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It’s cut day at the 2025 Masters Tournament.

While a few big names will soon be going home, the pressure to win the green jacket will only intensify for those at the top of the leaderboard. Justin Rose is currently the man in the driver’s seat after shooting a 7-under 65 Thursday.

For those of you who want to do nothing but watch golf all day, we have great news: Rose begins his second round Friday nice and early, at 8:52 a.m ET. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who is currently tied for second at 3 under, doesn’t hit the tee box until 1:23 p.m. ET, a byproduct of the tee times and groupings for the first two rounds being set before the tournament.

Here are the complete tee times and groupings for the second round of the 2025 Masters Tournament:

Masters 2025 Friday tee times, groups for Round 2

7:40 a.m. — Cameron Davis, Rafael Campos, Austin Eckroat
7:51 a.m. — Angel Cabrera, Laurie Canter, Adam Schenk
8:02 a.m. — José María Olazábal, Thriston Lawrence, Brian Campbell
8:13 a.m. — Bubba Watson, Matthieu Pavon, Evan Beck (A)
8:24 a.m. — Tom Hoge, Matt McCarty, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
8:35 a.m. — Charl Schwartzel, Denny McCarthy, Hiroshi Tai (A)
8:52 a.m. — Max Homa, Justin Rose, J.J. Spaun
9:03 a.m. — Dustin Johnson, Nick Taylor, Justin Hastings (A)
9:14 a.m. — Sergio Garcia, Lucas Glover, Daniel Berger
9:25 a.m. — Patrick Cantlay, Rasmus Højgaard, Matt Fitzpatrick
9:36 a.m. — Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Sungjae Im
9:47 a.m. — Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland
9:58 a.m. — Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia
10:15 a.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry
10:26 a.m. — Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood
10:37 a.m. — Sahith Theegala, Sepp Straka, Sam Burns
10:48 a.m. — Davis Riley, Patton Kizzire
10:59 a.m. — Kevin Yu, Jhonattan Vegas, Nicolai Højgaard
11:10 a.m. — Mike Weir, Michael Kim, Cameron Young
11:21 a.m. — Zach Johnson, Joe Highsmith, Chris Kirk
11:38 a.m. — Danny Willett, Nicolas Echavarria, Davis Thompson
11:49 a.m. — Bernhard Langer, Will Zalatoris, Noah Kent (A)
12 p.m. — Cameron Smith, J.T. Poston, Aaron Rai
12:11 p.m. — Fred Couples, Harris English, Taylor Pendrith
12:22 p.m. — Corey Conners, Brian Harman, Stephan Jaeger
12:33 p.m. — Patrick Reed, Max Greyserman, Byeong Hun An
12:50 p.m. — Robert MacIntyre, Billy Horschel, Nick Dunlap
1:01 p.m. — Collin Morikawa, Joaquín Niemann, Min Woo Lee
1:12 p.m. — Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley
1:23 p.m. — Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jose Luis Ballester (A)
1:34 p.m. — Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, Tyrrell Hatton
1:45 p.m. — Tony Finau, Maverick McNealy, Thomas Detry

(A) amateur

How to watch Masters 2025: TV, streaming for golf’s first major

Live coverage of this year’s Masters Tournament will be split by ESPN and CBS, with the first and second rounds broadcast on ESPN and the final two rounds on CBS.

Friday, April 11

TV: ESPN
Time: 3:30-7 p.m. ET
Streaming coverage: ESPN+, Masters.com, the Masters YouTube page and Fubo, which offers a free trial subscription for new users

Watch the 2025 Masters with Fubo

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Owen Michaels scored his second goal of the game 26 seconds into double overtime to lift Western Michigan to a 3-2 win against Denver in the first semifinal at the Frozen Four on Thursday evening in St. Louis.

Western Michigan (33-7-1), which is playing in its first Frozen Four in program history, will play either Penn State or Boston University in the championship game on Saturday.

Brian Kramer also scored and Hampton Slukynsky made 20 saves for Western Michigan, which has won nine in a row to become the first team from the state of Michigan to reach the national championship game since Ferris State lost to Boston College in 2012.

Aidan Thompson and Jared Wright scored and Matt Davis made 44 saves for Denver (31-12-1), which was trying to become the first team to win back-to-back national titles since Minnesota-Duluth in 2018 and ’19.

