Marin and Oh share lead at 65

EVANS, Ga. (AP) — Arkansas junior Maria Jose Marin birdied her final two holes Wednesday for a 7-under 65 to share the lead with 17-year-old Soomin Oh of South Korea in an opening round of great weather and low scoring at Champions Retreat in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Asterisk Talley, the 17-year-old Californian who was runner-up in the ANWA a year ago, holed a greenside bunker shot for eagle on the par-5 18th hole as she made the turn and shot 66.

The conditions were ideal, and most of the 72-player field seized on the opportunity. Eight players were at 67 or lower, and 31 players broke par.

Marin, the 19-year-old Colombian who won the NCAA title last year, finished on the back and poured in an 8-foot birdie putt to get off to a much better start than a year ago, when she failed to make the 36-hole cut.

The second round Thursday is at Champions Retreat, and the top 30 and ties advance to the final round Saturday at Augusta National. All 72 players get to play at the home of the Masters on Friday.

“I feel like last year … it was a lot of learning,” Marin said. “There was a lot of tears, and of course this tournament means a lot to me. Not making the cut, it hurt a lot. But I learned that I’ve got to stay with my two feet on the ground, that I have to be really patient with my game, that if things are not going my way, I don’t have to push it, that I just have to wait for golf to do its thing.”

Former Wisconsin player from Columbus dies

Jack Pugh, a former tight end on Wisconsin’s football team who stepped away from the sport three years ago citing mental health concerns, has died, the university announced. He was 24.

Wisconsin issued a post Tuesday night on its football program’s X account saying that Pugh had died. Details including cause of death were not given.

“The Wisconsin Athletics family is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jack Pugh,” the post said. “Jack was a positive light and brought a genuine spirit to our football program. More than that, he cared about people and was loved by his teammates and staff. Jack proudly earned his degree from UW-Madison in 2025 and will forever be remembered and loved.”

Pugh, who was a star at Hilliard Bradley in Columbus, Ohio, redshirted in 2021 before appearing in one game and earning academic All-Big Ten honors in 2022. He announced in an Instagram post in December 2023 that he had decided before that season to medically retire.

“My physical health was not near perfect, but my mental health was the reason I decided to hang it up,” Pugh said in that Instagram post. “Over years of prolonged depression and substance abuse, I decided I deserved a better life and to finally find happiness. In no way was football the root of these problems, but everything in my life had distracted me for so long to the point I never had prioritized my mental health all along, digging a deeper darker hole.”

“I want to thank the amazing Coaches, Teammates, Friends and Family @badgerfootball has provided me with over the years for helping me find a life I’m happy and proud of, and to finally create a relationship with God. I’ll never forget the memories. Love y’all.”

Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau gets medical attention

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau received medical attention for a possible allergic reaction while his teammates were flying to Indianapolis for the Final Four.

Detroit radio station WWJ 950 posted a video on X on Wednesday showing a covered individual being wheeled out of Michigan’s player development center on a gurney and loaded into an ambulance.

Michigan later confirmed it was Cadeau, who complained of a possible allergic reaction.

“Elliot alerted the medical staff that he may have had an allergic reaction to something that he ate,” the team said in a statement. “The doctors evaluated Elliot and he is fine. Out of an abundance of caution, he is receiving medical supervision and will be traveling to Indianapolis later today.”

The school said Cadeau will meet the team in Indianapolis, where Michigan is set to take on Arizona on Saturday night in a Final Four clash between No. 1 seeds.

The Wolverines are chasing their first national title since 1989 and second in program history.

Michigan’s backcourt took a hit late in the regular season when key reserve LJ Cason had a knee injury, forcing coach Dusty May to lean on Roddy Gayle and Trey McKenney to play more.

Cadeau averages 10.2 points, a team-high 5.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 27 minutes a game. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention while helping the Wolverines win the conference championship.

Directing a high-scoring offense, Cadeau has at least seven assists in each of Michigan’s four games in the NCAA Tournament. He had 17 points and 10 assists in the win over Tennessee that lifted the team to the Final Four.

The 6-foot-5 Cadeau, who is from New Jersey, is in his first season with the Wolverines after transferring from North Carolina. He started in 68 games over the previous two years for the Tar Heels. He has not missed a game in three seasons, playing in 112 straight games.

Williams masters Dodgers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gavin Williams struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings, outpitching World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and José Ramírez hit his first home run of the season to lead the Cleveland Guardians past the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 on Wednesday.

Gabriel Arias also went deep for the Guardians, who took two of three games in the series from the two-time defending champions.

Williams (1-1) walked three and allowed only two hits, both singles by Andy Pages. Freddie Freeman homered off Cade Smith with two outs in the ninth, spoiling Cleveland’s shutout bid.

Ghost transfers will be penalized

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA Division I Cabinet on Wednesday approved emergency legislation that will severely penalize coaches and schools that sign, add to the roster or allow athletic participation by an athlete in any sport who hasn’t yet gone through the portal process.

Penalties include a suspension of the head coach for 50% of a season and a fine amounting to 20% of that sport’s budget.

The rule change, which was initially proposed by the Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee and has been adopted for all sports in Division I, is effective immediately and applies to all transfers on or after Feb. 25, 2026.

“I am grateful the DI Cabinet approved the FBS Oversight Committee’s recommendation to impose significant penalties on head coaches and programs who circumvent transfer rules, along with immediate accountability,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said. “This is a necessary step to address a critical roster management issue facing our sport and to protect the integrity of football’s transfer window.”

The “ghost transfers” issue has been on the NCAA’s radar since former Wisconsin defensive back Xavier Lucas transferred to Miami without entering the portal in January 2025. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff withdrew from BYU and walked on at Tulane in July.

At the direction of the Division I Board of Directors, an Infractions Process Task Force is reviewing the infractions process and associated penalties for violations of NCAA rules. Among the topics the task force will discuss are enforcement of transfer rules and penalties associated with tampering violations. The task force is expected to provide recommendations for modernizing the infractions process later this year.

NFLPA’s JC Tretter warns league

The NFL Players Association is urging the league to reach an agreement with the officials’ union to avoid a work stoppage and use of replacement officials.

JC Tretter, the new executive director of the NFLPA, met with Scott Green, the executive director of the NFL Referees Association, and issued a joint statement after meeting on Tuesday. NFL owners on Tuesday approved a one-year rule for the upcoming season that would allow the replay center in New York to correct “clear and obvious mistakes made by on-field officials that impact the game” in case of a work stoppage involving the NFLRA.

“Player safety requires trained, professional officials on the field,” Tretter said. “They manage the game in real time, enforce the rules, and stop situations from escalating. That can’t be replaced by less-experienced crews or handled remotely. If player safety truly matters, trained professional officials on the field are not negotiable.”

The league and the NFLRA have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement since the summer of 2024. The current CBA expires May 31.

“The negotiations haven’t progressed the way we hoped from a timing standpoint,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at the conclusion of the league’s annual meeting. “We obviously have obligations to fans and everyone in the National Football League to play. We’ll be prepared to play. We’re taking the appropriate steps to be ready, but we’re also keenly focused on negotiations.”

The league is moving forward with plans to begin hiring and training replacement officials in the next several weeks, two people with knowledge of the discussions have told The Associated Press. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations are private.

“Professional officials are trained to control the game in real time,” Green said. “They are the first responders on the field — maintaining order, enforcing rules, and preventing dangerous situations from escalating.”

Green added the union remains “hopeful that an agreement can be reached that avoids past disruptions and ensures the game continues to be officiated at the highest level.”