Paul Pogba has said that his time away from Manchester United when he is playing with France is a "breath of fresh air."

In an interview on Sunday the midfielder admitted he was going through the toughest period of his career at the moment at United and that joining the French national team is a welcome respite.

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After being dropped in five of United's last seven games in all competitions and after being heavily criticised in England, Pogba gave a stellar response on Saturday evening with a very good performance in France's 1-0 win against Portugal.

Talking about his difficult time in Manchester, the midfielder told French radio RTL: "It is a period that I had never experienced in my career before, where I usually always play and always have the rhythm. And suddenly that changes. Little by little, I get my sensations back. I am finding myself again. This is what I have to do all the time and be consistent."

As has been the case in the last four years, the national team is helping Pogba bounce back from a tough club situation.

"The national team is like a window being opened, it is a breath of fresh air," said Pogba. "I was talking with Antoine [Griezmann] and Raphael [Varane] on Saturday. We were sat at lunch together and we were telling each other: 'guys, I don't know if we realise, but this squad is incredible.'

"When we come here, we are all happy to see each other. We are on the pitch, enjoying ourselves. It is not that we are not enjoying ourselves with our clubs but here, it is not the same. This squad is magical in the way we live together."

Pogba will feel rejuvenated once more by his time with his French teammates. He had a long chat with Didier Deschamps this week and his performance against an in-form Portugal showed what he was capable of, even if he is not fully fit yet.

During the interview with RTL, he never talked negatively about Manchester United and his point about the atmosphere in the France squad was not a comparison with the atmosphere at United nor a criticism of the Old Trafford club.

Australia's Test captain Tim Paine is among the players currently self-isolating at home in Tasmania as state governments respond to a developing Covid-19 outbreak in South Australia.

Players and support staff from Tasmania, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria all returned home from their Sheffield Shield hub in Adelaide last week, later than the November 9 date of arrival from SA that state governments have nominated as now requiring mandatory self-isolation.

"Like all people who have travelled from South Australia to Tasmania in the last seven days, the Tasmanian Tigers Sheffield Shield squad are self-isolating as we wait for further advice from Public Health," a Cricket Tasmania spokesman said. "Players and staff have Covid-19 swab tests scheduled for later today."

Queensland's state government has flagged possible changes to border arrangements with SA, but the New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian has indicated that its borders will not be closed. NSW players returning from Adelaide have not been requited to self-isolate, but have a standing requirement to get tested and self-isolated should any experience possible Covid-19 symptoms.

Cricket Australia was on Monday assessing the state of play in SA, not only in terms of self-isolation requirements for domestic players but also in terms of how the current outbreak may affect plans for the start of the India Test series. The first match is scheduled to be played at Adelaide Oval from December 17 with Australia's Test squad due to gather in the city during the previous week.

More to follow

NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees was sidelined by a rib injury throughout the second half of the New Orleans Saints' 27-13 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, with Jameis Winston taking most of the snaps in his place.

Coach Sean Payton said Brees will get an MRI and X-rays to determine the extent of his injury. But he said Brees let him know he didn't think he could "function in the second half" after the injury and didn't feel better through the halftime break.

"He took a heavy shot in the first half. As he came out in the second half, he felt it was really impacting him," Payton said. "His back felt sore as he tried to throw. He just came up to me and said, 'Hey, I don't feel I'm capable of playing.' And so quickly we made the switch, and that happens sometimes.

"He felt strong enough about letting me know. And I know when he does that -- which is probably gonna be the first time in 15 years that it was significant enough that he felt like he couldn't function in the second half."

The Saints (7-2) secured their sixth consecutive victory despite Brees' absence. He did play through the injury in the final minutes of the first half -- then remained in uniform while watching from the sideline in the second half.

Winston, who was appearing in just his second game of the season as New Orleans' backup, showed some rust while completing 6 of 10 passes for 63 yards with zero touchdowns. But he also wound up with zero turnovers despite one close call. And he helped set up one TD with a 3-yard run to the 1-yard line.

The Saints' other backup QB, Taysom Hill, also took control of one drive, running the ball four times for 30 yards. But he lost a fumble on his fourth attempt.

New Orleans' defense and special teams played even bigger roles in the victory. Defensive backs Malcolm Jenkins and Patrick Robinson each intercepted passes, and undrafted rookie receiver Marquez Callaway recovered two fumbled punt returns.

Brees appeared to be injured while absorbing a big hit by defensive tackle Kentavius Street with 8 minutes, 20 seconds remaining in the second quarter, which resulted in a questionable personal-foul penalty against Street.

Hill took the next two snaps at quarterback after that play while Brees showed obvious discomfort on the field. Brees lined up at receiver on the first play -- then went to the sideline for one play to throw the ball and try to get loose.

Brees reentered the game to pitch the ball to running back Alvin Kamara for a 2-yard touchdown. Then he played the next series, completing five passes on another touchdown drive.

Brees, 41, has also been limited in practice the past two weeks because of an injury to his right throwing shoulder. However, he has missed only six games because of injury in his 20-year NFL career -- five of them in 2019 because of a torn thumb ligament.

Kamara scored all three of the Saints' touchdowns on Sunday, continuing to make his case as the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year, if not an MVP candidate.

The Saints suffered a number of injuries in Sunday's clunky performance -- which was a bit of a letdown from their huge 38-3 victory at Tampa Bay a week earlier.

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore left early with an oblique injury, though he also remained dressed on the sideline. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson left the field late in the game with an unspecified injury, though he also looked prepared to reenter the game. Receiver Tre'Quan Smith and tight end Josh Hill were ruled out with concussions. And offensive linemen Terron Armstead and Andrus Peat both briefly left the field with injuries before returning.

South Carolina has parted ways with football coach Will Muschamp, athletic director Ray Tanner announced Sunday.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, the former head coach at Colorado State, will serve as the Gamecocks' interim coach for the remainder of the season.

"After a thorough assessment of our football program, we have decided to make a change with the head football coach," Tanner said in a statement. "I appreciate all that Will Muschamp has done for our program and wish him and his family the best moving forward. I believe our program will be well served by Coach Bobo as the interim head coach as we search for a new leader for Gamecock Football."

The move to dismiss Muschamp comes on the heels of South Carolina's third straight loss, a 59-42 setback to Ole Miss on Saturday. The Gamecocks (2-5) have allowed a total of 159 points during their three-game losing streak and gave up 708 yards of total offense in the loss to Ole Miss.

Muschamp, in his fifth season as South Carolina's coach, was 28-30 overall. He recorded more wins in his first three seasons (22) than any coach in school history and trailed only Steve Spurrier (28) after four seasons as South Carolina's coach.

But the Gamecocks finished 4-8 a year ago and have lost 14 of their past 20 games dating to the 28-0 Belk Bowl defeat to Virginia to end the 2018 season.

According to the terms of Muschamp's contract, his buyout was in the $15 million range if he were to be fired at the end of this season.

South Carolina president Bob Caslen and Tanner informed the players and staff of the coaching change during a meeting Sunday.

"I appreciate everything Coach Muschamp has done for our University. He is a true professional and strong advocate for our student-athletes," Caslen said. "Under his leadership, our football players excelled in the classroom and served as mentors in the community. Will also brought much-needed stability to the program. However, I believe it is time to move in a different direction."

The school said in its statement that "a search for a new head football coach will begin immediately."

Liberty's Hugh Freeze, Louisiana's Billy Napier and Coastal Carolina's Jamey Chadwell are expected to be among the top targets to replace Muschamp, along with Shane Beamer, Oklahoma's assistant head coach for the offense, and Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott.

This is the second time Muschamp has been fired from an SEC head-coaching job. He was dismissed by Florida toward the end of the 2014 season and coached the final two games before stepping away. He spent the 2015 season at Auburn as the Tigers' defensive coordinator.

Muschamp's combined head-coaching record at South Carolina and Florida is 56-51. In his second season at Florida in 2012, he was named the SEC's Co-Coach of the Year along with Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin. Muschamp took over for Urban Meyer at Florida and for Spurrier at South Carolina.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- After using his legs to pull the Arizona Cardinals back into a game they trailed for the majority of, quarterback Kyler Murray used his arm to win it.

