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Does Tiger Woods really not take divots? Scottie Scheffler: 'Ask JT'
So, does Tiger Woods really not take divots? Or does he?
Scottie Scheffler appears to still be a little unsure of the answer.
Surely by now you've seen the viral TaylorMade video that shows Tiger Woods explaining to a befuddled Scheffler, who's looking down at the clean patch of grass at Woods' feet, how he doesn't take divots when he's "flushing it." If not, here's the exchange during a company-sponsored shoot:
Scheffler: "Hey, what's up with the no divots?"
Woods: "What?"
Scheffler: "No divots."
Woods: "Why do you take a divot?"
Scheffler: "I don't know, I'm asking you."
Woods: "Just picking it."
Scheffler: "Do you do that always when you warm up?
Woods: "When I'm swinging well, I don't take divots."
Scheffler: "Have you always been like that, or are you just practicing?"
Woods: "No, when I'm flushing it, I don't take divots. It just is what it is. It is what is."
On Thursday after Scheffler shot 3-under 67, he was asked about the video. First, a reporter playfully inquired whether Woods had inspired Scheffler to rethink his divot-taking strategy.
"No," Scheffler said.
A second question followed: Are you surprised at how much people have gotten a kick out of that video?
"I haven't actually watched it, but I do remember that day," Scheffler said. "That was one of the first things we did that day, so I was just trying to wake up. I look over, and he hadn't made any divots, and I was, like, a little bit confused. So the look on my face probably said it all. But I don't know, I think he was doing some sort of drill or something like that and maybe didn't want to tell me because the cameras were on.
"Who knows? Maybe he really doesn't take divots. Ask JT."
The mystery continues...
Scottie Scheffler put Masters putting woes in rearview, one back at Oak Hill
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Scottie Scheffler has a well-earned reputation as one of the PGA Tour’s most even-keeled players, but it didn’t take a thorough examination to interpret his body language at last month’s Masters.
“He was pissy during the Masters and I don’t blame him one bit. He just does not appreciate that,” Scheffler’s swing coach Randy Smith said.
For the week he was among the top ball-strikers at Augusta National, finishing first in greens in regulation, but ranked 53rd out of 53 players who made the cut in putting. Although the performance was surprising considering Scheffler’s status as one of the game’s top players around the greens, it didn’t lead to any wholesale changes or concern.
Smith explained that the only adjustment they made since Augusta National was to create more room between the golf ball and his body at address. “Sometimes it looks like he doesn’t have room for his arms to work,” Smith said. “It looks a lot better now through the shoulders through his neck and head.”
From those simple adjustments the world No. 2’s improved play on the greens can be easily quantified. The next week at the RBC Heritage he enjoyed a breakthrough on Day 2 when he picked up 3.32 shots on the field in strokes gained: putting on his way to a tie for 11th and last week he again added shots on the greens (.49 in strokes gained: putting) at the AT&T Byron Nelson, where he tied for fifth.
Thursday was more of the same at the PGA Championship, where he carded a bogey-free 67 and was one shot off the early lead at the frost-delayed event. He converted clutch putts from 7 feet at No. 2 and 4 feet at Nos. 4 and 6 for par and added a 15-footer at No. 5 for birdie to close out his round and keep pace with front-runner Bryson DeChambeau.
“The up-and-down on 2, that was probably a pretty important one. That was a really good putt,” Scheffler said. “I hit a lot of good putts today. I feel like I did a lot of things really well. I think there was a few putts that could have gone in, and my score could have been even lower. I'm just happy to get through it no bogeys and good momentum going into tomorrow.”
Scheffler said he hasn’t changed anything with his putting since Augusta National, either with his routine or mechanics, and he largely dismissed his performance at the Masters with a familiar cliché – it’s just golf.
“Golf is a hard game. You can't play perfect every week. The more free and loose I can play, especially on the greens, it's usually the better off I am,” he said.
It’s ironic that Scheffler’s turnaround on the greens started at Augusta National, Smith explained. “That 6-footer he made for par at the last, it gave him a top-10 [finish], you have that in the back of your head,” Smith said. “That made things feel better.”
Newcastle United claimed an emphatic 4-1 home victory over Brighton & Hove Albion to take a massive step towards clinching a top-four finish in the Premier League on Thursday.
An own goal by Deniz Undav and a Dan Burn header before the interval put third-placed Newcastle in command.
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But sixth-placed Brighton, themselves seeking to qualify for Europe for the first time, pulled a goal back through Undav.
