Sophia Wilson and Trinity Rodman are back in the fold, while Mallory Swanson misses out after giving birth to her first child in November

AUGUSTA, Ga. With their Azalea cocktails in hand, a few dozen of Brandon Holtzs family members and golf buddies from Bloomington, Illinois, walked toward the second green Thursday morning at Augusta National and watched him line up a birdie putt.This is insane, said City Petersen, who has played a few July 4 tournaments as Holtzs partner at Lakeside Country Club, the nine-hole course where Holtz spends most of his Saturdays.It wasnt real until we got here, said Steve Gildner, a friend in the insurance business. When he was stretching this morning, he was between (Dustin Johnson) and Rory (McIlRoy). Its crazy.Can you imagine if the local real estate agent in your regular golf game decided to enter some amateur events and ended up qualifying to play in the Masters? Though admittedly an oversimplification of Holtzs story more on that in a moment its pretty much the experience his friends had Thursday watching him play with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and Nicolas Echavarria.This will ruin Crestwicke for him, John McGrew, who plays with Holtz at the local country club, said with a laugh.Hes gonna be so (expletive) jaded after this, said Alan Bardwell, one of the best golfers in Bloomington. Hes going to look at us like, You guys suck.Between the jokes, the drinks and the busting of chops from outside the ropes, it barely mattered that Holtz shot 81. Nerves? Yes, there were a few, particularly on the first tee. Did he play as well as he hoped? Absolutely not. But all in all, it was the kind of day that reaffirmed the thought Holtz has held in his mind all week: He already won before hitting his first shot.Brandon Holtz hits on the second hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)ASSOCIATED PRESSI got out of position a lot today, and that doesnt work out here, he said. Definitely not what I wanted to do, but had a lot of fun. I felt things I never felt before.It was much the same for Holtzs crew of supporters. The closest many of them ever came to the best golfers in the world was their annual trip to the John Deere Classic, a PGA Tour stop a couple hours down the road in Illinois. Now, here they were not just on a dream trip to Augusta but supporting their friend, a 39-year old former Div. 1 basketball player at Illinois State who has attended the Masters for years as a patron and earned his invitation to play last September by winning the U.S. Mid-Amateur.The surreal part is Im always in this mass of people here looking for my husband, said his wife, Elizabeth Holtz. Now I look for him and hes in the fairway.How did Brandon Holtz end up here?After college, Holtz was a good enough golfer to kick around on the mini-tours for a few years several rungs down the ladder from the PGA Tour but not good enough to sustain it as a career. Yes, he was technically a professional, but at his level it was practically a hobby. Holtzs best-ever payday by a significant margin was $14,000 for finishing second at the Illinois Open in 2017. Playing golf for a living was a money-losing proposition, and once he got married and started a family, he needed to transition into something else to pay the bills.Holtz paid the USGAs $200 fee to have his amateur status reinstated, but the reason, Elizabeth said, was not because he had his sights on playing big amateur events whose winners gain entry into major championships. Rather, it was because he wanted to be eligible to be in father-son