time this year, Woods again has a poor third round, shooting 74 to fall off the pace at the PGA Championship at Kiawah, where Rory McIlroy notches his second major title. Woods ties for 11th.

Dec. 2, 2012
Woods ends his competitive golf year with a tied-for-fourth finish at the World Challenge, his foundation event in California, 8 strokes behind winner Graeme McDowell. Woods ends 2012 ranked third in the world.

Jan. 18, 2013
Woods begins the season with a trip to the Middle East, where he misses the cut by 1 stroke after a rules violation during the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Woods mistakenly took a drop from a ball embedded in sand, and the 2-shot penalty has him leaving early. It is the first and so far only time Woods has missed the cut in a non-PGA Tour event.

Jan. 27, 2013
Back on familiar turf at Torrey Pines, Woods races out to a big lead before the tournament plods to a Monday finish due to multiple fog delays. Woods eventually prevails by 4 shots at the Farmers Insurance Open, his seventh win at the San Diego venue and eighth overall as a pro.

March 10, 2013
With the help of a putting tip from Steve Stricker, Woods needs only a final-round 71 to defeat, of all people, Stricker by 2 shots in the WGC Cadillac Championship at Doral.

March 20, 2013
Woods announces he is dating Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn.

March 24, 2013
Needing a Monday finish, Woods prevails over Justin Rose at Bay Hill to capture his eighth Arnold Palmer Invitational. The victory moves Woods back to No. 1 in the world for the first time since late 2010.

April 14, 2013
Woods ties for fourth at the Masters after a high-profile rules snafu during the second round in which he was deemed to have taken an improper drop after hitting his approach to the par-5 15th hole off the flagstick and into the water. At the time, a close birdie chance would have tied Woods for the lead. Instead, with the penalty strokes eventually handed down the next morning, Woods made an 8 on the hole and never recovered.

May 12, 2013
At a place that has traditionally given him fits, Woods prevails at TPC Sawgrass for his second Players Championship title. But he doesn't escape controversy, as there is a mid-tournament spat with Sergio Garcia, as well as an issue with a penalty drop Woods took during the final round. It is his fourth victory of the year.

July 21, 2013
In contention at Muirfield heading into the final round, Woods shoots 74 while Phil Mickelson rallies with a 66 to capture the Claret Jug and The Open. When he fails to win the PGA Championship, Woods has gone more than five years and 18 major championships played without winning one of the Grand Slam events.

Aug. 4, 2013
Aided by a career-low-matching 61 in the second round, Woods cruises to a 7-shot victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, his seventh victory at Firestone Country Club. It would be his last win for more than five years.

Aug. 25, 2013
The first signs of back trouble appear for Woods, who drops to the ground in pain after hitting a shot during the final round of the Barclays at Liberty National. Woods ends up finishing second to Adam Scott.

Dec. 8, 2013
Woods ends his year by suffering a playoff defeat to Zach Johnson at the World Challenge.

March 2, 2014
After starting the year with poor performances at Torrey Pines (T80) and in Dubai (T41), Woods withdraws during the final round of the Honda Classic -- after shooting a third-round 65 -- with back issues.

March 9, 2014
His back sore, Woods plays the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral without a practice round and shoots a third-round 66 to get into contention. Then he swings awkwardly out of a bunker during the final round, shoots 78 without a bogey, and is in obvious distress.

April 1, 2014
Woods announces he will miss the Masters for the first time in 20 years, his lingering back problems making it impossible for him to play. He ends up having the first of four microdiscectomy surgeries to alleviate nerve pressure in his lower back.

That one guy @TigerWoods played decent today too...played behind him...huge fist pumps #sixduece

— Rickie Fowler (@RickieFowler) March 4, 2012

June 26, 2014
Just more than two months following surgery, Woods returns to his tournament, the Quicken Loans National, at Congressional, where he misses the cut.

Aug. 3, 2014
Following a lackluster performance at The Open, Woods returns to defend his title at Firestone, but is again sidetracked, withdrawing in pain after just nine holes and putting the following week's PGA Championship in doubt.

