Reuters Sports News Summary

Woods makes hot start to Masters title defence, Casey leads Defending champion Tiger Woods tied his best-ever opening round at the Masters and was three shots behind clubhouse leader Paul Casey on Thursday before play was suspended at Augusta National Golf Club due to darkness.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Golf: Westwood says Augusta gives 'older guys' a shot at major glory

Veteran golfer Lee Westwood said Augusta National rewards experience and that his busy schedule heading into this year's Masters puts him in prime position to capture his elusive first major title this week. The 47-year-old Englishman mixed five birdies on the front nine with a bogey on the back for a four-under 68 to sit three strokes back of leader Paul Casey in the darkness-suspended first round of the tournament. Basketball: Goorjian to coach Australia's Boomers at Tokyo Olympics

American Brian Goorjian will lead Australia's Boomers at the Olympics for the third time in Tokyo next year after being appointed national head coach until 2023 on Friday. Another American, Brett Brown, quit the job last October in the wake of the postponement of the Games for a year and his sacking by the Philadelphia 76ers. Rivers tops Marino for fifth in all-time passing yards

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers moved into fifth place on the NFL's all-time passing yardage list on his first drive Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. Rivers, in his first season with the Colts after spending 16 years with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, began the night with 61,358 yards. He threw an 11-yard completion to rookie running back Jonathan Taylor on Indianapolis' first play from scrimmage to surpass Dan Marino for fifth all-time. Silent Masters still special to players

There is something uniquely different about playing in silence at Augusta National, even for professional golfers who have quickly adjusted to life without spectators since the PGA Tour resumed in June after a three-month coronavirus shutdown. Without the famous gallery roars that usually echo through the pines and are inextricably linked to many famous moments at the Masters, there was no way of guessing what was happening on other parts of the course in the first round on Thursday. Champion Tsitsipas in Nadal's group at ATP Finals

Defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas was placed in the same round-robin group as Rafa Nadal when the draw for the ATP Finals was made in London on Thursday. The Greek will also face Austria's U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem, who he beat in last year's final, and Russian debutant Andrey Rublev in the London group. Amateur Ogletree has something to crow about at Masters

Amateur Andy Ogletree's Masters debut was relatively serene on Thursday, played without the fans that rocked Augusta National with roars he witnessed on TV as a kid growing up in Mississippi. "I can't imagine what it's normally like, with all the big crowds," the 22-year-old told reporters on Thursday. "But I definitely had a lot of nerves. Woods makes hot start to Masters title defence, Casey leads

Defending champion Tiger Woods tied his best-ever opening round at the Masters and was three shots behind clubhouse leader Paul Casey on Thursday before play was suspended at Augusta National Golf Club due to darkness. Five-times Masters champion Woods, who had struggled for form in 2020, suddenly looked revived and in command on his familiar Augusta National stomping ground as he carded a four-under-par 68. Colts double up Titans, forge tie atop AFC South

Nyheim Hines caught a touchdown pass and ran for a second score, Philip Rivers topped Dan Marino for No. 5 on the NFL's all-time passing yardage list and the Indianapolis Colts tied the Tennessee Titans for first place in the AFC South with a 34-17 win Thursday night in Nashville. Hines' 2-yard run with 2:51 left in the third quarter gave Indianapolis (6-3) a 20-17 lead. It came four plays after Trevor Daniel, Tennessee's third punter in as many games, shanked a 17-yard punt that set up a 27-yard field for the Colts. Red Sox P Rodriguez: Will be 100 percent by start of season

Boston Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez said Thursday that he will be fully recovered from a heart issue tied to his COVID-19 battle when the 2021 season commences. The 27-year-old Rodriguez missed the 2020 season due to his health issues, which included being diagnosed with myocarditis (heart inflammation) in July. U.S. players send anti-racism messages before Wales draw

The United States men's team stepped on to the pitch for their first international match since February with personalised anti-racism messages emblazoned on their training jackets. Gregg Berhalter's team wore the jackets during the national anthems ahead of Thursday's friendly against Wales at Swansea and both teams took a knee before kickoff in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.