Murray found DeAndre Hopkins for a 43-yard Hail Mary touchdown with 2 seconds left to give the Cardinals a 32-30 win at State Farm Stadium on Sunday afternoon to move the Cardinals into a three-way tie for first place in the NFC West.

Hopkins was draped by three Buffalo Bills defenders -- Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde and Tre'Davious White -- when he pulled down the unlikely catch on the far left side of the end zone in front of 4,200 socially distanced fans.

The Cardinals needed that last-second touchdown after the Bills scored a go-ahead touchdown with 39 seconds left from Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs that put Buffalo up 30-26.

After betting support for the Cardinals drove the line up over the weekend, Arizona closed as a consensus 3-point favorite at sportsbooks. Hopkins' touchdown put the Cardinals up by two with no time left. Instead of risking the extra point being blocked and returned by Buffalo for a tying two-point conversion, Arizona elected to kneel down and end the game.

The favored Cardinals attracted slightly more betting action than the Bills at most sportsbooks.

Murray finished with 245 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 22-for-32 passing. For the second straight week Murray did what he could to put the Cardinals in a spot to win.

As the Cardinals struggled to convert in the red zone Sunday afternoon by throwing the ball, leading to a field goal fest in the first 2½ quarters, Murray found the end zone with 5:48 left in the third quarter on a 1-yard run, with the Cardinals down 23-9, to pull Arizona within 23-16. Then Murray showed off more of his brilliance on the ground in the final seconds of the third quarter, when he took off for 28 yards following a Patrick Peterson interception, to move the Cardinals from their own territory deep into the Bills' side of the field.

Three plays later, Murray ran in for his second touchdown, this one from the 15, barely getting touched, pulling the Cardinals into the lead, their first of the game. Murray's two rushing touchdowns gave him 10 for the season, the first time a quarterback has reached that mark since Cam Newton in 2011. Murray had 61 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

Murray also became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to have a rushing touchdown in at least five straight games, with this being his fifth consecutive. He has rushed for a touchdown in eight of the Cardinals' nine games this season.

Hopkins had 127 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. Kenyan Drake ran for 100 yards on 16 runs.

ESPN's David Purdum contributed to this report.

As Houston Rockets star James Harden considers his uncertain future with the franchise, the Brooklyn Nets are rising to the top of his list as a possible trade destination, sources told ESPN.

The idea of joining Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn is resonating with Harden, sources said.

Durant and Harden -- past teammates with the Oklahoma City Thunder -- have recently discussed the possibility, but there have yet to be trade discussions between the two front offices.

Harden has been increasingly uneasy about the Rockets' ability to compete for an NBA title and has been considering the possibility of pushing to play elsewhere before his contract expires, sources said.

The Nets are believed to be considering the viability of a deal for Harden, but it is unclear how far the franchise would go in delivering Houston the assets it might require in return.

Rockets general manager Rafael Stone has consistently been telling teams that the team plans to "run it back" with Harden this season, sources said. The Rockets have seemed inclined to listen to offers on Harden, sources said, although that's customary for most teams about most players in the league.

If the Rockets did decide to engage in trade talks on Harden, they've privately made it clear that they would require a monstrous return of players, draft picks and pick swaps. The Nets have two borderline All-Star guards on the roster -- Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie -- and several more intriguing young players.

The idea of playing together again came up during Harden and Durant's offseason workouts together in Los Angeles. Sources said the players talked openly about whether the combination could work and how a trade facilitating it could work.

Durant was selected No. 2 overall in the 2007 NBA draft and became the building block of the Thunder team that advanced to the 2012 NBA Finals. Russell Westbrook and Harden were drafted in subsequent drafts, but as their talents grew, it became impossible for the small-market Thunder to sign all three to maximum contract extensions. Harden was traded to Houston in 2013.

Harden, 31, has been an All-Star in all eight seasons since arriving in Houston, winning MVP in 2017-18 and finishing among the top three in voting four other times in the past six years, and claiming the NBA's past three scoring titles. He is owed $131.5 million over the three seasons remaining on his maximum contract, including a $46.9 million player option in 2022-23.