Michaels received a pass coming down the middle and scored with a wrist shot from the slot to cap off the first double-overtime game at the Frozen Four since 1996.

In the second period, the Broncos were on their second power play of the night when Kramer scored with a wrist shot from the high slot after a faceoff win, giving Western Michigan a 1-0 lead at 6:16.

Western Michigan extended the lead to 2-0 at 14:32 of the second after a Denver player slipped and lost the puck along the wall in his own zone. Michaels took possession and skated into the right circle before scoring with a wrist shot.

Denver cut it to 2-1 at 6:49 of the third. Thompson took a shot that was blocked by Samuel Sjolund, but the puck came back to him and he put his second try into the net.

Wright pushed the puck across the goal line as it was loose beneath Slukynsky to tie it 2-2 with 2:39 left in regulation. After a video review, the goal was upheld.

The Broncos outshot the Pioneers 12-3 in the scoreless first period and 32-8 through two periods.

Western Michigan forward Zach Nehring had an open net off a rebound just 1:09 into the first period, but his shot hit the crossbar.

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There are two distinct aspects of the recent, chaotic, disturbing and increasingly self-immolating life of Tyreek Hill. Some of these aspects are not Hill’s fault. Many of them are. Many of them are signs of a person who doesn’t get it, and needs someone to make him get it, before he plays himself out of the NFL. Or something worse happens.

There was the Hill who was stopped by police in September for allegedly speeding. According to body-cam footage released by the Miami-Dade Police Department, Hill was pulled out of the car, and shoved to the ground, after refusing to roll down his window. Hill should have rolled down his window but the police reaction was, well, completely unnecessary. One of the officers involved in the arrest had previously been the subject of multiple complaints for use of force and conduct unbecoming of an officer.

Do you blame Hill for that? You can. I don’t.

But that’s where the grace should end. Because so many other things Hill has been accused of are immensely disturbing. Hill, as the kids say, is trending.

Trending toward a disturbing place. He’s becoming Antonio Brown Part 2.

Hill was yet again involved in a domestic dispute, according to a police report. The report stated Hill’s mother-in-law said the Dolphins wide receiver was acting ‘very aggressive and impulsive,’ claiming he had thrown a laptop, grabbed his wife Keeta Hill, and walked toward the balcony high-rise.

Both Keeta and Tyreek Hill stated that the argument never became physically violent. No arrests were made. Officers said there was a light red mark on Keeta’s upper chest. She said that could have occurred when Tyreek Hill took their child from her.

This is far from the first time Hill has faced these type of accusations. He was accused in college of an ugly incident of domestic violence. There was a child abuse investigation. There was an assault allegation in 2023. An Instagram model said he broke her leg while the two were participating in a football drill.

These are not normal things. You might also notice a pattern. In many of these incidents are accusations of violence and an abuse of power, especially against women. Hill does not seem like a good dude. Hill seems like he’s on a steep decline.

You have to wonder how long the Dolphins will tolerate this. If they haven’t already reached their end point. Other teams might look at the fact that Hill still runs at warp, and because of that speed he might always have a home in the NFL. Teams compromise themselves over talent all the time. Yet if you’re the Dolphins or any other team, you might be saying: Is he worth it?

When making that decision they might want to think about Antonio Brown.

Brown was another great wide receiver. Brown, too, was involved in a steady slope of ugly incidents. Like Hill, there were accusations of sexual misconduct.

Eventually, his off-field issues were so deep, and so troubling, not even his substantial talent could save him.

What someone needs to tell Hill is there’s a certain point where the NFL will ignore you. It doesn’t care about you. It only cares about what you can do and teams use a certain (unofficial) equation:

Performance minus headache equals viability.

If you are great, the headache part of this formula can be high, and you will have a home in the NFL.

Hill is no longer the receiver he once was. He’s still good but not outstanding. The performance part of the equation is shrinking for him while the headache part is increasing. The viability is getting smaller and smaller.

Hill said at the end of last season he wanted out of Miami. Then later said he wanted to return. The Dolphins say they want him back.

“I can certainly say with certainty that at this certain moment (Hill won’t be traded),” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said from the NFL’s annual meetings. “We are fully planning to move forward for a better version of our relationship with Tyreek.”

