The Masters’ no-phone policy does not discriminate, even if you are a former major golf champion.

Mark Calcavecchia, the winner of the 1989 Open Championship, was allegedly removed by Augusta National Golf Club security for using his phone this week at the Masters.

Golfweek spoke to Calcavecchia, who didn’t deny taking out his phone out on the grounds, which is automatic dismissal.

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Mark Calcavecchia of the United States plays his shot from the ninth tee during the continuation of round one on day two of the Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands Golf Club in The Woodlands, Texas, on May 3, 2025. (Raj Mehta/Getty Images)

“I’ve got nothing negative to say about Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters, so I think we should literally hang up right now,” he said.

While Calcavecchia, 65, isn’t a previous Masters winner, he did play in the event 18 times during his career from 1987-2008. He even finished in second place in 1988.

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Winners of the three other majors like Calcavecchia had do get a five-year exempt invitation to play in the Masters, and then they become “honorary invitees” for life.

But the rules are the rules, especially at Augusta National. No one is above the law on the premises, and the Masters official website says so when it comes to cell phones.

Mark Calcavecchia plays his shot from the fourth tee during the first round of the Boeing Classic at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge in Snoqualmie, Wash., on Aug. 9, 2024. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

“The use of any device for phone calls, emails, text messaging, or to record and/or transmit voice, video or data is strictly prohibited,” the website reads.

Augusta National does provide phone service on the grounds. Designated phone banks, where AT&T provides service as a “champion partner” with the Masters, are found on the course to make phone calls if needed.

Any other technological form of communication is strictly forbidden, and Calcavecchia is paying the price.

Mark Calcavecchia of the United States plays his shot from the ninth tee during the continuation of round one on day two of the Insperity Invitational 2025 at The Woodlands Golf Club in The Woodlands, Texas, on May 3, 2025. (Raj Mehta/Getty Images)

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It’s the unfortunate reality for some who don’t abide by the rules, but the Masters is all about logging out and living in the present, adding to the wonder and mystique that is the first golf major of the golf season.

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Paulina Gretzky, the daughter of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky and wife of LIV Golf star Dustin Johnson, was at the Masters Par 3 Contest caddying for her husband on Wednesday.

The Masters Par 3 Contest is the event that takes place before the Masters tees off. It’s one of the lighthearted events of the week as golfers were able to test whether they can get some aces on specific holes at Augusta National. It’s an event meant for fun and family.

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Paulina Gretzky, wife of Dustin Johnson, talks with Nicole Willett, wife of Danny Willett, on the fourth hole during the Par 3 Contest at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 8, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)

Gretzky was pictured with Johnson as he participated in the event. Johnson finished 1-over par during the event, which Aaron Rai won. She was also spotted with Nicole Willett, the wife of Danny Willett.

Gretzky has appeared at the event for several years, including when Johnson won his first green jacket all the way back in 2020. That year, the event was held in November due to the coronavirus pandemic. Johnson set a record with a final score of 20-under par.

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Nicole Willett, wife of Danny Willett of England, and Paulina Gretzky, wife of Dustin Johnson of the United States, watch the Par Three Contest before the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 8, 2026. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

It was the last time Johnson won an event that also featured PGA Tour competitors. He was one of the first golfers who joined LIV Golf, participating in his first event in June 2022.

In the LIV Golf series, Johnson has picked up three individual wins. He won the LIV Golf Boston Invitational in September 2022, LIV Golf Tulsa in 2023 and LIV Golf Las Vegas in February 2024. He hasn’t won an event since then.

He’s 26th in the standings through five events this season. His best finish came in Singapore where he finished tied for 10th.

Nicole Willett, wife of golfer Danny Willett, talks with Dustin Johnson and Paulina Gretzky on the ninth green during the Par Three Contest before the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 8, 2026. (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

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Johnson will be in the field for the Masters once more. He tees off in the first round at 9:43 a.m. ET on Thursday.

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TORONTO – Logan Thompson made 21 saves to register his third shutout of the season as the Washington Capitals breathed life into their fading playoff hopes with a 4-0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

Dylan Strome and Martin Fehérváry, with a goal and an assist each, Ryan Leonard and Cole Hutson, into the empty net, scored for Washington (40-30-9), which sits three points back of the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card spot with three games left on the schedule.

Anthony Stolarz suffered a lower-body injury early in the first period after stopping the second of two shots he faced for Toronto (32-32-14).

Joseph Woll finished with 14 saves in just over 57 minutes of work for the Maple Leafs, who are set to miss the post-season for the first time since 2016.