The Rockets have been actively searching for trade partners for Westbrook, but that marketplace is proving relatively barren, sources said. Westbrook, 32, has three years and $131.5 million left on his contract -- including a $46.7 million player option in 2022-23.

He won the 2016-17 MVP and made his ninth All-Star appearance last season, which ended with Westbrook playing through rust and injury after rushing back from a strained right quadriceps during the first round of the playoffs.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.

In the first of his regular columns, renowned physiotherapist and best-selling author Paul Hobrough takes a closer look at the foot condition plantar fasciitis

WHAT IS PLANTAR FASCIITIS?

The plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue that starts at the base of the calcaneus bone (heel bone) and extends forwards along the base of the foot. It divides into slips that attach to the short ligaments of the metatarsal heads (the long bones that meet the base of the toes). The plantar fascia helps support the long arch in the foot and also protects the foot.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?

The most common way to discover plantar fasciitis – better known these days in medical circles as plantar fasciopathy – is when you first step out of bed in the morning and it feels like you have stood on a stone.

Once you have checked for gravel on your bedroom floor and not found any, start to consider this injury. The pain is most likely to be just as your medial longitudinal arch (the arch on the inside of your foot) leaves the heel bone.

If you feel the underside of your heel bone, run your finger just into the beginning of the arch on the medial side and press in. This is the start of the plantar fascia and the site of greatest pain.

WHAT HAPPENS?

When you first feel the pain, a few steps later it will have eased off completely. This is why I call it the ‘dark destroyer’, because in the early days of the injury you feel a sharp pain for just a few steps and then it goes away for the rest of the day.

You will most likely forget you even felt anything and even go for your run that day without any pain. However, the dark destroyer will return the next morning and the morning after that and so on.

Over time, it will take a few more steps for the pain to abate and you will start to feel it when you get up from your desk or the couch.

Within a fairly short time scale, the pain will occur several times a day and become worse the morning after those days on which you have run. If this continues, it will soon interrupt your running.

It is my experience that those people who take expert advice early on have fewer issues, get better more quickly and lose less overall time from their running programme.

There are also measures you can take, even without this issue ever having darkened your door, to stave it off or to provide some repair when the first danger signs appear.

PAUL’S 10-POINT PLAN FOR PLANTAR FASCIOPATHY

1 No barefoot walking
2 Write the alphabet with your foot in the morning/after a rest, before taking a step
3 Wear some off-the-shelf insoles to help maintain a good foot arch and offer some support
4 Gently stretch the gastrocnemius (upper part of your calf ) against a wall –not off a step – 6 x day 30-40 sec
5 Gently stretch the soleus muscle (lower part of your calf ) as per the gastrocnemius but with a bent knee
6 Wear a strassburg sock at night to bring the big toe into extension
7 Gentle gastrocnemius strengthening on alternate days 4 x 25 calf raises
8 Gently strengthen the soleus as per the gastrocnemius, but with a bent knee
9 Pull your big toe into extension when at rest (eg whilst watching the TV at night)
10 Aqua jog, cross train, strength train but do not run with pain

A GRADUAL RETURN TO RUNNING

The rule of thumb is not to run if you can press on the sore area and get pain greater than you would feel with the other foot (assuming only one side is affected). You can return to running, with caution, after this milestone has been reached.

The recommended return to running would be 5 x 3 minutes with gentle stretching between sets. Do not try to run extra slowly but choose a happy, steady pace instead.

Use the following system to decide if you can complete each session and when to increase your intervals:

You need the pain to be under a 4 out of 10 on the visual analogue pain scale (0 = no pain, 10 = the most pain you can imagine). Whatever the pain level is when you start, however, this cannot rise or you must stop. If the pain isn’t getting any worse then you can continue.

If you can manage to complete all five of the three-minute runs then wait a full day before trying again. Assuming you manage again then, on the third run, you would  increase the time from three minutes to four minutes. If this is fine for the next two runs (still a day apart) then you would increase to 5 x 5 minutes.