There were plenty of nerves around St James' Park as Newcastle squandered chances and Brighton threatened an equaliser but late goals by Callum Wilson and Bruno Guimaraes sparked a party mood inside the stadium.
Newcastle's players milked the applause after the final whistle and while a top-four finish is still not guaranteed they only need one win from their last two games to be sure.
Eddie Howe's side have 69 points with fourth-placed Manchester United on 66 with three games still to play. Liverpool, who only have two games left, have 65.
Victory at home against relegation-threatened Leicester City on Monday will guarantee Newcastle Champions League football for the first time in two decades.
"We were outstanding tonight," Howe told Sky Sports. "That first period was us at our best. I thought we were relentless. It is very difficult to maintain that for the full game.
"The crowd helped get us over the line. The third goal was crucial. It would be incredible if we could (qualify for the Champions League). This is the Premier League and we take nothing for granted.
"We know how good Leicester are, they are fighting at the other end of the table."
After Newcastle had picked up only one point from their last two games, and with Brighton fresh off the back of a 3-0 win at Arsenal, the match looked like a tricky hurdle for the hosts.
But they dominated the opening exchanges and took the lead after 22 minutes when Kieran Trippier's inswinging corner skimmed off the head of Undav and into his own net.
Newcastle's second goal came from a more likely source as former Brighton defender Burn rose to power in another Trippier delivery in first-half stoppage time.
Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steel kept his side in it soon after the break with a reflex save to deny Miguel Almiron and seconds later the visitors halved the deficit as Billy Gilmour split Newcastle's defence and Undav slotted past Nick Pope.
Wilson took his league tally for the season to 18 in the last minute after being sent racing clear by Almiron and Guimaraes fired home from close-range in stoppage time.
Brighton need two wins from their last three games to ensure they will play in Europe next season, although one of those matches is against champions-elect Manchester City.
Sheffield Wednesday pulled off the greatest comeback in English Football League playoff history as they overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit against Peterborough United to reach the League One playoff final via a penalty shootout on Thursday.
Wednesday, who narrowly missed automatic promotion from the third tier and finished 19 points above Peterborough in the regular season, looked down and out after Friday's hammering.
But roared on by the home fans at Hillsborough, they turned the tie on its head to win 5-1 on the night after extra time and then held their nerve to prevail 5-3 in the shootout to spark wild scenes of celebration with the fans invading the pitch.
Michael Smith got the comeback under way with a penalty after nine minutes and Lee Gregory halved the arrears before halftime to give Wednesday belief.
Reece James made it 3-0 on the night and in the eighth minute of stoppage time Liam Palmer prodded home from close range to spark pandemonium in the stands.
Another twist saw Peterborough edge ahead on aggregate in the first half of extra time when a cross deflected in off the unlucky Gregory. But a weary Wednesday would not give in and Callum Paterson's cool finish in the 112th minute sent the game into a shootout.
Wednesday then scored all of their penalties while Dan Butler thumped his against the bar for Peterborough.
Jack Hunt dispatched the crucial kick to send Wednesday to Wembley and a chance to return to the Championship.
AS Roma earned a 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen in their Europa League semifinal return leg on Thursday to reach the final with a 1-0 aggregate win.
The Rome side have now reached back-to-back European finals under coach Jose Mourinho following last season's Europa Conference League title.
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The visitors were on the backfoot for the entire game and had to survive intense pressure from the Germans, who missed a lot of chances and also hit the woodwork, as they advanced thanks to last week's 1-0 win in Italy.
They will play the winners of the other semifinal between Sevilla and Juventus in the final on May 31 in Budapest.
It all started well for Leverkusen, looking to reach their first European final in 21 years.
Apart from a second minute chance for Roma's Lorenzo Pellegrini, the hosts had the upper hand in the first half with a dozen efforts on goal compared to their opponents' one.
Moussa Diaby rattled the crossbar with a powerful shot in the 12th minute and Kerem Demirbay's low drive in the 21st was saved by goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
The visitors tried to push up a bit higher in the second half to intercept Leverkusen's attacks earlier but the hosts kept finding ways to create chances.
Demirbay forced another good save in the 67th from Patricio, who thought he was beaten by Sardar Azmoun minutes later only for the Iranian's shot to sail just wide.
Leverkusen, whose last major title dates back to 1993, had 23 efforts on goal but it was Mourinho's Roma that went through even if they had just the one effort on goal in the entire game.
"All that was missing was a goal," said Leverkusen's Demirbay. "We did not have that bit of luck. It was bitter not to be rewarded for such a performances. But I am proud of the way we played."