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Alex Ovechkin — Washington’s leader with 31 goals and 61 points — announced Wednesday he won’t make a decision on his playing future until after the season.

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The 40-year-old broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal mark of 894 last April and has found the back of the net at least 30 times in 20 of his 21 NHL campaigns.

TAKEAWAYS

Capitals: Rookie forward Ilya Protas made his NHL debut on a line with older brother Aliaksei and Tom Wilson. The bruising trio — Wilson is the smallest at six-foot-four, while the siblings each stand six-foot-six — tips the scales at a combined 700 pounds.

Maple Leafs: Oliver Ekman-Larsson returned to the lineup after missing Saturday’s overtime loss in Los Angeles with a lower-body injury. The veteran defenceman is the club’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy, as voted by the Toronto chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

KEY MOMENT

Washington turned a one-goal lead into a 3-0 advantage early in the second period. Leonard ripped his 18th goal of the season 40 seconds after the restart before Fehérváry added his fifth just over two minutes later.

KEY STAT

Ovechkin has 45 goals and 35 assists for 80 points across 64 regular-season games against Toronto.

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: Visit the New York Islanders on Thursday.

Capitals: Visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 8, 2026.

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Reynaldo Lopez might not miss his next scheduled start after all.

The Braves starting pitcher, after working things out with MLB, got his suspension for his role in Tuesday night’s benches-clearing brawl reduced from seven games to five, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

That should keep him in line to pitch Tuesday against the Marlins, USA Today noted.

Lopez was in the middle of the fray in Anaheim last night when he threw a pitch high and inside that Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler — a former Braves teammate — took exception to.

Soler then charged the mound, throwing punches at Lopez, who threw punches in kind, but with a ball in his right hand, connecting on a blow to Soler’s helmet and face.

“It’s just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,” López said through a translator, per MLB.com. “On my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So, again, it’s just a shame.”

As things continued to escalate and Soler charged Lopez from the pitcher’s mound to the first base line, several Braves tackled the Angels DH, with Atlanta skipper Walt Weiss among those in the fray.

“I love Soler. We were teammates here,” Weiss told reporters. “But that’s a big man, and so I just felt I’ve gotta get him off his feet because he’s gonna hurt somebody. And so that was my instinct, just to get in there and get Jorge off his feet, yeah, because he was on a warpath.”

Soler was suspended for seven games, though he is appealing. On Wednesday against Atlanta, he homered for the second straight day in an 8-2 Angels loss.

Both players also received undisclosed fines for their roles in the brawl.

Lopez is off to a strong start in 2026 with a 1.15 ERA in three starts.

Living up to a legend’s name is no easy task, and no matter where EJ Smith goes on a football field, he’s looked at a bit differently than most.

That’s because the Texas A&M running back, who hopes to be drafted later this month, is the son of Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.

Smith worked primarily as a backup in college, but at the very least, he did get a workout with his dad’s former Dallas Cowboys earlier this month.

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Texas A&M Aggies running back EJ Smith runs with the ball during the game against the Miami Hurricanes at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2025. (Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)

But there was a time in high school, the Hall of Famer said, that his son began to feel the pressure of living up to the likes of his father.

“He came to me one day, he asked the question, ‘How do I deal with all the pressure?’ And I was wondering the type of pressure he was under. He said, ‘Just the pressure of living up to what everybody expects and everything else,'” Smith recalled in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

“And I broke it down pretty simply. I just asked the one fundamental question. I said, ‘What is everyone saying?’ ‘Everyone expected me to be this and everyone expected me to be that and do this and do that.’ I said, ‘What are your expectations? Are your expectations any different than what they want for you?’ And he said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Where’s the pressure?’

“Here’s the thing – you gotta run your race, and you gotta disregard what other people are saying. Because you have whatever ability you have, you have to be yourself. And you have to work at being yourself and work at what you need to do to hone your craft. Just go play the game. Put your blinders on. Run your race. You like the horses at the Kentucky Derby. And then when the blinders come off, you may look up one day and find yourself in the damn Super Bowl. You never know.

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed hands the ball to running back EJ Smith during the first half against Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida, on Sept. 14, 2024. (Matt Pendleton/Imagn Images)

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“But stay the course, disregard all the noise out there ’cause it is noise. And they’re not playing. They’re trying to put their stuff on you and their expectations on you. But if their expectations are different than yours, it don’t matter. Just go meet every expectation that you’re trying to meet. Everything else doesn’t matter.”

Smith said he and EJ talk about “everything under the sun,” making it clear that his top role in life is being a father. That, along with other personal experiences, is why he joined Narcan’s “Ready to Rescue” initiative to stop overdoses during the current opioid epidemic.

Smith’s sister-in-law had a “couple of overdose episodes” while on pain medication for chemo for colon cancer treatment. Smith also noted that his former teammates have had issues with opioids, and friends have even lost children. Although the circumstances are unfortunate, the recent partnership is a natural fit for Smith.

“I think that’s what makes it such a natural way to talk about it. There’s dealing with someone that you lost, or even growing up and seeing cousins, getting hooked on hardcore drugs, and then seeing them wean themselves off of it, going through that whole entire process of not understanding that there’s mechanisms out there that people can go to get help,” Smith said, adding his concern for the “rampant” run of fentanyl.

“Anybody is subject to get caught up in something at any point in time anywhere, and not even realize it. And so when that happens, you want to make sure that the people that are closest to you or around you have access to something like the Narcan nasal spray.

Jan 30, 1994; Atlanta, GA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith (22) prior to facing the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XVIII at the Georgia Dome. (James D. Smith/USA TODAY Sports)

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The Smith family, of course, is hoping they get good news during the draft. But Smith has one more piece of advice for his son on how to deal with the pressure of waiting for a call.

“I told him on draft day, go play golf, go hang out, don’t even look at the damn TV,” he said. “Let your agent call you and say, ‘Hey man, we got something.’ Don’t even worry about draft day.”

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Photos of Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini interlacing their fingers together at a luxury hotel has spawned a social media trend poking fun at their interaction.

Page Six exclusively obtained photos of the New England Patriots head coach and the top NFL reporter holding hands and hugging two weekends ago at the Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona. Vrabel told us the interaction was “completely innocent,” while Russini told us they were in a group of six people “hanging out during the day.”

Barstool Sports’ “The Yak” podcast hosts Big Cat and Kate hilariously interlocked their fingers for an outdoor picture to recreate Vrabel and Russini’s pose on Wednesday’s episode.

“See, that’s like normal,” Big Cat joked. “That’s totally normal. What the f–k, guys.”

“We do this all the time,” he added, while Kate cracked, “That’s two friends talking ball.”

Big Cat explained the photos to their fellow podcast hosts, sharing that he and Kate wanted to test out the pose for themselves to see if it felt awkward, and admitted it felt “weird.”

“It’s tough,” Kate commented.

They also copied the pose while sitting at a desk and looking at each other.

Big Cat also joked on X, “Sometimes you end up on a private rooftop in a beautiful setting with interlocked fingers. Just friends interlocking fingers. I interlock with my boys all the time. Hey wanna lock up real quick? S—t like that. Normal things of that nature.”

Writer and producer Mark Blutman also interlaced his fingers with actor Jerry O’Connell for a funny pic, sharing on X, “New socially accepted intimate behavior between friends has been unlocked. People free to finger lock without shame.”

Social media has been poking fun at the viral photos of Vrabel and Russini, with one X user joking, “She was probably explaining some new age crystal bulls—t or Vrabel was maybe demonstrating pass blocking techniques this is a perfectly normal interaction.”

A Page Six spy told us that the pair — both married to other people — had breakfast on the patio of the hotel restaurant around 10:30 a.m. on March 28 before spending a leisurely hour or so together at the pool and lounging side-by-side in a hot tub.

Photos show the two hugging at sunset on a private rooftop of one of the hotel’s bungalows, and interlocking their fingers together as they stood face-to-face. The spy said they saw the pair briefly dance together.

Three other eyewitnesses told us that they did not see anyone else with Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43.

But in a statement Vrabel told us: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”

And Russini said: “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”

Davey Lopes, a four-time MLB All-Star known for swiping bags while on the basepaths, has died. He was 80.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who Lopes played most of his 16-year career with, released a statement on Wednesday confirming his death.

“The Dodgers mourn the loss of Davey Lopes, who passed away today at age 80. Lopes was a member of the team’s record-setting infield of the 1970s and 1980s and one of the finest base stealers in MLB history.

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Davey Lopes of the Los Angeles Dodgers takes batting practice at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, circa 1978. (Focus On Sport/Getty Images)

“Our condolences go out to his family and friends.”

Lopes secured one World Series during his years in Los Angeles, as he was part of the 1981 squad that won it all. It was also the fourth straight season Lopes made the All-Star team for the National League.

He also played for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros following his time with the Dodgers, and doing so up until 42 years old before getting into coaching.

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Lopes was a late bloomer in terms of debut age, playing his first game for the Dodgers at 27 in 1972. And right after retirement, Lopes remained in MLB, serving as bench coach for the Texas Rangers from 1989-91.