However, if you do not manage to complete the 5 x 3 minutes, then wait two days and try again. Keep this process going until you have managed to complete 5 x 3 minutes then start to climb through the rehab running programme as per the process above.

Once you have completed five sets of the 5 x 5 on alternate days you can start to increase your running time, reducing the rests until you are once again continuously running again and pain-free.

Then – and only then – can you return to sessions. Consider not using spikes for the first few times you return to the track.

Plantar fasciitis can be an injury that lingers for years if not treated correctly. Whilst the above process sounds like it takes a long time, it is well worth the effort as the short cut will undoubtedly result in a prolonged period of no running.

SHOCKWAVE THERAPY

There is a well-researched treatment option that I ensure all my patients with this, or similar injuries, are offered.

Shockwave therapy is a healing accelerator which has an 82% success rate* when it comes to plantar fasciopathy. This involves having six weeks of targeted shockwave to the plantar fascia, generating a pressure wave and acoustic wave at the same time to increase microscopic circulation, stimulate the stem cell activity and help rejuvenate the soft tissues that make up the structure.

Some studies demonstrate a 40% faster return to play when shockwave therapy is used compared to standard treatment protocols alone.

*requires ‘Focused shockwave therapy’, not necessarily Radial Pressure Wave (RPW) which is commonly referred to as radial shockwave therapy. RPW can still be effective but does not have supporting evidence for 82% success rates.

ASK THE PHYSIO

Each month we will be asking for readers’ questions to ask Paul for his expert answers and treatment advice. If you have an injury problem you need solved or any sort of physio query, please send your questions via our social media channels, using the hashtag #AWaskthephysio

RANSOMVILLE, N.Y.  – While nary a lap was turned at Ransomville Speedway in 2020, that didn’t mean the facility laid dormant during the last few months.

Speedway management used the extended offseason to complete some needed upgrades to the facility that will have it ready to come back to life even better in 2021.

The first of these projects was the replacement of the catch fence along the front straightaway. The entire length of the frontstretch has brand new fencing with freshly poured supports for the fence posts and a new gate at the start/finish line. This will provide a safer environment for both fans and drivers as well as add to the professional appearance of the track.

One of the biggest issues with the Ransomville during times of inclement weather was the saturation of the parking lot and pit area, which made it difficult for vehicles to get in and out of the property. To combat this the grandstand and pit parking lots, as well as the pit area, have been completely covered with recycled millings to help sure up the grounds. With the parking areas covered this will encourage better draining, and hopefully lead to fewer events being postponed because of wet grounds.

Ransomville Speedway officials are putting together a schedule for the 2021 season. Details on special events and the complete season schedule will be published in the coming weeks.

INDIANAPOLIS — The COVID-19 era of motorsports has created much uncertainty about the future, such as when fans can return to the race track en masse and how the economic shutdown will affect sponsorship.

From NASCAR to drag racing and from Formula One to the local short tracks, the economic uncertainty has impacted all forms of motorsports.

For IndyCar, however, the series won’t have to worry about its engine suppliers as Chevrolet and Honda extended their relationships with the sanctioning body through the end of the decade.

In addition, the move to the hybrid-assisted internal-combustion engine will now begin in 2023 instead of 2022.

“This announcement is huge,” Penske Corp. President Bud Denker told SPEED SPORT on Oct. 3. “Now, we can go to a Ferrari or a Toyota and lay out an entire plan and timeline when the new engine will be implemented.”

Solidifying its future with key series partners has been a major part of IndyCar President Jay Frye’s agenda since he took over series operations at the end of 2015.

Frye wanted to return IndyCar to its roots of 900 or more horsepower while keeping an eye on the future. The concept was to move toward hybrid technology while keeping the “loud, proud and unapologetic” noise of an international-combustion engine.

Honda and Chevrolet believe in that goal and, hopefully, another engine supplier or two will see value in the future.

“OEM participation is the lifeblood backbone of any series,” Frye said. “To have the runway that we’re announcing, which is a long time, we’ve got a good plan and together with Chevrolet and Honda we couldn’t be more excited about the future.”

General Motors President Mark Reuss, who has a long history in Indy car racing, was on hand for the announcement.

