Matt Fitzpatrick is introduced on the 18th green after winning the Valspar Championship golf tournament on Sunday in Palm Harbor, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Masters two

weeks away

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — Matt Fitzpatrick is coming off two big weeks including a win. Does that bode well for the Masters?

There’s more in play than just a trophy. But recent history shows that winning doesn’t hurt going into the first major of the year. Five of the last six Masters champions won multiple times before they slipped into a green jacket.

Bryson DeChambeau warrants attention. He has won the last two weeks on LIV Golf by hitting shots that few others can hit. There’s also a pair of newcomers trending in the right direction with Chris Gotterup and Jacob Bridgeman.

The Masters is April 9-12 at Augusta National.

NBPA seeks

rule change

(AP) — Detroit guard Cade Cunningham’s eligibility for individual honors such as a spot on the All-NBA team is in some doubt because of the 65-game rule for such awards. The players’ association said Tuesday that shouldn’t be the case.

The National Basketball Players Association said it wants to see the rule that it agreed to through collective bargaining be amended. Cunningham has appeared in 61 games this season. He is expected to miss several more games while recovering from a collapsed lung. If he misses too many, he’ll fall short of the 65-game threshold.

Paul George

apologizes

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Paul George declined to get into the specifics of his failed drug test that landed him a 25-game suspension. George says he is mentally and physically ready to help the Philadelphia 76ers with their playoff push over the last 10 games of the season.

George will play for the Sixers tonight against Chicago. George was suspended in late January for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug program. He said Tuesday that his choice to take a banned substance was connected to a mental health issue that developed because of an offseason knee injury that limited his production this season.

Moses Moody

sidelined

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody will miss the rest of the season after a gruesome left knee injury that will require surgery later this week. The Warriors say Moody tore his patellar tendon and underwent an MRI exam that revealed the severity of his injury.

He went down with 58.5 seconds left in overtime of Golden State’s 137-131 victory while going for an uncontested dunk off a steal against Cooper Flagg.His knee buckled and Moody went down in agony for several minutes before being carted off the court on a stretcher and giving a wave to the supportive road crowd. The injury left teammates, coaches, the Mavericks and their fans in shock.

MLB managers

raise issues

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Managers have less to argue about as Major League Baseball starts ball-and-strike challenges this season with so-called robot umpires. Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash says he likes using technology but figures there still will be reasons to argue because each team is allowed only two unsuccessful challenges.

Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton expects less complaining early in games, but he wonders what happens after challenges run out. New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone also points out that teams have to prepare pitchers for returning to the mound when they thought the inning was over only to have an opponent win a challenge.