Aug. 8, 2014
Woods manages to tee it up at the PGA, but misses the cut, ending his season because he will not qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Aug. 25, 2014
Woods announces on his website that he has parted ways with instructor Sean Foley, who had worked with him dating to the 2010 PGA Championship.

Nov. 22, 2014
Woods announces that he has hired instructor Chris Como as a "swing consultant."

Dec. 7, 2014
After an opening-round 77 at his former home course, Isleworth, Woods finishes tied for last in the 18-man Hero World Challenge, ending his year having played in just nine worldwide events and ranked 25th in the world.

Jan. 30, 2015
The new year begins ominously at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where Woods clearly has issues with his short game that some describe as "the yips." A second-round 82 is just the second time in his pro career that he has failed to break 80.

Feb. 5, 2015
Woods plays just 11 holes at Torrey Pines before deciding to withdraw with lower-back stiffness. He would later announce he is taking an indefinite break from the game to work through various issues.

April 12, 2015
After considerable conjecture about his return, Woods makes his first start in nine weeks at the Masters, where his chipping woes seem to be gone and where a final-round 73 relegates him to a tie for 17th. It would be the only major championship of the year in which he made the cut.

May 3, 2015
Woods and Lindsey Vonn, in separate social media posts, announce that they have ended their relationship after nearly three years together.

June 6, 2015
A third-round 85 at the Memorial is the highest score of Woods' professional career. It relegates him to a Sunday morning tee time, first off and alone. Thousands of spectators show up early at Muirfield Village to see him play by himself and shoot 74, finishing 71st, last among those who made the 36-hole cut.

June 18, 2015
An opening-round 80 at Chambers Bay is Woods' third score in the 80s of the year and leads to a missed cut at the U.S. Open -- just the second time in his career that he failed to qualify for the final 36 holes at the tournament.

July 16, 2015
Back at the Old Course, site of two of his major victories, Woods badly mishits his second shot on the opening hole and into the burn that fronts the green, opens with successive bogeys on his way to a 76, and misses the cut for just the second time at The Open.

Aug. 15, 2015
Another major, another missed cut for Woods, who can't get it going at Whistling Straits, missing his fourth cut of the year.

Aug. 23, 2015
A surprise entrant at the Wyndham Championship, Woods shares the 36-hole lead in the regular-season-ending tournament before a final-round 70 relegates him to a tie for 10th -- 4 strokes behind winner Davis Love III. It is Woods' best finish in 11 tournaments, but he fails to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Sept. 16, 2015
Woods has microdiscectomy surgery for a second time to alleviate an impingement in a disk in his lower back. It is the same surgery Woods had performed on March 31, 2014, after which he didn't play competitive golf for three months. He later says he expects a "long and tedious process" before he can return to competitive golf.

Oct. 28, 2015
Woods has another microdiscectomy surgery, adding more doubts about a hoped-for comeback in 2016.

It's like @TigerWoods is 40 going on 60! https://t.co/4Hf15vD60m

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) December 3, 2015

Dec. 1, 2015
Woods is downcast during a news conference at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas in advance of the Hero World Challenge, saying he doesn't see "light at the end of the tunnel" and speaking about any other success in his career going forward being "gravy." He offers no timetable on his return.

Dec. 30, 2015
Woods celebrates his 40th birthday.

Feb. 24, 2016
After reports circulate that Woods is in tremendous discomfort, he posts a video to Twitter of him using a simulator to hit a golf shot.

Progressing nicely. pic.twitter.com/HKnnluR1OW

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 24, 2016

March 31, 2016
Despite his not having played competitive golf since August at the Wyndham Championship and undergoing two back procedures, there is considerable conjecture that Woods will play the Masters. However, he announces on his website that he will miss the year's first major championship for the second time in three years.

April 25, 2016
In what he says are the first holes he has played since the Wyndham Championship, Woods plays five holes alongside fellow major champion Mark O'Meara at the opening of Woods' golf course design near Houston called Bluejack National.

May 16, 2016
In an appearance at Congressional to promote the Quicken Loans National, Woods hits three balls in a ceremony at an upfront tee on the par-3 10th hole. All three, with a wedge, find the water.

