After severe winds — that blew down three trees — and torrential rains suspended play on Friday and Saturday, it appeared the Masters might not finish in time to crown a champion by Sunday evening.

But Jon Rahm overcame the elements and won his first green jacket with a score of 12-under par — elevating his case to be called the best player in the world.

The 28-year-old hung around leader Brooks Koepka through the first three days, then took advantage of Koepka’s weak Sunday to take home his second career major championship after his win at the 2021 U.S. Open.

Scottie Scheffler — whom Rahm had been exchanging OWGR No. 1 rankings with — finished tied 10th at 4-under.

Rahm takes home a Masters-record $3.24 million for the win — a $630,000 increase from 2022 when Scheffler won. The record 2023 purse of $18 million is a $3 million jump from 2022.

It brings Rahm’s on-course earnings to $13.29 million for the 2023 season — pulling him ahead of Scheffler ($12.12M) on the money list.

A Lot to LIV For

Although Koepka collapsed down the stretch, he and Phil Mickelson — who tied with Koepka for second place — provided a respectable showing for LIV Golf.

The pair will each take home $1.59 million (the average of the second- and third-place winnings) for their efforts — a far cry from the $4 million Koepka earned by winning at LIV’s most recent event in Orlando.

At 52, Mickelson became the oldest player in Masters history to have a top-five finish, and his final-round 65 was the lowest Masters round ever for a player over 50.

LIV Golf hasn’t had the best run with its legal arguments, but its lead lawyer remained on the offensive in an attempt to halt the skid. 

Attorney John Quinn alleged at Friday’s hearing as part of the LIV Golf-PGA Tour antitrust case that the PGA Tour played a significant role in backing protests ahead of LIV’s U.S. debut last year. 

“We’ve learned that the [PGA] Tour has orchestrated a grassroots campaign against LIV Golf,” Quinn said. “They chartered a private jet to fly protestors — including, shockingly, members of [9/11 Justice] and victims of 9/11  — to conduct these protests in effect to actually create this Saudi taint.”

Front Office Sports was the first outlet to delve into the background of 9/11 Justice, which was founded days before LIV played in Portland last July. The group also spent more than $200,000 on ads attacking LIV’s Saudi ties.

LIV is almost entirely funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and the PGA Tour has pushed for months to subpoena PIF for documents and to depose fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan. 

Before Friday’s hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman upheld a ruling that both PIF and Al-Rumayyan are subject to discovery in the case. PIF is appealing that decision. 

That appeal and other issues in the case led Freeman to push back the case schedule. The trial, originally slated to begin in January, won’t start until later in 2024, although Freeman did not set a new trial date. 

The Chicago Cubs are making history with a drink. 

The team will be the first MLB team with a CBD sponsor and first to sell CBD drinks at its stadium.

The Cubs are working with Chicago-based MYND Drinks, which will have signage and beverages in three flavors at Wrigley Field. The product met the criteria for working with MLB teams by receiving the NSF Certified for Sport designation.

The team is leaning into CBD’s relaxing qualities to promote the deal: The Cubs are releasing a guided meditation on YouTube, narrated by their radio play-by-play announcer Pat Hughes.

MLB is the first major sports league with a CBD sponsor, having linked up with CBD company Charlotte’s Web in an exclusive multiyear deal inked last October.

While cannabis remains illegal federally, the 2018 farm bill opened the door to CBD sales by differentiating between hemp and marijuana. MYND launched the following year. 

Cannabis is legal for adult use in Illinois and 20 other states, plus Washington, D.C., and Guam.

The NBA eliminated cannabis testing in its latest collective bargaining agreement and allowed players to invest in cannabis companies, plus sports betting companies and NBA and WNBA teams.

The Biden Administration is aiming for the middle of the spectrum with its transgender athlete policy.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education proposed rules that would prohibit schools from blanket bans on athletes participating in school sports based on their gender identities. 

The policy would allow schools to consider grade, sport, and level of competition in introducing rules on whether a student can play with groups fitting with their gender identity. Twenty states have introduced blanket bans on transgender athletes. 

Also on Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied an emergency request by West Virginia’s Attorney General to overturn a lower court’s decision and allow the state to ban a 12-year-old transgender student from competing in a track and field competition. The student will be allowed to race in a group fitting with her gender identity. 

Last month, the World Athletics Council banned transgender women from competing in women’s categories at high-level track competitions, including the Olympics. 

The NWSL is revisiting its policy on transgender athletes. Currently, the league allows players designated female at birth, regardless of gender identity. It also allows players transitioning to female, provided their testosterone levels are within the typical range for a woman.