Maybe that’s accurate. For now. Just remember the equation.

This was the same equation that ate Brown alive. It will get Hill, too.

Unless someone steps in and prevents him from becoming AB The Sequel.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

This is it.

The 2024-25 NBA regular season is down to its final stretch. With teams having just two or three games left to play, the opportunities to gain ground in the standings are few.

Most of the excitement is in the middle of the Western Conference, where the No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers are just 1 game up on the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers, 1½ games up on the Memphis Grizzlies and 2 games up on the Golden State Warriors.

Some of these teams will still play each other, all of which means, there could be plenty of movement in these final games of the season.

Here are the winners and losers of the 25th and final week of the 2024-25 NBA regular season.

WINNERS

Luka gets last laugh … for now

In his return to Dallas, facing the Mavericks for the first time in the American Airlines Center, Luka Dončić went off for 45 points, eight rebounds, and six assists on 16-of-28 shooting (57.1%), including a torrid 7-of-10 from 3-point range. The Lakers (49-31) won, clinching a playoff spot. Objectively, by just about every measure, Dončić has had a better time in his new home; the Lakers have gone 18-12 in games Dončić has played in and have shot up the standings, while the Mavericks are battling for a play-in spot.

Yet, the effects of this trade will ripple for years to come. And Dončić – unfairly or not – will be judged by championships. With LeBron James, 40, still impacting games in his 22nd season, Dončić’s window to win may never be as solid as it is now.

Pacers find balance, stay hot

Arguably no team has been better since the calendar turned to 2025 than the Indiana Pacers (48-31), which is 38-16 (.704) since Jan. 2. To get there, the Pacers have slightly tweaked their formula from last season, slowing down their offensive tempo just a touch and investing more in team defense.

They haven’t been massive changes. Last year, the Pacers were a blur, ranked second in offensive pace. This year, Indiana is eighth, though it’s by a difference of 1.49 possessions per 48 minutes. The anchor has been point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who leads the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.62). Haliburton is committing just 1.6 turnovers per game, tying his career low.  

Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (quietly) rounding into peak form

The Clippers (48-32) are just 1 game back of the in-town rival Lakers for the No. 3 seed in the West. The Clippers have has won six consecutive games, having topped the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets Wednesday night. The Clippers are now 30-11 at home this season. They have won 16 of their last 19.

While he has benefitted from the occasional spot rest, Kawhi Leonard has been available for Los Angeles since returning early January from right knee inflammation. He has been methodical, deliberate, consistent and efficient. And, alongside James Harden and Norman Powell, the Clippers own the NBA’s best offensive rating (124.1), second-best defensive rating (107.0) and top net rating (17.1) over the last 15 games.

LOSERS

Turmoil, transition could spoil Nuggets’ title hopes

There were tensions in Denver’s executive leadership, with former coach Michael Malone and former general manager Calvin Booth each grating over roster construction. Rather than firing one person in the power struggle, the Nuggets fired both, despite there being only three games left in the regular season.

The Nuggets (48-32) did snap a four-game losing streak Wednesday night against the Kings, but Jamal Murray (hamstring) remains sidelined after missing his sixth game. It has become apparent Denver needs Murray to be healthy to have a legitimate shot at a title. And while the body language of Denver’s players had deteriorated recently, and while Nikola Jokić did not object to Malone’s firing, the rupture of firing a coach so close to the postseason could alter team chemistry. Interim David Adelman does represent a bridge to continuity, but in a Western Conference loaded with contenders, a transition could put Denver at a disadvantage.

Heat miss chance to gain edge ahead of play-in

Wednesday night’s game between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls came with both teams holding the same record, though Chicago did have the tiebreaker for already winning two of the three games it would play against Miami this season. And, with both teams having a pair of games left against opponents who have failed to reach 25 victories, this presented the best chance for the Heat (who entered Wednesday as the 10-seed) to leapfrog the Bulls (No. 9) in the standings.

Miami was outscored in the second quarter by 11 and could never close the gap, which means the Heat will almost certainly have to go on the road to face the Bulls – a team it has already lost to three times this season – in the Play-In Tournament.

