Sports
Phil Mickelson withdraws from the Masters, joins Tiger Woods in sitting out signature major
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As Tiger Woods steps away from golf and won’t be playing in the Masters next week, another golf legend won’t be on the grounds at Augusta National Golf Club.
Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson released a statement Thursday saying he won’t be playing in this year’s tournament.
“Unfortunately, I will not play in the Masters Tournament next week and will be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter,” Mickelson’s statement on social media said.
Phil Mickelson plays a shot from the fifth tee during LIV Golf South Africa at The Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg March 20, 2026. (Johan Rynners/Getty Images)
“I wish everyone the best of luck and will be watching.”
Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley also released a statement after Mickelson’s decision.
TIGER WOODS DECLINES RYDER CUP CAPTAINCY AFTER DUI, CAR CRASH
“We know how much Phil loves the Masters tournament, and he will be missed by everyone in Augusta next week,” Ridley’s statement said. “He has our complete supports as he takes time to be with his family.”
The 55-year-old Mickelson missed four LIV Golf events earlier this year, and he noted he was dealing with a “family health matter.”
Phil Mickelson walks the 16th fairway during LIV Golf Indianapolis at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Ind., Aug. 16, 2025. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
He was on the course in South Africa two weeks ago, leading his HyFlyers GC squad for the event. Mickelson finished tied for 48 in the event.
Mickelson’s Masters announcement comes after Woods stepped away from golf “to seek treatment” following a DUI arrest after a rollover crash Friday in Jupiter Island, Florida.
Woods, a 15-time major winner and five-time Masters champion, and Mickelson sat atop the golf world, beginning in the late 1990s and through the 2010s. While Woods usually sat atop the world golf rankings, Mickelson was his toughest competitor, winning six majors over his storied career.
Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC walks on the first green during the semifinals of the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship at The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort Aug. 23, 2025. (Aaron Doster/Imagn Images)
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So, two golf icons won’t be at Augusta National come next week, when the 90th edition of the Masters tees off Thursday, April 9.
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Sports
Bryson DeChambeau drills patron with tee shot, can’t escape bunker in rough first round of the Masters
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Bryson DeChambeau had a tumultuous first round of the Masters.
DeChambeau, 32, who shot 4 over par on the day, hit a patron with a tee shot on the sixth hole before later struggling to get out of a bunker on the 11th hole, hitting out of the sand three times before escaping the trap.
On the 180-yard, par 3, DeChambeau pulled his tee shot toward the left and hit a patron in the leg. The ball bounced back toward the hole and ended up settling off the green.
Bryson DeChambeau watches his tee shot on the 12th hole during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., April 9, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
DeChambeau covered his mouth with his hand when he saw the ball strike the patron. When he walked toward the green, he found the patron, gave him a golf ball and shook his hand.
DeChambeau, who was even par at the time, made an outstanding recovery, chipping the ball to three feet from the hole despite being 24 yards out and eventually saved par by making the ensuing putt.
The Clovis, California, native, remained at even par until the 11th hole, when he had difficulty escaping a greenside bunker.
DeChambeau’s second shot was from the fairway, hitting down toward a green that was flanked by a pond and a bunker. DeChambeau stayed far away from the pond, and his ball ended up rolling in the bunker.
KEVIN HART CADDIES FOR BRYSON DECHAMBEAU IN AUGUSTA NATIONAL DEBUT, DELIVERING HILARIOUS PAR 3 CONTEST MOMENTS
Bryson DeChambeau hits from the bunker on the 11th hole during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., April 9, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
The LIV Golf star hit his first bunker shot just three yards, not even nearing the lip of the bunker. His second bunker shot went nowhere, and he appeared to completely miss the ball.
DeChambeau finally escaped the bunker on his third attempt, hitting the ball just over the ledge of the sand trap before letting it roll about 15 feet away. He ended up two-putting for triple bogey, bringing him to three over par for the day.
His struggles continued on the 16th hole, when he three-putted for bogey to bring him to four over par on the day. DeChambeau erased the stroke gained with a birdie on the 17th hole after a great iron shot from the rough left him eight feet from the hole.
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Bryson DeChambeau hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., April 9, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
However, DeChambeau bogeyed the 18th hole, finishing with a 4-over 76 for the day.
For DeChambeau, his start to the Masters was similar to last year’s, when he shot an opening-round 73. DeChambeau rallied in the second and third rounds, and he entered the final round in the final pairing with Rory McIlroy before shooting a 75 on Sunday to end in a tie for fifth place.
DeChambeau will look to turn things around Friday, when he tees off at 1:20 p.m. ET.
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Sports
Joseph Baena, son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, wins Iron Gladiator bodybuilding competition
Watch out, Arnold Schwarzenegger — there’s a new champ in the family.
Joseph Baena, the youngest son of the “Terminator” star, made his amateur debut at the National Physique Committee Natural Colorado State Championships last month and swept the competition, winning first place in three categories: Men’s Open Bodybuilding Heavyweight, Men’s Classic Physique True Novice and Men’s Classic Physique Novice.