tournaments with their 6-year old boy Baker when he got old enough to play.Now, that plan is somewhat up in the air after the U.S. Open and potentially the Walker Cup if Holtz plays well enough to earn an invitation.Ive joked with him, are we just going to go back to selling houses next year? Elizabeth said. A lot of things happen when you qualify for the Masters. We had no idea how many layers there were with all this. (Turning pro again) isnt out of the question.More likely, though, real life beckons: Back on the job at ReMax, back playing for small wagers on the weekends at Lakeside, the course locals call Little Augusta because it has the best greens in town.Hell be back playing with all of us hackers next week, his friend, Joe Bierbaum, said.Still, Holtz has got a spot in the U.S. Open field at Shinnecock Hills in June. His goal is to make a cut, which it doesnt appear will happen here. It means a lot of training and discipline, which wasnt his strong suit the first time he tried to make it in golf.Hes down 35 pounds in three years, said his fitness trainer, Brian Lahr, who owns the gym in Bloomington where Holtz works out. Hes got a lifestyle. He likes to party. Were trying to take this more seriously.Hed also like to dial in his driver before the next time he gets an opportunity like this. After winning the Mid-Amateur, Holtz gifted his favorite club to the USGA museum for display. Ever since, hes been unable to find a driver hes comfortable with despite gaining access to Callaways testing facilities.On the eve of the Masters, he managed to get the USGA to ship the club to him here. It arrived Wednesday night, but ultimately he decided not to put it in play.Regardless of how he plays at the U.S. Open, though, it will be hard to match the experience hes had here from staying in the famous Crows Nest reserved for the amateur competitors to having his father caddy for him after their Masters tradition began in 2004 by winning a lottery for lifetime Masters badges.There have been other perks, too.A year ago, before there was any notion of winning the Mid-Amateur, Holtz and Bardwell came here for Masters week and e-mailed some of the top courses in Georgia to see if they could get a round in. Every one of them said no.This year? Different story particularly after Holtz, now a Masters competitor, forwarded them the rejection e-mails from a year ago.Hes just a normal guy, said Adam Havens, an executive at his familys consulting company. Thats why everyone likes him. We want him to enjoy this, but hes giving his friends and family an incredible experience.In that regard, the score didnt matter. Every time Holtz set up for a shot, his supporters were finding new ways to say how awesome it was just to be there watching.Though the day began with two pars and hope that Holtz could put together a round that would have the whole world talking Thirty-six pars and well be here for the weekend! Gildner said after No. 2 reality set in with a three-putt on No. 5, a missed birdie chance on No. 6 and a wayward drive on No. 7 that he compounded with a punch out that he shanked into the opposite rough, leading to a double bogey.Quite simply, theres a bright line between the best players in the world and a guy with a regular job, and Augusta is the kind of place that usually makes the difference very clear.Its been an emotional week but a fun week, Holtz said. I just kept telling myself, Take it back and swing hard. This place, whatever you think it is, its multiplied by 10. It was a feeling I never felt before and I cant wait to feel it again.