Desperate Suns eliminated, transition feels inevitable

There’s never a good time to lose eight games in a row; the worst, unquestionably, is when you’re trying to claw into the Play-In Tournament, and you’re on the outside looking in. That’s exactly where the Phoenix Suns (35-45) is right now, officially eliminated after losing Wednesday night to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Suns had the misfortune of Kevin Durant sustaining a sprained ankle that has forced him out of the most recent five games. Durant’s future with the franchise may be winding down, as Phoenix clearly needs to shed salary to create depth – something the team sorely lacked this season. As for coach Mike Budenholzer: given Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s high expectations, Budenholzer could find himself on the hot seat.

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Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin received a sculpture, an engraved golden hockey stick and a Rolex watch on Thursday as gifts for becoming the NHL’s leading goal scorer.

The Capitals captain was honored before his first home game since he broke Wayne Gretzky’s longtime record by scoring his 895th goal on Sunday at the New York Islanders. He had tied the record last week at home by scoring two goals.

The NHL had presented Ovechkin with a commissioned painting on Sunday during an on-ice ceremony after he broke the record. Gretzky told Capitals owner Ted Leonsis he had received a Rolls-Royce when he broke Gordie Howe’s record in 1994. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin gave Ovechkin his stick after the game.

Capital One Arena was dressed for the occasion for Thursday’s pregame ceremony. Each seat had a towel saying ‘Gr8tness’ and ‘895’ and an image of Ovechkin sliding across the ice as he did on Sunday.

After a video of Ovechkin’s accomplishment played on the center ice scoreboard, Ovechkin and his family were presented with gifts.

In addition to Ovechkin getting a golden stick, his sons, Sergei and Ilya, received golden mini-sticks with Capitals play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati jokingly telling them not to use them on the street or hit their dad in the knees. The six-foot sculpture was by TYP.

Ovechkin and his mother Tatyana received Rolexes. His wife Nastya received a Cartier watch.

Ovechkin scored his record goal in his 1,487th career game, the same number of games that Gretzky played in his Hall of Fame career.

He has five games left this year, including Thursday, plus another year left on his contract, to build on his record, which will make it difficult to pass him. Ovechkin didn’t score Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes but he did have an assist and threw a number of big hits in the Capitals’ 5-4 shootout win that secured home ice for Washington throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Ovechkin was feted by 895 schoolchildren during Wednesday’s practice and the Capitals will hold another fan event Friday at Capital One Arena.

This story was updated with new information.

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Texas wide receiver and 2025 NFL draft prospect Isaiah Bond turned himself in to the Frisco, Texas police department Thursday morning, according to reports.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday evening that an outstanding warrant for sexual assault led to Bond turning himself in.

Frisco police released Bond from custody after he posted bond.

The former Longhorn released the following statement, according to Rapoport:

‘Regarding the accusation made against me, I would appreciate the time and opportunity to defend myself and prove the claims made, patently false.  I am in full cooperation with the authorities and will remain a willing and active participant in the investigation.  Unfortunately, claims like these prove to be harmful to all involved, absent full review.  I kindly request that all reserve judgement until the authorities provide a complete report based on truth and evidence.’

USA TODAY Sports has reached out to the Frisco Police Department for more information.

This story will be updated with new information.

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Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam referred to the Deshaun Watson trade as ‘a big swing and miss’ at the NFL’s annual league meeting.

Watson hopes to get a chance to prove Haslam wrong at some point in the not-so-distant future.

Watson narrated his thoughts about his future over a workout video posted to Instagram. The reel showed the Browns quarterback working to rehab a twice-torn right Achilles that is expected to keep him out for most – if not all – of the 2025 NFL season.

‘Everyone is doubting me,’ Watson said. ‘Everyone don’t believe in me. Everyone don’t think I can get back to where I was. But I know, and I believe the work that I put in, that I believe in myself. The peace that I’ve been channeling the last couple of months. I know I’m gonna be way better than before.’

Watson has played just 19 games for the Browns since being acquired from the Houston Texans in a 2022 trade and signing a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. He has posted a 9-10 record across his starts while completing just 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Watson has been plagued by injuries but has yet to come close to the performance he demonstrated early in his career with the Texans. He posted a 104.5 passer rating across his four seasons in Houston; his overall rating has declined to 80.7 across his three years in Cleveland.

Watson’s struggles and injuries have left the Browns seeking alternatives at the quarterback position. They traded for 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett during the offseason and are widely expected to select another quarterback early in the 2025 NFL draft.