June 22, 2016
At a news conference on the day prior to the Quicken Loans National, Woods sounds more confident about a comeback, but commits to no future tournaments after having just missed the U.S. Open -- now having missed eight major championships going back to his 2008 knee surgery. He would go on to miss The Open and the PGA Championship as well, missing all of the majors in 2016.

Sept. 7, 2016
Woods announces that he will return in a month at the Safeway Open, and also says he will play a tournament in Turkey as well as his Hero World Challenge.

Oct. 10, 2016
Having officially committed just three days earlier, Woods withdraws from the Safeway Open on the Monday of tournament week, saying his "game is vulnerable and not where it needs to be." He also pulls out of the Turkish Airlines Open.

Nov. 27, 2016
On the Sunday prior to the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Woods is on the driving range, testing clubs and looking good. "I'm not dead yet," he quips as he is about to compete for the first time in 15 months.

Dec. 4, 2016
A final-hole double-bogey and a final-round 76 at Albany Golf Club do not change the mood in what has been a promising week. Woods finishes 15th out of 17 players and ends the week ranked 650th in the world.

Jan. 26, 2017
With guarded optimism after a seemingly cautious approach to his latest return, Woods opens the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines with a 76 and then shoots 72 in the second round to miss the cut.

Feb. 2, 2017
After a 15-hour trip to the Middle East, Woods looks to be in considerable distress as he plays the first round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, shooting a 77 with no birdies. A day later, he withdraws prior to the second round, citing back spasms. His future is in doubt again.

April 5, 2017
Woods attends the Champions Dinner at Augusta National on the eve of the Masters, where he will miss his fifth consecutive major championship. He later reveals he needed a nerve block just to attend, and leaves that night for London, where he is to meet with consultants about how to treat his back.

April 19, 2017
Woods undergoes spinal fusion surgery, the fourth operation on his back and the most serious, performed by Dr. Richard Guyer at the Texas Back Institute. He is told he cannot swing a golf club for six months.

May 29, 2017
Woods is arrested miles from his Florida home after police officers discover him asleep at the wheel of his car. Toxicology reports later reveal he had five drugs in his system -- including painkillers. Video of the arrest goes viral and Woods later enters a plea and a diversion program and undergoes counseling.

Sept. 26, 2017
During a news conference at Liberty National where he is a Presidents Cup assistant captain, Woods expresses optimism about a return to competitive golf yet cautions that "I don't know what my future holds for me." He has only recently begun hitting chip shots.

Dec. 3, 2017
Starting the tournament ranked 1,199th in the world and playing for the first time since February, Woods shoots a final-round 68 at the Hero World Challenge to finish ninth in the 18-player field, the first start in his comeback from spinal fusion surgery.

The return to glory

Jan. 28, 2018
Making his first official PGA Tour start in a year, Woods ties for 28th at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

March 11, 2018
In just his fourth start, Woods contends at the Valspar Championship before coming up 1 shot short of Paul Casey. It is his best finish in any worldwide tournament since he lost in a playoff at the 2013 World Challenge.

Sunday Red.
Sunday club twirl.

Yes, please. ? pic.twitter.com/oFLwXV3EFk

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 11, 2018

March 13, 2018
Woods is named by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan as 2019 U.S. Presidents Cup captain.

March 18, 2018
Woods again makes a move to get into contention before pumping a tee shot out of bounds on the 16th hole of the final round, eventually tying for fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

July 22, 2018
After not being a factor at the Masters (tied for 32nd) and U.S. Open (missed cut), Woods makes a serious run at the Claret Jug, tying for the lead on the back nine at Carnoustie before tying for sixth at The Open. The finish barely moves him into the top 50 in the world, giving him a spot at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, to be played at Firestone -- where he has won eight times -- for the final time.

Aug. 12, 2018
With a final-round 64 -- his best score on the final day of a major championship -- Woods finishes second at Bellerive to Brooks Koepka at the PGA Championship.

Sept. 23, 2018

In his 18th start of the year, and just 17 months after spinal fusion surgery, Woods wins for the first time in five years, capturing the Tour Championship at East Lake as a huge celebratory crowd rushes behind him to the 18th green. It is his 80th career PGA Tour victory and moves him to 13th in the world.

