Morning roundup: Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning win charity match

GOLF

Woods, Manning win charity match

Tom Brady delivered the shot of the match that made it easy to forget the rest of his swings. Tiger Woods didn't miss a fairway and earned a small measure of revenge against Phil Mickelson.

The PGA Tour is set to return in just over two weeks, and it has a tough act to follow.

In the second and final charity match that brought live golf to TV on Sunday, this exhibition was as entertaining as the real thing.

Woods lagged a long birdie putt close enough that his partner, Peyton Manning, didn't have to putt. That secured a 1-up victory over Mickelson and Brady in "The Match: Champions for Charity."

The goal was to raise $10 million or more for COVID-19 relief funds, and online donations sent money climbing toward about twice that much.

The made-for-TV exhibition would have been worth pay-per-view, the model Woods and Mickelson used for a $9 million winner-take-all match in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend in 2018 that Mickelson won in a playoff under lights. It felt forced, lacked banter and turned out to free because of technical issues.

Throw in two NFL greats in Brady and Manning, and this allowed viewers to ride along for 18 holes at Medalist Golf Club among four of the biggest stars in sport.

AUTO RACING

Larson wins Outlaws race

Fired NASCAR star Kyle Larson won the World of Outlaws dirt sprint car race Saturday night in Pevley, Missouri.

With attendance limited and other safety measures in place at Federated Auto Parts I-55 Raceway, Larson edged Brent Marks by 0.794 seconds with Brad Sweet third in the 40-lap feature on the one-third mile oval.

Larson has returned to dirt racing after losing his NASCAR Cup ride with Chip Ganassi Racing for using a racial slur during an online race.

"This win means so much personally. I can't even describe it," Larson said.

Larson earned $20,000 for his ninth career series victory as part of the two-state Drydene Double Down Invitational.

The professional sprint car series, which is scheduled to race at Lawton Speedway later this summer, returned last week at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa for a race run without fans. The series also plans to limit attendance next week for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri. The Outlaws were supposed to run in Lawton on May 1, but that race was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. A makeup date has not been announced, although officials say the race will run sometime in 2020.

BASEBALL

Nats' ring ceremony on hold

On May 24, 2019, the Washington Nationals sat at 19-31. Their turnaround from that point on led to the 2019 World Series title over the Houston Astros.

The postponement of Major League Baseball's start prohibited the Nats from holding their first ever World Series ring ceremony in front of a soldout Nationals Park. On Tuesday, the team announced a "virtual" ring presentation for Sunday, May 24 — the one-year anniversary of the championship club's nadir.

But the team nixed the idea Saturday at the request of the players.

"When team leaders discussed the plan this week with the players, the players collectively decided they would prefer to receive their rings when the team could be physically reunited," the Nationals said in a statement. "We support that decision."

The team will still unveil the design of the ring and is planning to reveal their documentary about the 2019 season, "Improbable."

HIGH SCHOOLS

Coach in Florida suspended

The coach of one of Florida's top high school football programs has been suspended, and an investigation has been launched into whether the team that has won state championships in each of the past three seasons broke policies by practicing during the pandemic.

Miami Northwestern High coach Max Edwards has been suspended, pending the result of the investigation, school district chief communications officer Daisy Gonzalez-Diego told The Miami Herald.

The district says football practice at this time would be an "unauthorized athletic activity" and parents of players who may have taken part were being interviewed by school officials as part of the investigation.

Northwestern won the Class 6A state title in 2017 and 2018 before winning the Class 5A championship last season. The Bulls are a seven-time state champion overall.

Wire reports