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Howell to carry ball McIlroy gave him as a kid when they share tee at MastersAUGUSTA, Georgia — Back in 2016, at the Players Championship, Rory McIlroy tossed a golf ball to a child in the crowd. Now, that kid, United States amateur champion Mason Howell, will play alongside McIlroy to start the 90th Masters. Defending champion McIlroy, a 36-year-old five-time major winner from Northern Ireland, will join 18-year-old Howell from nearby Thomasville and his compatriot Cameron Young on the first tee at 10:31 am local time on Thursday. "The incredible thing about our game is because our careers are long, so many generations overlap," McIlroy said. "I remember playing the first two rounds of the 2010 US Open with Tom Watson. That's incredible to think about now." McIlroy watched Tiger Woods win the 1997 Masters in record fashion and said, "I want to do that." Now he's the idol instead of the idolizer. "Rory was one of my idols growing up, so it'll be a super special moment for me," Howell said. "I can't ogle at his game too much. I've got to focus on myself. "I'll be super excited, but at the same time I'll be super nervous — just controlling my emotions and sticking to my game plan and just having fun." That Nike golf ball Howell received from McIlroy spent years in Howell's room, serving as inspiration. Now it will be in his bag when he plays Augusta National alongside his hero. "I've got his ball in my bag right now, one that he gave me in 2016," Howell said. "It says 'Rors' on the side. "I'm going to say 'I'm going to play the first hole with the Nike', which I'm not... That would be a power move, but yeah, that's kind of the plan. Hopefully, it doesn't get back to him before Thursday." Howell was born in 2007, just weeks before McIlroy was low amateur in his major debut at the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie at age 18. "I just think about the time span," McIlroy said. "I've been lucky that the people I looked up to took me under their wing when I was starting off. That's the incredible thing about golf that not a lot of other sports have." Howell, set to attend the nearby University of Georgia, stayed in the Crow's Nest, a housing area at the club for amateurs. "Just being here at the Masters, playing in front of this many people, it's awesome," Howell said. "It's kind of a lot to handle. When Thursday comes, I know I'll be pretty nervous, but excited at the same time. "If I keep a smile on my face, I think the rest will take care of itself." His goal for the week is making the cut and having four "solid" rounds. "I can't wait for it to get started, but I know when it does, it'll be gone in the blink of an eye," he said. "I wish it would honestly slow down. I'm just trying to soak it all in." Tradition and innovation Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley says the home of the Masters won't create fictional scripted dramas anytime soon, but would look "outside the box" to grow the sport. And he wants distance limitation for elite-level golf balls, saying "it's time to address the issue" to "protect the integrity of what makes golf so great". Speaking Wednesday on the eve of the 90th Masters, Ridley indicated that Augusta National hadn't considered setting any fictional shows around the famed grounds yet, in the way the NFL has embraced certain projects. However, he recalled a 2022 viral collaboration with YouTube's Dude Perfect, but admitted the all-sports video left something to be desired. The video, made weeks before the Masters, featured Dude Perfect using hockey sticks, baseball bats, tennis rackets, pool cues and Frisbees through Amen Corner — the famed 11th, 12th and 13th holes at Augusta National. "A few years ago we had Dude Perfect playing Frisbee at Amen Corner. In retrospect, I like those guys, but that may not have been the best idea," Ridley said. "But it does point out that we try things every once in a while that are a little bit non-traditional, so we'll continue to look at things. "We're certainly willing to look outside the box every once in a while."
PSG's profligacy keeps Liverpool's UCL hopes alivePARIS — Paris Saint-Germain was left ruing missed chances that kept Liverpool in contention in their Champions League quarterfinal, despite a convincing 2-0 home win in Wednesday's first leg, with the visitor admitting it had been in survival mode for long spells. The defending champion prevailed thanks to goals by Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but Ousmane Dembele and Nuno Mendes missed golden chances in the second half that would have all but put the tie to bed. "We had clear chances to score more goals. We kept Liverpool alive, but we're happy with the performance. We want to stick to the same approach, it's what we've been doing for a long time," fullback Achraf Hakimi said. Teammate Warren Zaire-Emery, who with Joao Neves and Vitinha bossed the midfield, also regretted the missed opportunities. "We could have scored more goals, which is a shame. Two-nil is already good, but nothing is done. We'll go there with the same intentions, looking to win the match," he said. "We'll need to stay focused and do what we did here. We always try to prepare for games the same way, playing as high up the pitch as possible. We had plenty of chances and should have put them away." Coach Luis Enrique echoed the sentiment. "It's a shame, clearly. We put in a performance worthy of our supporters. We played very well and deserved more goals. But this is the Champions League. We're happy, and there's still the second leg to come," he said. Tough task at Anfield Liverpool took a cautious approach to the game with three center-backs in a five-man defense and it kept the Reds afloat, but they might struggle next week when PSG will be looking to punish them on the break. Captain Virgil van Dijk was still hoping his side would be able to turn things around next week with the help of the Anfield faithful, even though the task is daunting. "We shouldn't forget that we play against the European champions of last season, and you see the quality they have, you see the games they've played already this season, even in the league, but also in the Champions League, and how good they can be — doesn't really matter away or home — so we have to be absolutely spot-on with everything we do," he said. "Hopefully, our fans can play a big part in that as well. I've been to many special evenings at Anfield, and I'm very lucky and privileged, and our fans, that's the backbone of the club, and hopefully they can be there for us." Liverpool manager Arne Slot also pointed to Liverpool's history, and to its supporters whom they "need more than ever", as well as last season's last-16 tie lost on penalties, as reasons to believe they can still progress. Pressing high might not be the best way to proceed, he admitted. "When we pressed them high, we were ripped apart and it gave them five or six chances," he said. "The second half of the game for us was more about surviving," he added, justifying keeping Mohamed Salah on the bench since the Egyptian striker would have been limited to defending. It is just one win in six in all competitions for Liverpool, and this was a 16th reverse in total in a difficult campaign. "We were in survival mode for large parts of the game, and maybe also we are in survival mode at this period of the season," said Slot. "It is really, really hard against this team — PSG was the better team, but we didn't give up, and that is why we still have a chance in this tie."
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