1) The Masters starts on Thursday, less than five months on from the 2020 edition, delayed by Covid-19. Here’s a film on the 1997 competition, when Tiger Woods won by a barely comprehensible 19 strokes. More Augusta memories: the story of Gene Sarazen’s double eagle in 1935, “the shot heard around the world”; Larry Mize talking us through 1987’s famous chip-and-run (here’s the shot itself). In 1986, Jack Nicklaus surged through an all-star field to claim his 18th major. Back in 1971, Nicklaus was beaten to the green jacket by Charles Coody – his final PGA Tour victory.
2) The Grand National returns this weekend after a two-year break (although there was a virtual race in 2020). Here’s Jenny Pitman’s Corbiere winning in 1983, the first time a female trainer won the Aintree classic. Mr Frisk took the 1990 edition in the fastest-ever time, while Esha Ness ‘won’ the race that wasn’t in 1993 (with bonus news report).
3) A young Ole Gunnar Solskjær wrestles his ex-pro dad, and wins. Meanwhile, look away Reading fans …
The miss of the season?! 😲
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) April 3, 2021
Reading's Lucas João missed this sitter yesterday as his side played out a 1-1 draw with Barnsley pic.twitter.com/0XkpRCexkb
4) This weekend, Newcastle visit Burnley in a fixture most famous for Malcolm Macdonald’s finest hour-and-a-half in the 1974 FA Cup semi-final. Here are his goals that day, plus another brilliant brace in a fifth-round thriller against Bolton in 1976 (with a bonus header from Sam Allardyce).
5) On this day in 1963, the former England captain Alec Stewart was born. Here he is giving Arjuna Ranatunga a piece of his mind, making a century in his 100th Test match and bowling a bouncer. Happy birthday also to boxer Gennady Golovkin, racing driver Mark Blundell and John McGinlay, former Bolton goal-getter and occasional goalkeeper.
6) The great Claressa Shields, a three-weight world boxing champion, is training at JacksonWink MMA to prepare for her debut inside the cage. Here’s her ring resumé.
Our favourites from below the line last week
1) A compilation of snooker opening titles.
2) Joan Mir gets pipped to the post at MotoGP’s season opener.
3) A belter of a Boat Race from 1949.
4) Figure skater Yuzuru Hanzu throws some unusual shapes.
5) Jogi Löw sings Barry White.
Spotters’ badges: kisbie, crumbbum, jezzan, vsbain67