Experience Tiger's 2018 Tour Championship Win Again

+ How Tiger overcame pain, scandal and triumph to win again. READ

+ 'Tiger is the needle' How the world reacted when Tiger did it. READ

+ Tiger wins for the first time in 5 years. READ

+ How Tiger improbably became Tiger again. READ

Sept. 30, 2018
Woods is clearly spent in France, a week after his big triumph in Atlanta, losing his singles match at the Ryder Cup to Jon Rahm and going 0-4 in another U.S. losing effort. Woods has played in eight Ryder Cups, and played on just one winning team, in 1999.

Jan. 27, 2019
With a final-round 67 at Torrey Pines, Woods opens his 2019 season with a tie for 20th at the Farmers Insurance Open.

March 4, 2019
After steady improvement in his first three events of the year, Woods withdraws from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, citing a neck strain. He returns the following week at the Players Championship.

March 30, 2019
In his final tune-up prior the Masters, Woods defeats Rory McIlroy in a Saturday-morning quarterfinal match at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship prior to losing that afternoon to Lucas Bjerregaard. Woods is credited with a tie for fifth.

April 14, 2019
Nearly two years to the day of his spinal fusion surgery, Woods shoots a final-round 70 and for the first time comes from behind to win a major championship, taking the Masters by 1 stroke over Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele. It is Woods' 15th major title, first in 11 years and first Masters since 2005. It is his 81st PGA Tour title.

Relive How Tiger Won The Masters

+ He's back: Tiger wins first Masters since 2005. READ

+ Tiger made the earth shake again at Augusta National. READ

+ Tiger and the Masters victory even he didn't see coming. READ

+ Social media erupts upon Tiger's 15th major title. READ

Aug. 18, 2019
Woods completes a disappointing summer with a tie for 37th at the BMW Championship, failing to qualify for the Tour Championship and final FedEx Cup playoff event. In the six events he played following the Masters, Woods' best finish is a tie for ninth at the Memorial; he missed the cut in two major championships.

Aug. 20, 2019
Woods has an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee -- the fifth time that knee has been operated on -- and later says the knee hindered him throughout the summer and that he had put the procedure off. He says he will be ready in time for the Zozo Championship in Japan.

Oct. 28, 2019
Making his first fall start as part of the wraparound schedule, Woods overcomes bogeys on the first three holes of the tournament to shoot 19 under par -- with 27 birdies -- and win the first PGA Tour event in Japan, the Zozo Championship. It is his 82nd PGA Tour victory, tying the record of Sam Snead, and moves him to No. 6 in the world.

View this post on Instagram

TIGER MAKES HISTORY ?

A post shared by ESPN (@espn) on Oct 27, 2019 at 5:35pm PDT

Nov. 7, 2019
Woods picks himself to play on the U.S. Presidents Cup team at Royal Melbourne Dec. 12-15, where he will be the first playing captain since Hale Irwin in the inaugural event in 1994.

Nearly a quarter of the way into the NBA season, a hotly contested and deep MVP race is already shaping up featuring established stars and one rising phenom.

Do recent winners James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo have an edge? How do Los Angeles Lakers teammates Anthony Davis and LeBron James fit in? And how strong is Luka Doncic's case in only his second season with the Dallas Mavericks?

Our NBA experts answer the big questions about the MVP race and what's next.

More: Welcome back? We're rating every NBA reunion for 2019-20

1. What do you find most intriguing about the MVP race so far?

Bobby Marks: That Luka Doncic has crashed a party usually reserved for names like Harden, Giannis and LeBron. It's difficult to describe what the 20-year-old has done one month into the season. He is must-watch TV every night and has turned the Mavericks into a top-six team in the Western Conference.

Kevin Pelton: That no front-runner has emerged nearly a quarter of the way through the season, which suggests we could have a wide-open race like the one in 2017, when four different players received first-place votes.

Brian Windhorst: The depth of it. Despite injuries to a couple of legitimate candidates -- namely Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant -- there are four or five players who could make a claim as the quarter pole approaches. This was billed as a season of parity, and this MVP race has it as well.

Tim MacMahon: That a 20-year-old must be included in a conversation that features a few former MVPs who are playing at ridiculously high levels. It's astonishing to see how consistently dominant Doncic is at such a young age. I mean, the kid had a 41-6-10 line in a road rout of a West contender, and it was maybe his third- or fourth-most impressive performance last week.

