All The Top Sports Action From Over The Weekend

Yes, there are second acts in American life. Tiger Woods proved that on Sunday.

Fourteen years after his last victory in the Masters Tournament, 11 years after his last win in a major, with four back surgeries behind him and age creeping up, Tiger Woods turned away the doubters and turned back the clock.

He won the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, making birdie on three of the final six holes to earn a one-stroke victory in collecting his 15th win in a major, second only to Jack Nicklaus’ 18.

“It’s overwhelming,” Woods, 43, said after his fifth win in the Masters.

His sweetest victory?

“It’s right up there. It’s one of the hardest I’ve ever had to win just because of what has transpired in the last couple of years,” Woods said, referring not only to his back issues but the personal problems that dogged him as well. He had missed three of the last four Masters Tournaments.

NHL:
The Columbus Blue Jackets extended their best-of-seven series lead to 3-0 over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the league’s best team during the regular season. The Blue Jackets won 3-1 at home on Sunday, putting the Lightning on the doorstep of elimination.

The New York Islanders lead the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 in their best-of-seven series after Sunday’s 4-2 victory.

NBA:
Luke Walton, the Los Angeles Lakers’ coach the last three seasons, will be taking the same position with the Sacramento Kings. He replaces Dave Joerger. The Boston Celtics outscored Indiana 26-8 in the third quarter on Sunday to win their series opener 84-74.

The Milwaukee Bucks destroyed the Detroit Pistons 121-86 and the Pistons may be without injured standout Blake Griffin for the rest of the series, which promises to be short in that case.

MLB:
Colorado’s German Marquez pitched the first complete game this season in the majors, striking one nine and allowing one hit in the Rockies’ 4-0 win over the San Francisco Giants. The Houston Astros stretched their winning streak to nine by beating the Seattle Mariners 3-2. Gerrit Cole struck out 11.

Former New York Mets pitcher Ron Darling, now one of the team’s broadcasters, needs surgery to remove a mass from his chest. He said he hopes to be back at work in May.

Elsewhere:
Martin Truex Jr. won NASCAR’s Saturday night race at Richmond.

Favored Omaha Beach held off Improbable on a sloppy track Saturday in the Arkansas Derby, a key prep race for the Kentucky Derby.

Hall of Fame NFL offensive lineman Forrest Gregg died at 85.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman