Sports News Roundup: Dodgers beat Rays to snap 32-year World Series drought; ACC foes Louisville, Virginia Tech search for consistency and more

Golf: Masters Par 3 contest cancelled at spectator-free Augusta The popular Par 3 contest normally held on the eve of the Masters will not be played next month since spectators will not be allowed at the event because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Augusta National Golf Club said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

World champion Coleman to miss Olympics after ban for whereabouts failure

World 100 metres champion Christian Coleman will miss next year's Tokyo Olympics after being banned for two years for breaching whereabouts rules, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Tuesday. Coleman, who narrowly escaped a ban last year for missing three doping tests, was provisionally suspended by the AIU in June.

Dodgers beat Rays to snap 32-year World Series drought

The Los Angeles Dodgers won Major League Baseball's World Series for the first time since 1988, with a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday, to seal the best-of-seven championship 4-2. The Dodgers' triumph at their third World Series appearance in four years closed out a shortened season in which the final three playoff rounds were held at four neutral-site locations in a bid to limit spread of COVID-19.

ACC foes Louisville, Virginia Tech search for consistency

Atlantic Coast Conference counterparts Virginia Tech and Louisville meet Saturday at Cardinal Stadium aiming to avoid falling out of the conference race. The Cardinals and Hokies were picked fourth and fifth in the preseason ACC poll, but have experienced ups and downs through the first half of the 2020 season.

Golf: Masters Par 3 contest cancelled at spectator-free Augusta

The popular Par 3 contest normally held on the eve of the Masters will not be played next month since spectators will not be allowed at the event because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Augusta National Golf Club said on Tuesday. The beloved exhibition, which began in 1960, has become one of the most endearing traditions at the Masters and is very much a family affair as golfers often have wives, girlfriends, children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews serve as caddies.

Callaway to buy rest of Topgolf

Golf club maker Callaway Golf Co said on Tuesday it would buy the rest of Topgolf Entertainment Group, giving the U.S. driving-range operator an equity value of about $2 billion. Shares of Callaway, which has been an investor in Topgolf since 2006 and currently owns a 14% stake in the company, were up 2.3% at $20.25 in extended trading.

I take my hat off to Hamilton, says old foe Rosberg

Nico Rosberg hailed Lewis Hamilton's record 92nd Formula One win and sporting longevity as a great achievement on Tuesday but said the way the Briton was using his platform to raise awareness for global issues was just as impressive. The 35-year-olds were team mates and fierce rivals at Mercedes from 2013 until the German won the 2016 title and immediately retired.

NFL reports 19 new cases of COVID-19

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in the NFL stayed even from the previous week, according to numbers released Tuesday by the league and the NFL Players Association. Testing for Oct. 18-24 resulted in 19 new cases, including eight positives among players and 11 confirmed positives among other personnel -- numbers that are identical to last week.

Longtime Coyotes F Hanzal announces retirement

Veteran forward Martin Hanzal officially retired after 12 NHL seasons and multiple back surgeries. Hanzal, 33, registered 338 career points (127 goals, 211 assists) and 574 penalty minutes in 673 games with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (2007-17), Minnesota Wild (2017) and Dallas Stars (2017-18).

Djokovic, Thiem prevail in Vienna

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic recorded eight aces while defeating fellow Serbian Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the opening round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, Austria. Djokovic delivered 39 winners in his first appearance at the event since winning the title in 2007. Home-country favorite Dominic Thiem, the second seed, also prevailed in straight sets, posting a 6-4, 7-5 triumph over Vitaliy Sachko of Ukraine.

Olympics: 'Normal again' - U.S. gymnasts blaze a trail to Tokyo meet

Gymnasts are used to having pressure on their shoulders but the athletes heading to Tokyo for next month's special meet might feel they are carrying an Olympian burden. The meet will feature gymnasts from Japan, the United States, China and Russia and marks the first international event to be held at a Tokyo Olympic venue since the Games were postponed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies.)