Jackie MacMullan: Just as there's no overwhelming favorite for the title this early in the season, there's not (yet) a runaway candidate for MVP -- but not for lack of choices. The usual suspects are in the mix, but it's refreshing that Doncic, Pascal Siakam and Nikola Jokic are able to even earn consideration for such a hallowed honor. That's exciting news for the future.

2. Which player with better than +1000 odds has the most difficult path to winning MVP?

Note: That list includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, James Harden and LeBron James

MacMahon: This feels like a four-player race, so that leaves Davis out. If you're not the most valuable player on your own team, you can't be the NBA MVP. (Maybe Kawhi Leonard, whose odds are at +1200 at the moment, can crash the party if the Clippers back off his load management and end up with the league's best record.)

Pelton: Anthony Davis, since he has a teammate ahead of him on this list. As well as Davis has played this season, LeBron has been better, and I think that's unlikely to change as long as James is healthy.

MacMullan: He's not close to that top group, but just think if Devin Booker were playing for a contending team with another All-Star veteran to support him. We might be giving him more love here. Booker is averaging 24.8 points, shooting nearly 52% from the field, hitting 95% from the line and dishing out 6.1 assists. He also provides great highlight reels. But after a surprising start, the Suns have lost six of their past 10. And since we NBA fans have short attention spans, we're already on to other teams.

Marks: I am going to cheat a bit and say Nikola Jokic -- who has +2000 odds at the moment -- since he was my preseason MVP pick. Jokic has seen a decrease in every statistical category across the board. Unless he strings together a run of triple-doubles and Denver captures the No. 1 seed in the West, it is unlikely Jokic will even finish in the top five.

Windhorst: All of them? Kawhi Leonard -- slightly on the outside at +1200 -- is probably the only standout option near the top of the list, but he doesn't seem to have much interest in chasing anything during the regular season.

3. Which dark horse with worse than +2500 odds has the best chance of rising into the race?

Windhorst: He's not getting noticed the way he should be, but Pascal Siakam is having a monster season, and the Raptors getting off to such a great start is one of the league's best stories. But to be honest, even at +5000, I couldn't in good conscience suggest any sort of real bet.

MacMahon: The short, honest answer: none. For the sake of discussion, I'll go with Siakam, last season's Most Improved Player who has made the leap from really good player on a championship team to superstar centerpiece of a surprise contender. Siakam has developed into a legitimate go-to guy and is a dominant, versatile defender.

MacMullan: That's easy: Joel Embiid. His odds are sitting exactly at +2500. That feels a little disrespectful. The Sixers aren't going anywhere, and neither is Embiid. If he stays healthy, makes a big push down the stretch and Philly surges to the top of the East standings, he could gain some serious momentum for MVP. He certainly has the skill set to pull it off.

Marks: Siakam. The forward probably will not even earn All-NBA first team (he's behind Giannis and LeBron), but what Siakam has done is stunning. After the loss of Kawhi Leonard, we thought that Toronto was headed toward more of a fire sale than contention. But even with injuries to Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, the Raptors are 11-4 and Siakam is averaging career highs in minutes (37.1), points (25.7), 3-point percentage (37.4), rebounds (8.4) and assists (4.0).

Pelton: Siakam. If the Raptors can somehow win the East, Siakam will get plenty of MVP consideration, even if it's unlikely he actually wins the award.

4. Is it more likely we have a first-time MVP or a repeat winner?

MacMullan: A repeat winner. Giannis, LeBron and Harden all land on my top-five MVP list and each has won before. The only player who gives me pause is Kawhi Leonard, but his load management plan keeps him from being considered seriously for this award. MVPs play in big games, regular season or not.

Marks: A repeat winner. With all due respect to what Doncic has done so far, I am not convinced yet that he will continue at this pace all season. One of the big three of Harden, Antetokounmpo and James will end up earning another win.

Windhorst: Doncic is going to be an MVP. I don't know when. It could happen this season, though I can't bring myself to expect it. Maybe I'm foolish to think he'll go through a rough patch or two, but I think that's headed for Doncic and the Mavs, so this won't yet be his time. But it's coming.