Europa League thoroughbreds Sevilla fought back to reach yet another final as substitute Erik Lamela scored with a fabulous header five minutes into extra time to earn a gritty 2-1 win over Juventus on Thursday, securing a 3-2 aggregate victory.
The Spaniards will bid for a record-extending seventh Europa League title when they face AS Roma in the final in Budapest on May 31, after Jose Mourinho's side drew 0-0 at Bayer Leverkusen to secure a 1-0 aggregate victory in their semi-final.
Juventus, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Sevilla in the first leg, looked on course to reach the final when substitute Dusan Vlahovic scored with a tidy finish in the 65th minute at a raucous Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
But midfielder Suso levelled six minutes later with a stunning long-range strike to take the game into extra time. Lamela then wrapped up the win when he leapt in a crowded area and sent a towering header into the net to delight the fans.
Graham Clark century drives Durham back into box seat
Durham 393 for 9 (Clark 100, de Leede 65, Borthwick 53) vs Gloucestershire
Encountering a flat pitch and batter-friendly weather for the first time this season, the visitors won the toss and ran up 393 for 9 by the close, thanks in large part to a superb partnership of 124 in 34.4 overs for the sixth wicket between Clark and Bas de Leede. There was also a half century for captain Scott Borthwick, while opener Alex Lees and in-form wicketkeeper-batsman Ollie Robinson contributed 41 and 40 respectively.
A Gloucestershire side deprived through injury of captain Graeme van Buuren, experienced strike bowler Merchant de Lange and leading wicket-taker Tom Price fought hard throughout, chipping away at the top and middle order and making Durham graft for their runs on a typically slow Bristol pitch. Slow left armer Zafar Gohar claimed 4 for 104 and seamer Ajeet Singh Dale 2 for 73 as the hosts stuck to their task manfully.
But the visitors at last took control in the final session, Clark raising exactly 100 from 155 balls, with 13 fours and a six, and de Leede, making only his third first-class appearance, registering a Championship-best score of 65 to put their side in credit.
Top of the table after three wins from five games and brimful of confidence, Durham have gained a reputation for playing 'Bazball' style cricket this season. But they were made to think twice by Singh Dale, who has put on a yard of pace over the winter.
Bending his back and summoning no little bounce and movement off the seam, he accounted for Michael Jones in the third over, the Scottish batsmen failing to offer a shot and looking back in horror as off and middle stumps were dislodged. It was far from plain sailing for the visitors and Borthwick was handed a life on 20 when edging debutant Zaman Akhter to second slip where the usually reliable Chris Dent allowed opportunity to slip through his fingers. He then survived a confident lbw appeal from the same bowler as Gloucestershire's seamers continued to make life difficult.
Having grafted their way to 50 in the first hour, Durham's second wicket pair moved up through the gears, Lees in particular going after slow left armer Zafar. Still to find the rhythm that begets consistency of line and length, Akhter also proved expensive.
Under pressure, Gloucestershire stood their ground and were rewarded when Lees, having crafted 41 from 64 balls, drove Shaw to backward point where Zafar took a startling catch. Having shared in a stand of 71 for the second wicket, Borthwick then added a further 63 in partnership with David Bedingham either side of lunch as Durham flourished. Borthwick went to 50 from 73 balls via his ninth four, punched through mid-off at the expense of Dale.
Once again, Gloucestershire stuck to their task and Borthwick, having assiduously avoided being tempted by the short ball, nevertheless fell into a carefully-laid trap, pulling Dale and succumbing to a brilliant catch by Miles Hammond at backward point for 53. When Bedingham clipped Matt Taylor to mid-wicket in the next over, Durham were 149 for 4, their position of strength in serious danger of being eroded.
New batsmen Robinson and Clark attempted to wrest back control in a diligent alliance of 65 in 16 overs for the fifth wicket, only for the former to bottom edge a catch behind off Zafar and depart for 40 when a fourth half century of the season appeared his for the taking.
Reduced to 214 for 5 and still just about being held in check, Durham were thereafter indebted to Clark and de Leede, who worked hard to wrestle back the initiative and at last confirm northern supremacy during the final session. Playing for only the second time this season, de Leede matched Clark blow for blow in a resilient innings that spanned 117 balls and included 11 fours.
The Dutchman was looking to become more expansive when he fell to the new ball in the last hour, stumped by stand-in Gloucestershire captain James Bracey off the bowling of Zafar.
