Leave it to John Daly to predict this year's Masters champion.
The Dardanelle native and former University of Arkansas golfer appeared Thursday on The Dan Patrick Show last week and said Danny Willett would win the Masters.
Willett, 28, had not won a tournament on the PGA Tour until winning the Masters on Sunday.
"My dark horse this week is Danny Willett," Daly, 49, told Patrick. "I still think you're gonna see the cream of the crop. I still think you're gonna see Jason Day -- I never count Phil Mickelson out, I never count Bubba [Watson] out. Watch out for guys like Scott Piercy and Danny Willett. They both play really good on fast, fast greens."
Jordan Spieth led the first three rounds of the Masters, but finished in a tie for second with a 2-under par 286. Willett won the tournament with a 5-under 283, posting a final-round 67.
As for Daly? He hasn't played in the Masters since 2006. His best finish at Augusta was a tie for third place in 1993.
Steve DelVecchio of Larry Brown Sports suggests Daly as a future Ryder Cup captain after his bold pick of Willett.
"He may be one of the most controversial golfers in the sport's history, but he clearly recognizes game," DelVecchio wrote.
Mad King
One of the most famous season-ticket holders of the Boston Red Sox is grumbling about new safety netting at Fenway Park meant to protect fans from foul balls and flying bats.
Horror novelist Stephen King wrote in an opinion piece published Monday in The Boston Globe that the netting is "one more step toward taking the taste and texture out of the game I care for above all others."
He wrote there's "something almost ludicrous about wrapping America's baseball stadiums in protective gauze when any idiot with a grudge can buy a gun and shoot a bunch of people."
MLB began requiring last season that fans in all ballparks go through metal detectors at all entrance gates.
The Red Sox, at the recommendation of league officials, installed the nets for this season after fans were seriously injured last season by bats and balls flying into the stands.
He said it
From Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald:
• "The NCAA approved a rule banning any new college football bowl games for three years. You just know that in that fourth year there will be 27 new bowls."
• "Jordan Spieth suffered an epic collapse at the Masters. In hindsight, he feels it was a mistake to prepare for the event by watching the Northern Iowa men's basketball team at the NCAA tournament."
• "The University of Illinois hired a new football coach. You think the next president of the United States will face some stiff challenges."
They said it
• From Ian Hamilton of the Regina (Sask.) Leader-Post, after food poisoning scratched Oakland Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray from his Opening Day start: "That gives new meaning to 'right-handed hurler.' "
• RJ Currie of SportsDeke.com, on grousing that Toronto is losing on purpose to improve its odds in the NHL draft lottery: "Who says coaching the [Maple] Leafs is a tankless job?"
• From Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: "An 1857 document titled 'Laws of Base Ball' appears to show that Daniel 'Doc' Adams, not Alexander Cartwright, is the real father of baseball. It must be true: MLB got the news on The Maury Povich Show."
SPORTS QUIZ
Of the 30 current NHL franchises, how many have not played in the Stanley Cup Finals?
ANSWER
6: Arizona Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets.
Sports on 04/12/2016