Pelton: A repeat winner. Of the top four candidates so far, only Doncic is a first-timer, and I would give him the weakest odds of that group to actually win. As a result, I don't think this is particularly close.

MacMahon: I'll go with the collective odds of Antetokounmpo, Harden and James. Antetokounmpo and Harden are both putting up stats that are significantly superior than their recent MVP seasons. James cares about defense again, leads the league in assists and so far has the "best player on best team" title.

5. Who is your MVP pick based on the season so far, and who do you think will ultimately win the award?

Pelton: I would go with Harden at this point. With teammates starting slowly, Harden has again carried a heavy load for the NBA's fourth-best offense, and he generates additional value by playing more minutes per game (37.3) than the other top contenders. As for who will win, I think the answer is whichever of the candidates' teams finishes with the best record, and right now that looks to be the Bucks and a Giannis repeat.

MacMahon: It would be an agonizing choice right now. Put the top four names in a hat and pull one out and I'd be fine with it. I'm going to cop out and uncomfortably ride a four-way fence for now. Ultimately, I'd agree with the Vegas odds and say that a Giannis repeat is the safest bet.

MacMullan: My MVP at this moment is Giannis, but LeBron is a close second, with Doncic and Harden in hot pursuit. All four of them are playing remarkable basketball, but Giannis is on pace to post the highest PER in NBA history. He's scoring, he's defending with impunity, he's devouring the boards and he has added a keen sense of playmaking that keeps him a cut above the others, whose sidekicks (Anthony Davis, a rapidly improving Kristaps Porzingis and Russell Westbrook) make their jobs that much easier.

Windhorst: I just can't pick one player with conviction at the moment. What I do think is that it will be a real race this season and we'll be discussing it for months.

Marks: Harden. Teams have continually had to devise a game plan for Harden, even going as far as double-teaming him on nearly every possession. While his efficiency has dropped, Harden is averaging three more free throw attempts per game compared to last season and is hovering right around 38 points per game. If the Rockets can stay in the top four of the West, Harden should have his second MVP in three seasons.

More: Welcome back? We're rating every NBA reunion for 2019-20

The Texas Rangers have agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract with free-agent pitcher Kyle Gibson, a source told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The deal is pending a physical, the source said.

Gibson joins a Rangers rotation that includes veterans Mike Minor and Lance Lynn. The Rangers are expected to pursue at least one more free-agent starting pitcher.

Gibson, a 32-year-old right-hander, went 13-7 with 160 strikeouts for the Minnesota Twins in 2019, but he faltered down the stretch as he dealt with the effects of ulcerative colitis. Gibson's ERA ballooned to 4.73 after giving up 26 earned runs in his final six starts before he was relegated to the bullpen on Sept. 15.

His struggles continued as a reliever in September, and he gave up three runs in one inning in his only postseason appearance -- a 10-4 loss to the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

Gibson, who relies on his slider for his out pitch, has provided quality innings for the Twins, making at least 25 starts in each of his last six seasons. In 2019, he set career highs for strikeout rate (9.0/9 IP) and average velocity on his fastball (93.8 mph), but Gibson, who has had strong ground ball rates over his career, also had a career-worst home run/fly ball rate.

More than half of the 23 home runs that he gave up last season -- and nearly 70% of the batted balls he allowed with 100-plus mph exit velocity -- came on fastballs, which he threw only about half the time.

Gibson, who earned $8.125 million last season, had a breakout season in 2018, posting a 3.62 ERA with 179 strikeouts in 196⅔ innings over 32 starts -- all career bests. For his career, he is 67-68 with a 4.52 ERA.

ESPN's Keith Law contributed to this report.

The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired infielder Luis Urias and left-hander Eric Lauer from the San Diego Padres for outfielder Trent Grisham and right-hander Zach Davies in a swap of high-end prospects and veteran pitchers, a source told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

This wasn't the only move for the Padres on Wednesday. They also reached an agreement with left-handed reliever Drew Pomeranz, pending a physical, sources confirmed.

Urias, 22, was a consensus top-25 prospect entering the 2019 season and was outstanding at Triple-A El Paso, batting .315 with 19 home runs in 73 games. But he struggled offensively in 71 games with the Padres, batting just .223.