Gloucestershire's overseas hired hand recovered well after his first four overs went for 33 in the morning session, pinning Ben Raine lbw for two to lead a spirited fightback in the early-evening sunshine. But the indomitable Clark still had the final say, working Zafar to square leg and punching the air before even he had completed the single which signaled his first century since 2017.
He was out next ball, trapped lbw by Zafar, and there was still time for Akhter to claim his first Championship wicket, Hammond taking a stunning diving catch at point to remove Matthew Potts without scoring.
Clinical Kohli, du Plessis keep RCB's fate in their hands
Royal Challengers Bangalore 187 for 2 (Kohli 100, du Plessis 71) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 186 for 5 (Klaasen 104, Bracewell 2-13) by eight wickets
RCB momentarily reached the top four with 14 points to their name, level with Mumbai Indians. Both sides have a game left but RCB have the better net run rate. It might well come down to these two teams' final matches on the final day of the league stages.
SRH's top-order woes continue
Asked to bat first on what began as a slowish surface, the new SRH opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi struggled to get bat on ball. In the first three overs they scored just 11 runs. And just after Tripathi began going with a four and a six in the fourth over, they both gifted their wickets to Michael Bracewell. Abhishek cut a short and wide loosener straight to cover point, and Tripathi lapped him to short fine leg.
Klaasen checks in
It might be rude to say so but the early strikes were a blessing in disguise for SRH. They brought out their best batter to bat early. And to the first ball he faced, Klaasen showed why he is their best. This offbreak from Bracewell turned appreciably, ending at the top of the leg stump, but Klaasen went back and punched it past extra cover for four.
Klaasen's ability to hit off the back foot anything marginally short of a length or slow in the air forced the spinners every now and then to overpitch. Whenever they did overpitch, Klaasen was quick to come forward and launch them down the ground. The ease with which Klaasen hit spin - he eventually scored 70 off 29 against them, with five fours and five sixes - forced RCB to bring back the quicks sooner than they would have liked to.
Mohammed Siraj and Wayne Parnell bowled economical overs, but Klaasen got the better of Harshal Patel. It left RCB needing to bowl an over of spin at the death, which is when Klaasen hit Shahbaz Ahmed for successive sixes.
Parnell, Siraj finish off well
Even when Klaasen was going great, he didn't get much support from the other end. Parnell and Siraj bowled overs 18 and 20 for seven and four runs respectively to keep SRH down to 186. Klaasen scored 104 off 51, the other batters 76 off 69. This was a special innings with a control percentage of 97.1 and a strike-rate of 204. Only AB de Villiers has ever scored a better-controlled hundred at a strike rate of 175 or above in the IPL.
The Kohli-du Plessis show
This match was taking place in Hyderabad, but you wouldn't have known it from the Aar See Bee chants. It took the significant RCB-supporting section of the crowd just one ball to come back to life after Klaasen had lowered their volume. Kohli drove at an outswinger from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and got four for it. The next ball he drove off the back foot and over cover-point. The roof came off.
An experimental attack made up mainly of medium-pace and one full-time spinner was under the pump right away. SRH went for Abhishek Sharma's part-time left-arm spin with the new ball, and Kohli rightly pre-empted arm balls, made room, and hit him for fours too. It was apparent that RCB, who love to bat first, had made the right call at the toss as the grip in the surface had come down from the first innings.
SRH make errors
There were two moments of luck for du Plessis. First Kartik Tyagi drew a top edge from him in the fourth over, and Glenn Phillips, of all fielders, dropped him at deep square leg. Then, even after a lot of damage had been done, Mayank Dagar took a screamer diving to his right at deep midwicket off debutant Nitish Reddy, but because there was a dismissal involved, the umpires could check the height of this bouncer on replay. By a few centimetres, it was the second bouncer of the over, and instead of celebrating his maiden IPL wicket, Reddy was now bowling a free-hit.
Intent on during the middle overs
This was a chase, net run rate was important, the pitch had quickened up, the SRH attack wasn't flash, but it was still a sight for sore eyes seeing Kohli not drop his intent in the middle overs. He was 29 off 19 at the end of the powerplay, and he scored 26 off the next 19 he faced.
Time and again, du Plessis stood and admired Kohli's shots in awe. And when the spinners did manage a quiet three-over period of 18 runs, Kohli broke the spell with a slog-sweep against the turn of a left-arm spinner.
Landmarks arrived as matters of fact. Well before the 171-run stand ended, Kohli and du Plessis had had brought up the most prolific single IPL for an opening pair. Du Plessis went past 50 for the eighth time this IPL, the last three of them on the trot. Kohli went past 50 for the seventh time. The successful chase was only the third time RCB had won chasing 185 or more in the IPL, out of 36 times of asking. In less than two seasons, Gujarat Titans have done it the same number of times.