From there, he would bounce around to the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres in various roles until he landed as a manager for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Lopes held that post from 2000-02, going 144-195 in those three seasons before being axed. He went back to the Padres to serve as their first base coach before holding the same position with the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies.

Davey Lopes of the Washington Nationals stands in the dugout before game three of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 10, 2016. (Patrick McDermott/Washington Nationals/Getty Images)

Lopes eventually retired from coaching in 2017, marking 45 consecutive years, almost half-a-century, that he was making an impact on America’s pastime.

But perhaps his biggest impact was being a part of a Dodgers’ infield that has gone down in history as one of the greatest four-man squads to play the game. While Lopes was playing second base, he was accompanied by first baseman Steve Garvey, third baseman Ron Cey and shortstop Bill Russell.

In Lopes’ 1,139 games at second base for the Dodgers, he played 833 with the other three, which is an MLB record, per the Elias Sports Bureau. The next closest is 623 games, set by the Cubs in the 1960s.

Lopes was also a speed demon on the basepaths, tallying 557 stolen bases, which puts him 26th all-time. He led the league while with the Dodgers in back-to-back seasons in 1975 (77) and 1976 (63).

In 1975, Lopes set an MLB record with 38 consecutive stolen bases without getting caught, which was since broken by Vince Coleman in 1988.

Davey Lopes bats during batting practice before a Major League Baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, circa 1980. Lopes played for the Dodgers from 1972 to 1981. (Focus On Sport/Getty Images)

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In the field, Lopes collected a Gold Glove Award in 1978, while providing solid defensive work for whichever team he played for throughout his career.

Lopes slashed .263/.349/.388 with a .737 OPS for his career, collecting 1,671 hits, 232 doubles, 155 home runs and 614 RBI in 1,812 games.

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Plans have been unveiled for festivities across Canada as the country prepares to co-host the FIFA World Cup this summer

FIFA released the route Wednesday for Canada Celebrates, a tour that will make 38 stops in 34 cities from Halifax, N.S., to Whitehorse, Yukon, between June 1 and July 19.

Vancouver and Toronto are among the 16 cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico hosting games in this summer’s tournament.

The plan has long been to include the entire country in the excitement, said Victor Montagliani, FIFA vice president and CONCACAF president.

The first stop will be in Mount Pearl, Nfld., on June 1 when Canada faces Uzbekistan in a friendly in Edmonton, and the final events will take place in Brampton, Ont., and Niagara Falls, Ont., on July 19 when the championship game is held in East Rutherford, N.J.

The tour will swing through every province and one territory, with FIFA saying in a release that it will bring “FIFA World Cup energy” within a two-hour drive of more than 75 per cent of Canadian residents.

“This really, I think, wraps up, sort of in a big hug, the diversity and the breadth and width of our country, because it will go close to coast to coast,” Montagliani said.

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“It’s a sort of a festivity of football, where you can go watch the game on the big screen, you can go interact and have games that are going to be there for families, there’ll be food, there’ll be music. So it’s a real festival of what football and the community really is. It’s a real Canadiana feeling in the end.”

Plans for a cross-country celebration were included as part of Canada’s bid to host World Cup games more than eight years ago. Montagliani said.

Now he believes Canada Celebrates can be a legacy for other host nations.

“I think it’s something we could give as Canadians to the World Cup moving forward, where it’s a project that could be used in future World Cups,” he said.

There are less than 70 days to go before the tournament kicks off in Mexico City and Guadalajara on June 11.

Canada will play its first game against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12 before finishing out the group stage in Vancouver with a tilts against Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.

Toronto will host six games across the tournament while Vancouver stages another seven.

World Cup excitement is starting to build, Montagliani said. He’s seeing people on the streets wearing World Cup gear and recently returned from Mexico City where he took in the grand reopening of Estadio Azteca.

The reality of having the tournament on home soil will only grow over the coming months, he added.

“I’ve been around the game my whole life, and been around it internationally for 20 years. So these experiences I’ve had in other countries,” he said. “To have them in your own country is almost a bit of an out of body experience, because it’s something you thought could never happen.

“But to know that the work that’s been done by a lot of people in the last 20 years to get this country to be a World Cup country host, you know, I think a lot of people should take pride in that.”

There’s still work to be done getting both Toronto and Vancouver ready for the games.

Construction continues at B.C. Place Stadium and BMO Field, which will be renamed Toronto Stadium during the tournament. Plans are being refined for fan events in both cities. Head coach Jesse Marsch continues to ready his team to play the tournament on home soil for the first time.

“The beauty about the World Cup, it’s about a country,” Montagliani said. “And I know that this country has always risen to the occasion in terms of big events, and this is going to be no different.”

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