He primarily played second base for the Padres, who boast stars at third base and shortstop with Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., respectively. But the Brewers are expected to play Urias at shortstop, according to Passan.

Lauer, 24, is 14-17 with a 4.40 ERA in 53 games -- 52 starts -- over two seasons with San Diego. He went 8-10 with a 4.45 ERA last season.

Grisham, 23, also was widely rated as a top-50 prospect entering the 2019 season and was one of the Brewers organization's best minor league hitters, batting .300 with 26 homers and 71 RBIs in 97 combined games at Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A San Antonio.

He appeared in 51 games with the Brewers, batting .231 with six homers, and emerged as an every-day player in September after star outfielder Christian Yelich suffered a season-ending injury.

Davies, 26, went 10-7 with a career-best 3.55 ERA in 31 starts last season. He had spent his entire five-year career with the Brewers, going 43-42 with a 3.91 ERA in 111 starts.

Pomeranz, 31, was 2-10 with a 4.85 ERA in 46 games for the Giants and Brewers last season. The Athletic first reported on Pomeranz's agreement with the Padres.

He was used primarily as a reliever with Milwaukee and was outstanding in the role, posting a 2.39 ERA with 45 strikeouts over 26 1/3 innings.

MARYVILLE, Tenn. – Smoky Mountain Speedway officials have released the race schedule for the upcoming season.

As in past years, the historic four-tenths-mile track will host a variety of special events throughout the season.

The season gets kicked off on Saturday, March 7 with the seventh annual Tennessee Tip-Off featuring the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series where the winner will collect $12,000. There will also be an open practice on Friday, March 6. Jimmy Owens held off eventual series champion Brandon Sheppard to claim the race this year.

The other national event takes place on Saturday, June 13 when the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series visits for the Mountain Moonshine Classic. The race will pay $15,000 to the winner. Hudson O’Neal is the defending race winner.

The Southern All-Stars will make appearances on Friday, April 24 for the $5,000 to win Rockin’ with the Stars race, then helps cap off the season on Oct. 12-13 with a pair of feature races to determine their series championship.

Smoky Mountain will once again play host to the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals on Friday, July 10. It will be the first race for the Southern Nationals and pay $10,000 to the winner.

The American All-Star Crate Series, the Topless Outlaw Late Model Series, Iron-Man Late Model Series, and Schaeffer’s Oil Fall Nationals are also part of the race schedule.

A total of nine events on eight weekends are on the schedule. Support divisions for all events will be announced soon. The points program for the limited late models and sportsman late models will return as well.

Smoky Mountain Speedway Schedule

Saturday, March 7
7th Annual Tennessee Tipoff
World of Outlaws Late Model Series – $12,000 to win

Friday, April 24
Rockin’ with the Stars
Southern All Stars Super Late Models – $5,000 to win

Saturday, May 23
Memorial Day Mayhem in the Mountains
American Crate All Star Series – $5,000 to win
Topless Outlaws Late Models – $5,000 to win

Saturday, June 13
Mountain Moonshine Classic
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series – $15,000 to win

Friday, July 10
Smoky Mountain Summer Showdown
Schaeffer Oil Southern Nationals – $10,000 to win

Saturday, Aug. 8
16th Annual Iron-Man Classic
Iron-Man Championship Late Models – $5,000 to win

Saturday, Sept. 5
Schaeffer Oil Fall Nationals – $5,000 to win

King Of The Mountain All Star Championship Weekend
Friday, Oct. 16
Southern All Stars Super Late Models – $3,000 to win
American Crate All Stars Series – $2,000 to win

Saturday, Oct. 17
Southern All Stars Super Late Models – $7,000 to win
American Crate All Stars Series – $3,000 to win

VICTORVILLE, Calif. – Louis Brewster, a leading motorsports reporter for more than four decades and the longtime sports editor of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, died Monday near his home due to complications from diabetes.

Brewster was 70 years old.

Brewster worked for both the Daily Bulletin and the Ontario Daily Report, which preceded the Daily Bulletin, from the late 1960s all the way up until his retirement in 2017.

