Sports News Roundup: Golf-Major interest as Woods returns to Masters; Soccer-American Kirchner named preferred bidder for Derby and more

Kirchner, 34, said in October he wanted to take Derby out of administration and was seeking approval from the English Football League (EFL) to become owner of the club. WTA roundup: Top seeds advance at Charleston The top two seeded players, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Paula Badosa of Spain, earned second-round wins Wednesday in the rain-delayed Credit One Charleston Open in Charleston, S.C. Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed, defeated American Alison Riske, 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the season's first clay-court event for her first victory since late February.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Golf-Major interest as Woods returns to Masters

The Masters officially gets underway on Thursday at 8 am ET (1200 GMT) when Jose Maria Olazabal hits the opening tee shot but for many golf fans, the year's first major will not truly begin until just over two hours later when Tiger Woods appears on the tee. With COVID-19 restrictions lifted and Woods returning from a serious leg injury, fans are set to pour into Augusta National, and most at some point will find their way to Woods who partners South African Louis Oosthuizen and Chile's Joaquin Niemann.

Soccer-American Kirchner named preferred bidder for Derby

American businessman Chris Kirchner has been named as the preferred bidder for second-tier side Derby County, the English Championship club's administrators said on Wednesday. Kirchner, 34, said in October he wanted to take Derby out of administration and was seeking approval from the English Football League (EFL) to become the owner of the club.

WTA roundup: Top seeds advance at Charleston

The top two seeded players, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Paula Badosa of Spain, earned second-round wins Wednesday in the rain-delayed Credit One Charleston Open in Charleston, S.C. Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed, defeated American Alison Riske, 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the season's first clay-court event for her first victory since late February. No. 2 seed Badosa advanced with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Hungary's Anna Bondar in the round of 32.

Motor racing-Verstappen wary off-track demands could hurt performance

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen said he will try to keep his off-track commitments in check and focus on his day job as a racer, wary that his title defense might suffer from too many distractions. The Dutch Red Bull driver is hot property for media, sponsors, and fans after his 2021 triumph, and the relaxation of biosecurity protocols could mean more demands on his time.

Golf-Uh-oh Canada: Weir and Hughes win Masters Par Three to share curse

Canadians Mike Weir and Mackenzie Hughes will take on the Master's Par Three contest curse after being declared co-winners on Wednesday of the fun-filled tune-up to the main event. While the Par Three is a stress-free family day for golfers before facing the Master's pressure cooker on Thursday for those who believe in superstition victory comes with a jinx -- meaning the result was not a good omen for the two Canadians or their fans.

Transgender women should not compete in female events - British PM

Transgender women should not be competing in female sporting events, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told broadcasters on Wednesday. Johnson was speaking as the country looked set to abandon plans to hold a flagship conference designed to promote LGBT+ rights around the world.

ATP roundup: Reilly Opelka advances to Houston quarterfinals

Third-seeded Reilly Opelka rallied to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston, beating qualifier Mitchell Krueger 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in an all-U.S. matchup on Wednesday. Opelka finished with a 15-1 edge in aces, and he took advantage of all three of his breakpoints.

Soccer-Liverpool win over City will not ensure Premier League title: Klopp

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said beating Manchester City on Sunday would not mean the Premier League title is theirs and that the club must focus on winning all of their remaining games to ensure success. The match in Manchester is being billed by many as a title decider, with a City victory giving them a four-point lead with seven games to go while Liverpool would overtake their rivals with a win.

NBA-Soul searching ahead for Lakers after missing playoffs

Big changes are likely to be in store for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason after their hopes of making the NBA playoffs were dashed when they fell 121-110 to the Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday. The game marked the seventh consecutive loss for the 31-48 squad that went into the season with lofty expectations after adding veteran guard Russell Westbrook to the tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Soccer - Maradona's 'Hand of God' shirt expected to fetch $5.23 million at auction

The shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored two of the most famous goals in footballing history was put up for auction on Wednesday but its sale was complicated by claims from his family that the wrong shirt is going under the hammer. Maradona wore the No. 10 shirt in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England in Mexico. Six minutes into the second half he put Argentina ahead by sneakily punching the ball into the net, a goal made famous as the "Hand of God."