After winning the national title, coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers still have something to prove. "People are always going to doubt us," lineman Tyrique Tucker said.

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Athletics pitcher Jeffrey Springs lost a no-hit bid Thursday with one out in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees when he allowed a single to Ben Rice.Springs walked Giancarlo Stanton after catcher Austin Wynns lost an ABS challenge on the previous pitch that was called a ball. On his 84th pitch, Rice hit an 83 mph slider for a clean single to right field.The A's held a 1-0 lead when Springs allowed Rice's hit.Springs allowed two baserunners in the third and ended the inning by getting a called third strike on Aaron Judge with his changeup. He ended the fifth by getting Jos Caballero on a flyball to deep left field.In the sixth, Springs won an ABS challenge that resulted in a called third strike to Ryan McMahon. He ended the sixth at 73 pitches after Judge softly grounded out to third.The As have thrown 13 no-hitters in franchise history. The last was achieved by Mike Fiers on May 7, 2019, in Oakland against the Cincinnati Reds.The Yankees have been no-hit eight times in team history. The last was a combined no-hitter by Houstons Cristian Javier, Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly on June 25, 2022, at Yankee Stadium.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Magnus Carlsen, the world's leading chess player, agreed to pose for a photograph with his teenage opponent at a prestigious German tournament last week, only to immediately alert officials she was carrying a mobile phone.The incident occurred at the Grenke Chess Festival in Karlsruhe, where the 35-year-old Norwegian faced the 18-year-old Kazakhstani grandmaster Alua Nurman in a freestyle chess match.Video footage captured Nurman requesting the selfie as both players took their seats at the board. Carlsen obliged with a broad grin before walking across the hall to inform arbiter Michael Ruetten about the device.TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SayThe official subsequently confiscated Nurman's phone before play commenced.Tournament regulations strictly prohibit electronic devices in the playing area, as phones could potentially be used to access chess engines or receive covert assistance through vibrations and hidden messages.Carlsen's decision sparked debate among chess enthusiasts online. Some accused the five-time world champion of being excessively pedantic, while supporters noted he was simply adhering to established protocol.Others suggested he may have actually protected Nurman from more serious consequences, as a victory while possessing a phone could have resulted in her expulsion from the competition.There was no indication that the young grandmaster intended to use the device for any improper purpose.Following a formal handshake, the pair began their contest, with Nurman mounting what observers described as a lengthy and determined resistance before eventually succumbing to defeat.Despite losing to the man widely considered the greatest chess player in history, the young Kazakhstani remained in high spirits. LATEST SPORT NEWS:Cristiano Ronaldo dragged into Saudi league cheating claims as England star launches scathing attackChampionship club's new stadium sparks council row as legal action launched over 'ancient' woodlandDarts bans transgender players in Women's only events in latest victory for female sportsShe secured second place in the women's category at the tournament.Nurman, who holds the top ranking among women under 20 in the International Chess Federation's classical world standings, shared the photograph on Instagram, where it quickly went viral."Dream come true! Truly enjoyable game," she wrote alongside the image, appearing entirely unfazed by the phone confiscation.Speaking to ChessBase India, Nurman explained her motivation for the photograph.She said: "When I saw the pairings, I was out of my mind. Last year tienne Bacrot also took a selfie. I thought like, why not? I'm very grateful that Magnus agreed to this."Carlsen, a 21-time world chess title holder who once possessed the highest classical rating in history, appeared relaxed about the episode.He said: "It's alright for me. I won both the games so I'm not complaining."The tournament itself was claimed by German grandmaster Vincent Keymer, with Carlsen finishing third after several draws.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Golf icon Tom Watson says LIV defectors like Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed should not have been allowed back on the PGA Tour and banned for life.

A Cape Air flight was forced to return to Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Monday shortly after takeoff when part of its cabin door opened in midair.The small plane had just departed from Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) and was on its way to Boston when the issue occurred, according to news outlet Nantucket Current.An Instagram video recorded by a passenger on board shows the upper section of the main cabin door partially opening mid-flight with plenty of commenters immediately weighing in on the incident.FLIGHT ATTENDANT'S COSTLY ERROR LEADS TO GROUNDING OF DELTA FLIGHT, LONG PASSENGER DELAYSDespite what happened, the aircraft remained stable and continued to operate normally.Fox News Digital reached out to Cape Air for comment about the incident.The pilot turned the plane around and landed back in Nantucket, without any reported injuries, the outlet noted.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERPassengers were later transferred to another aircraft to complete their trip to Boston, with several praising the pilot for remaining calm under pressure."The pilot was amazing," a passenger told the Current. "The pilot did not panic but safely brought us back around the island to land. Probably flew for about 6 to8 minutes with the door open."The airline confirmed the incident to the local outlet.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES"The aircraft was at a stable altitude and operated normally. The flight crew returned to ACK, and the aircraft landed safely without further incident," the airline's statement said.That particular aircraft has since been taken out of service as the company investigates what caused the issue."We are following all established safety procedures and will take any necessary actions based on our findings," the company said adding that passenger safety remains its top priority.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZUsers commented on the video the passenger posted with many striking a lighter note about the situation."Isn't it a little cold for the window to be open at this time of the year?" one user wrote.Another user commented, "A little fresh air can't hurt."Fox News Digital previously reported on another airline situation that caused disruptions.A Delta flight at Pittsburgh International was left waiting on the tarmac after a flight attendant accidentally deployed the aircraft's emergency slide delaying passengers onboard.The mistake required maintenance crews to remove the slide before passengers could safely exit. Such incidents can cause airlines tens of thousands of dollars.Khloe Quill of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

Mainz 05 empfngt im Viertelfinal-Hinspiel der Conference League den als einzigen in dieser Conference-League-Saison noch ungeschlagenen RC Strasbourg.[mehr]