He was one of a select few writers still living to have covered NASCAR events at Ontario Motor Speedway, Riverside International Raceway and Fontana’s Auto Club Speedway, as well as NHRA events at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif.

“His passion for the job was unmatched. He opened a lot of doors,” said his son Scott Brewster, a Daily Bulletin employee for five years. “It wasn’t easy being a Latino in journalism. He didn’t care what people thought. He was an inspiration for me that I carried into the rest of my life.”

Even after his 2017 retirement, Brewster continued penning columns for the Daily Bulletin and Inland editions all the way up until his passing on Monday.

His final column, published this week, paid a special nod to his family – which was valued to Brewster through all of his seven decades.

“On a personal note: We celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, a national holiday,” he wrote. “In reality, for this old writer, every day is a day of thanks to those who have aided me in the last 24 months, especially with my wife Linda, son Scott, and grandson Louis Bryan.”

Brewster is survived by his aforementioned wife of 45 years, Linda, son Scott and grandson Louis Bryan, as well as his mother Sara, brothers Bob, Rick and Dave Brewster and sisters Liz Allen and Ruth Herr.

Tottenham qualified for the Champions League knockout phase, but Jose Mourinho was quick to thank Spurs' unlikely hero: a quick-thinking ball boy...

The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and top trolling that the internet has to offer, all in one place.

Jump to: Hazard, Klopp, Ronaldo have had their own run-ins with ball boys

There can be no doubt as to who emerged the star of Tottenham's exciting 4-2 victory over Olympiakos in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday night.

Harry Kane and Lucas Moura may have earned the highest scores in ESPN's player ratings, but Tottenham's real Man of the Match was not even on the field.

We are of course talking about the ball boy who, unlikely as it may seem, helped turn the tide of the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a quick-thinking "assist" for Spurs' 50th-minute equaliser.

With Jose Mourinho's side trailing 2-1 on the Portuguese manager's first home match in charge, the ball boy sprung to the rescue by rapidly returning the ball to the touchline, which led to Lucas slinging a deep cross into the Olympiakos box which Kane nodded home.

Mourinho made sure to offer his thanks to the instigator of the whole attacking move while his team celebrated drawing themselves level.

Jose Mourinho at Tottenham is a new man ?pic.twitter.com/rwR8dMAPyo

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 26, 2019

The boss was full of praise for the lad after the final whistle, though not without paying himself a compliment as well.

"I love intelligent ball boys, like I was," the Spurs boss told BT Sport. "I was a brilliant ball boy as a kid. This kid today was brilliant. He reads the game, understands the game and made an important assist."

Speaking at his postmatch news conference, Mourinho also revealed that he intended to extend an invite to the ball boy to join the Spurs team in the dressing room to celebrate, but the youngster had already disappeared.

Jose Mourinho wanted to invite the @SpursOfficial ball boy into the dressing room to celebrate after his helping hand in the build up to the second goal against Olympiakos ?⚽️ pic.twitter.com/gk9SS2Q5xX

— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) November 27, 2019

Did he mention that he was an excellent ball boy himself?

Hazard, Klopp, Ronaldo have had their own run-ins with ball boys

Eden Hazard

While at Chelsea, Hazard saw his public standing take a bit of a dent in 2013 when he petulantly kicked out at a time-wasting Swansea ball boy during a League Cup tie.

The Belgium forward was shown a red card for his misdemeanor, for which he subsequently issued a public apology.

Jurgen Klopp

Did that Everton ballboy just sarcastically clap Jurgen Klopp?! ?‍♂️? pic.twitter.com/4cVQq4CDFh

— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) March 3, 2019

The Liverpool manager found himself on the wrong end of a trolling when an Everton ball boy decided to give him a sarcastic clap following the Merseyside derby in March 2019.

Cristiano Ronaldo

This plucky Atletico Madrid ball boy incurred the wrath of CR7 by messing him about in wonderfully slapstick fashion during a derby in 2014.

When you're the ballboy but just have to talk a selfie with Ronaldo...#EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/vbEzdHdXBx

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) July 6, 2016

Indeed, Ronaldo seems to attract the cheekier ball boy, with this youngster making a pest of himself by getting a prematch selfie before Portugal's Euro 2016 semifinal against Wales.