Despite his shaky standing, Watson – 30 in September – is looking forward to rebounding and proving himself when he returns to the field.

‘You know, the performance comes when your back is against the wall,’ Watson said. ‘It comes better because you really gotta lock in. You don’t have anything pretty much to lose. And I feel like that’s where I’m at right now.’

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Since turning pro in 1998, the 44-year-old has racked up wins on the PGA Tour and European Tour, a run highlighted by a victory at the U.S. Open in 2013.

Could this be the year, nearly three decades into his professional career, that the Englishman finally wins the Masters?

Rose put himself in a strong early position to leave Augusta National Golf Club Sunday with a green jacket draped around him, firing a 7-under 65 in the first round of The Masters Thursday that placed him atop the leaderboard.

Though he has never won the famed tournament, Rose has been close in the past, finishing in second place in 2015 and 2017. Whether he’s able to manage the feat this season remains an open question, but he’s off to an exceptional start.

Here’s a look at Rose’s scorecard from the first round at the 2025 Masters Thursday:

Justin Rose scorecard today

Rose’s 65 Thursday tied a career low at the Masters and put him in first place among the tournament’s 95 competitors.

Here’s how Rose finished after the first round on Thursday, including his hole-by-hole score:

Thursday score: 7-under par

3 (Birdie)
4 (Birdie)
3 (Birdie)
3 (Par)
4 (Par)
3 (Par)
4 (Par)
4 (Birdie)
3 (Birdie)
3 (Birdie)
4 (Par)
3 (Par)
5 (Par)
4 (Par)
4 (Birdie)
2 (Birdie)
4 (Par)
5 (Bogey)

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For all those victories, though, a spot atop the leaderboard at the end of The Masters has proven to be elusive for the Northern Ireland native. The 35 year old has won two PGA Championships, one U.S. Open and one British Open, but he has never donned the famed green jacket on a picturesque late Sunday afternoon at Augusta National Golf Club.

Will this year be the year he finally breaks through?

McIlroy has gotten close at The Masters before, finishing second in 2022 and, more famously, holding a four-shot lead on the final day of competition in 2011 before shooting an 8-over 80 on Sunday to finish in tie for 15th.

As he looks to win The Masters for the first time ever, here’s a look at how McIlory fared in the tournament’s first round on Thursday:

MCILROY: Met with Jack Nicklaus to prepare for Augusta. Here’s what happened

Rory McIlroy scorecard today

McIlroy was among the names near the top of the leaderboard heading into the final stretch of his first round Thursday, but he had double bogeys on two of his final four holes to drag him down to even par for the day.

Here’s how McIlroy finished after the first round on Thursday, including his hole-by-hole score:

Thursday score: Even par

4 (Par)
5 (Par)
3 (Birdie)
3 (Par)
4 (Par)
3 (Par)
4 (Par)
4 (Birdie)
3 (Birdie)
4 (Par)
4 (Par)
3 (Par)
4 (Birdie)
4 (Par)
7 (Double Bogey)
3 (Par)
6 (Double Bogey)
4 (Par)

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Scottie Scheffler has a chance at history in 2025 as he looks to become the fourth golfer to ever win back-to-back Masters Tournaments.

A win this weekend would mark his third green jacket win in four years, which would make him one of nine golfers to ever win the Masters three times.

Everyone knows in order to compete for a Masters win, golfers must have strong first- and second-round performances to put themselves in position to win on Saturday and Sunday. That’s especially true given the Masters’ harsher cut line than normal PGA Tour events.

Scheffler, the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, has 13 career PGA Tour wins at 28 years old, and is among the favorites to win the Masters again.

Here’s how Scheffler scored through the first 18 holes on Thursday at Augusta National:

Scottie Scheffler scorecard today

Here’s how Scheffler finished after the first round on Thursday, including his hole-by-hole score:

Thursday score: 4-under par

4 (Par)
4 (Birdie)
4 (Par)
2 (Birdie)
4 (Par)
3 (Par)
4 (Par)
4 (Birdie)
4 (Par)
4 (Par)
4 (Par)
3 (Par)
5 (Par)
4 (Par)
5 (Par)
2 (Birdie)
4 (Par)
4 (Par)

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