Sports News Roundup: Golf-From Drive, Chip & Putt to the Masters, Bhatia is living the dream; FIFA resolves lawsuit by sports promoter owned by billionaire Ross and more

According to ESPN Monday, the broadcast was the most-watched basketball game -- college or pro, men's or women's -- since 2019, and the most-watched sporting event outside of the Olympics or football since 2019. MLB roundup: Padres rally from 8-run deficit to beat Cubs Fernando Tatis Jr. blasted a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning, capping the San Diego Padres' comeback from an eight-run deficit as they stunned the visiting Chicago Cubs 9-8 on Monday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Golf-From Drive, Chip & Putt to the Masters, Bhatia is living the dream

Every kid in Augusta National's Drive, Chip & Putt competition dreams of one day returning to play the Masters and Akshay Bhatia will be the first to make that fantasy a reality on Thursday in a story that is developing into a Hollywood script. If winning the Texas Open in a playoff over Denny McCarthy on Sunday to claim the last spot in the Masters field was not enough of a fairytale, Bhatia made it all the more dramatic when he dislocated his shoulder doing a massive fist pump after draining a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th to force extra holes.

FIFA resolves lawsuit by sports promoter owned by billionaire Ross

FIFA has settled an antitrust lawsuit accusing soccer's world governing body of illegally banning foreign clubs and leagues from staging official matches in the United States. The settlement with Relevent Sports, a sports promoter controlled by billionaire Miami Dolphins American football team owner Stephen Ross, was disclosed in a Monday filing with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

UConn knocks off Purdue to repeat as national champion

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- UConn knew no one could take away its 2023 title, but the Huskies went out and got another one just for good measure. Tristen Newton scored 20 points and dished out seven assists as top-seeded UConn won its second straight national championship, beating Purdue 75-60 on Monday night.

Women’s NCAA title game draws 18.7M viewers, setting records

South Carolina's victory over Iowa in the national championship game Sunday afternoon averaged 18.7 million TV viewers and set new marks inside and outside women's college basketball. According to ESPN Monday, the broadcast was the most-watched basketball game -- college or pro, men's or women's -- since 2019, and the most-watched sporting event outside of the Olympics or football since 2019.

MLB roundup: Padres rally from 8-run deficit to beat Cubs

Fernando Tatis Jr. blasted a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning, capping the San Diego Padres' comeback from an eight-run deficit as they stunned the visiting Chicago Cubs 9-8 on Monday. Jackson Merrill started the San Diego eighth by working a walk from reliever Hector Neris. Neris and closer Adbert Alzolay (1-1) retired the next two hitters before Tatis drilled a hanging slider an estimated 376 feet into the seats in left field for his fourth homer of the year.

50 years after historic homer, Henry Aaron to get HOF statue

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will memorialize Henry Aaron with a statue in Cooperstown, N.Y., announcing on the 50th anniversary of his historic home run No. 715. It was April 8, 1974, that Aaron, playing for the Braves, broke Babe Ruth's longstanding homer record with his blast off the Los Angeles Dodgers' Al Downing in Atlanta. He went on to hit 755 career homers.

NBA roundup: Tyrese Maxey scores 52 as 76ers top Spurs in second overtime

Tyrese Maxey poured in a career-high 52 points and Ricky Council IV and KJ Martin had big baskets in the second overtime as the visiting Philadelphia 76ers outlasted the San Antonio Spurs 133-126 on Sunday. A three-point play by Council tied the score 126-126 with 3:04 left in the second OT and two free throws by Council with 1:56 to play gave the 76ers a two-point lead. Nicolas Batum then canned a 3-pointer and Martin followed with a dunk on the break -- the game's final points -- with 1:09 left to push Philadelphia's lead to seven.

NAIA bans transgender athletes in U.S. collegiate sports

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics on Monday banned transgender women from competing in women's sports, taking a more hardline stance than other athletic bodies that allow trans athletes to compete based on testosterone levels. The NAIA, representing mostly small colleges, is less influential than the larger National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) but its decision carries some political weight in the wider U.S. debate about transgender rights.

Reports: Hornets to interview Lindsey Harding for head-coaching job

The Charlotte Hornets requested and received permission to interview Sacramento Kings G League coach Lindsey Harding for their upcoming head-coaching vacancy, ESPN and The Athletic reported Monday. Harding just completed her first season as head coach of the Stockton (Calif.) Kings, and she became the first women selected the G League Coach of the Year. Stockton produced a league-best 24-10 record but was eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday with a 114-107 defeat to the Oklahoma City Blues in the single-game Western Conference finals.

Golf-Masters eclipse steals spotlight from Augusta National

The course at Augusta National Golf Club is typically the star attraction during Masters week but on Monday the famed layout was momentarily eclipsed by a celestial event that left captivated golfers and spectators looking skyward. At Augusta National, a horticultural masterpiece whose flora provides a vibrant backdrop to one of the world's most exclusive golf courses, the sky slightly darkened and temperatures dropped during a practice round as the area experienced a partial solar eclipse.

(With inputs from agencies.)