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
Amy Jones fifty backed up by Grace Potts, Emily Arlott as Central Sparks start with a win
Central Sparks 137 (A Jones 51, Castle 3-24, Villiers 3-28) beat Sunrisers 114 (Griffith 53, Arlott 4-23) by 23 runs
England wicketkeeper Jones held Sparks together with a swashbuckling 51 from 34 balls out of a score of 137 all out after they were invited to bat first. Kelly Castle and Mady Villiers kept the rest of the Sparks line-up in check, the former taking two wickets in successive balls.
Sunrisers got early joy after deciding to field with Davina Perrin trapped in front for a duck from the last ball of Kate Coppack's opening over.
Eve Jones threatened briefly, scoring all the first 15 runs off the bat before missing a horrible short ball from Grace Scrivens which crashed into the stumps and Australian allrounder Erin Burns failed to make the most of being dropped on 1 when stumped by Amara Carr off the impressive Castle.
And when Ami Campbell was castled by Villiers Sparks' flame was in danger of being snuffed out at 59 for 4. Amy Jones though stood firm, feasting on some short offerings with savage pulls square of the wicket as well as driving crisply through the covers.
At 94 for 4 a big score looked on, but Castle returned to have Abbey Freeborn stumped by Carr, before yorking Katie George with the next ball, leaving Arlott to prevent the hat-trick.
Jones moved serenely to 50 only to hole out at mid-off to the very next ball from Villiers after which the tail scrambled to 137.
The hosts looked to Scrivens for a solid start, but the teenager went early, striking one from Potts into the midriff of George at midwicket.
George then had a mixed over ball in hand, producing a trio of wides before Lissy Macleod despatched her twice to the fence. George though had the last laugh having Macleod taken at the second attempt down the leg-side by Amy Jones from one that flicked the glove.
Potts turned the screw a little tighter with three overs off the reel in the powerplay to put Sunrisers behind the clock.
Griffith took up the chase to strike England speedster Issy Wong first over midwicket and then through mid-off for successive boundaries. Georgia Davis was similarly despatched through cover and when George returned to the attack, she was cut to the fence at third twice in successive balls.
In need of a wicket, Sparks summoned the miserly Potts back to the bowling crease and she delivered, trapping Carr plumb in front, and Villiers didn't entertain us for long, swinging one from Burns into the hands of George at cow corner.
The double strike caused the rate required to climb with 46 needed from the last five. Griffiths scampered two to reach 50 from 43 balls with six fours, but when she skied one to cover off the bowling of Arlott later in the over the task proved too much for the Sunrisers tail.
Commish: WNBA using Aces case as talking point
The WNBA will continue to work with its teams and coaches regarding its respect in the workplace policies following the punishments levied on the Las Vegas Aces and coach Becky Hammon, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert told ESPN's Malika Andrews on Thursday.
"We'll be talking with all of our teams, all of our coaches, with our respect in the workplace policies around the sensitivity, especially in a women's league," Engelbert said during an appearance on ESPN's "NBA Today." "Really important to tailor those trainings to make sure everybody understands discussions that are held one-on-one with players or with a player group have to be in compliance with our policies."
The WNBA suspended Hammon for two games without pay and took a 2025 first-round draft pick from the Aces after ruling that the team had violated league rules in its treatment of former player Dearica Hamby.
The league said the violations came from promises of impermissible benefits during contract extension negotiations with Hamby, while a respect in the workplace violation was regarding comments from Hammon to Hamby related to the player's pregnancy.
During the offseason, Hamby alleged in social media posts that she had been traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in January because she was pregnant and that the Aces acted unethically toward her. Hammon countered Wednesday that the trade was "a business decision" based on the Aces' needs and denied any harsh statements were made to Hamby.
Asked about the investigation process, Engelbert defended the inquiry as thorough, noting that two former prosecutors interviewed more than 30 people.
"They reviewed text messages, emails, kind of an independent review, thorough investigation to come to the conclusions we came to around both the draft pick and Becky's suspension," Engelbert told Andrews.
Both the Aces and Hammon have said they were disappointed in the league's decision. Hammon on Wednesday said the investigation did not speak to any current Aces players who were with the team last year.
Andrews asked Engelbert about what conversation she may have had with Hammon.
"I let the lawyers do their work and get all the facts to us at the league office," Engelbert said.
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