Then, last week, he won big in Corona at the International Natural Bodybuilding Assn. Iron Gladiator competition, where he came in first in the Classic Physique division and scored his pro card, which paves the way for him to compete in the natural equivalent of his dad’s famous competition, the Professional Natural Bodybuilding Assn. Natural Olympia.
“Moments I’ll never forget!” Baena posted on social media. “What an incredible experience these last 3 months have been. My first prep and my first body building shows. I’ve learned more about myself, training and dieting in these few months than I have since I started lifting weights. Stepping on stage has always been a scary feat for me but creating the goal and actually going for it is one of the best decisions I could have ever made.
“Im grateful for the experience and grateful for all the people in my corner supporting and cheering me on! Cant wait for what’s next. My message to you is to take that chance and chase your goals and dreams!”
Joseph Baena enjoyed a trip to In-N-Out Burger after winning first place at Iron Gladiator.
(Ryan O’Connor)
Schwarzenegger won the Mr. Olympia title seven times with the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation, including his six-year streak from 1970 to 1975. He notoriously won again in 1980. While Baena can now compete as a pro in the natural league if he continues, he’ll still need to place highly in forthcoming PNBA shows to land a spot at the Natural Olympia contest, which will be held at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in November.
Just like his dad, Baena, 28, is a regular at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach where he has trained leading up to his debut as a competitive bodybuilder. Unlike his dad, who has been candid about his past steroid use, Baena has approached the sport au naturel.
The father and son strongmen have frequently paired up to train together and have been spotted rehearsing the elegant poses that made Schwarzenegger a star. Baena told Entertainment Tonight last summer that his dad is at the gym bright and early and says if he’s not there at 7 a.m., Schwarzenegger won’t hold his tongue.
“I’m there every day, or I try to be there every day,” he said. “We train together. We love working out together. And he’s a great workout partner.”
Joseph Baena won the INBA Iron Gladiator bodybuilding competition, held last Saturday and Sunday, earning his pro card in the process.
(Ryan O’Connor)
Baena, who has been open about struggling with his weight when he was younger, said ahead of the competition that his fitness journey has been a long one. “Started swimming and lost a lot of the fat,” he said. “It wasn’t until my junior year of college, so about eight years ago, that I started lifting weights and fell in love with bodybuilding, seeing the improvement, the muscle gain, the strength gain, and I fell in love with the sport, even watching.
“But this year was the year that I said, enough being afraid, enough overthinking, it’s time to commit. Just do a show.”
Baena, who’s a luxury real estate agent when he’s not at the gym or eating burgers in his Speedo, has shared some of his prep journey online. He frequently posts cooking tutorials that focus on ease and high protein.
In 2022, Baena competed on Season 31 of “Dancing With the Stars” and used his bodybuilding chops to pull off challenging lifts, basically bench-pressing his partner Alexis Warr mid-tango. He was eliminated five weeks into the season, ultimately placing 11th out of 16 contestants.
Sports
Bryson DeChambeau adds 3D-printed club to bag for Masters
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Bryson DeChambeau is putting together a solid season at LIV Golf, and is looking to carry some of that momentum into the Masters this week in search of the first green jacket of his career.
DeChambeau is second in the LIV Golf standings behind Jon Rahm. But he enters Augusta National with back-to-back wins in Singapore and South Africa. As he heads into the first major of the golf season, DeChambeau is carrying something new in his bag.
Bryson DeChambeau warms up on the driving range before a practice round ahead of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 7, 2026. (Ashley Landis/AP)
He will use a 5-iron made with a 3D printer. It’s a club he built himself.
“There’s this nature that I have about myself where innovation is a habit of mine, and I really find and take pride in that ability to learn — even through failure, even through making a bad decision or a good decision — what I can get from that,” he told ESPN.
“We’ll see where it goes. We’ll see where it takes me. All I could say now is, if I don’t put them in the bag, it’s my fault now.”
DeChambeau had manufacturing deals with LA Golf and Cobra. According to ESPN, his deal with Cobra ended in February.
Tinkering with his clubs isn’t a new strategy for DeChambeau. He said he had been tinkering with the idea of building his own clubs for a few years and tried a new wedge as he won in South Africa.
Bryson DeChambeau signs autographs during the Par 3 Contest at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on Apr. 8, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)
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DeChambeau has had progressively better finishes at Augusta National since he made his first appearance in 2019. Since missing the cut in 2023, he finished tied for sixth in 2024 and tied for fifth in 2025. He missed the cut in 2022 and 2023.
“I feel like my game’s in the best place of its career, outside of maybe Greenbrier (in 2023) when I shot 58,” he said. “I’m excited to get the week going and see where I can put myself.”
He said his recent performances at the Masters were attributed to a more measured approach.
“More patience, like not as aggressive all the time. Knowing where to be aggressive and when not to be aggressive,” he said. “Making better decisions, having a caddie that reins me in sometimes.”
Bryson DeChambeau tees off on the third hole during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 7, 2026. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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