“The fact that we’re committed to reinvesting in this series for years to come should say everything there is to say about how we feel about it,” Reuss said. “The fact that Roger Penske and Bud Denker and their team are in charge says a lot about why we’re doing it. They have poured many resources into making everything better, which is evident both here at IMS and across the IndyCar Series. It’s a series that features some of the best racing in the world by some of the most talented international drivers and a great TV deal, and we should thank NBC for that. They have done an incredible job.

“Under the leadership of Jay and his team, IndyCar has made great progress while keeping costs largely under control, which allows many teams to participate and results in excellent competition. That’s good news for the series and for the fans.”

Honda Performance Development President Ted Klaus is retiring on Dec. 1, but he believed it was important to get the long-term agreement with IndyCar finalized before his departure.

“I’m really, really proud of our 27-year continuous commitment to IndyCar and it has paid dividends over and over again,” Klaus said. “We race to hone the people inside of Honda, very similar to Chevrolet. That’s why we have such great races. We also race to connect with our customers and our fans, so as you said, the hybrid technology, electrifying our award-winning products, that’s a direction for both companies, and it’s great that we’re going to place this technology on behalf of the drivers and the series.

“It’s going to make it engaging and while I don’t know how exactly we’re going to do it, but we’re going to find ways to do it, and just like when we were kids and coming to this place took our breath away, we’re going to use this as a way to communicate to our future fans, and challenge all of our internal resources for today to take us into tomorrow,” Klaus added. “We really appreciate the platform, the leadership of IndyCar and we are just proud to be here and looking forward to more friends to come and play with us.”

The next step is drawing a third OEM into the series.

“We wanted to make sure that we had a long-term extension with both of our current partners, who are phenomenal partners,” Frye said. “This bodes well for that. They see what we’re doing, where we’re going, that we have a good path.

“In 2021 and ’22, we’ll have the 2.2-liter twin turbo V-6; from ’23 going forward we’ll have the 2.4 hybrid technology. I think they know where we’re going, they know what we’re doing. We’ve got two great partners that are already lined up, so we’re excited about the future, and we’re excited what that could look like down the road.”

As the automotive industry moves further into the world of hybrid technology, IndyCar and its engine partners believe the series must keep pace with that movement.

“The formula that we’re talking about is relevant to the times,” Klaus said. “We need to build a bridge to the future. We need to emotionally connect, not only with customers but with young technically minded people that might want to come hitch their wagon to Honda and Honda Engineering.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Bryson DeChambeau said he continued to feel dizzy on Sunday at Augusta National, “blading” and “chunking” shots on his way to a 1-over 73.

The pre-tournament favorite finished the season’s final major at 2 under par, outside the top 30.

DeChambeau initially said on Saturday that he had been experiencing bouts of dizziness and stomach pains for a few days. He added that he tested negative for COVID-19.

"I've got to fix whatever is going on up here. I have no idea. Just dizziness. It's only when I go from down to up, so I can't even like think and talk right now.  But that's just what happens, I go down and up and my brain gets all disoriented," DeChambeau said after his final round.

"There was numerous times where I was over it and I just felt super uncomfortable. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't see the line. It was really weird. I missed a lot of putts today. ​​​​​"

It was an uneasy and inconsistent major for the reigning U.S. Open champion. He began the Masters by making a double bogey on his fourth hole, the par-5 13^th, and opened in 2-under 70. He shot 74 in the second round, making the cut on the number, thanks to a triple-bogey 7, courtesy a lost ball at the par-4 third.

DeChambeau added another double bogey on Sunday – at the par-4 fifth – but also made eagle at the 13^th, nearly holing his second shot.

The world No. 6 played alongside two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer in the final round. DeChambeau averaged 315 yards off the tee, Langer 250. DeChambeau drove the green at the par-4 third, but three-putted for par. Langer made a traditional birdie.

The 63-year-old bettered the 27-year-old by two strokes on Sunday and one stroke for the week.

"Well, you know, normally I play my own game. I don't even worry about who I'm with and all that, but I was a little bit spectating here and there," said Langer, who played alongside Rory McIlroy in the third round. "I was in awe and just watching how they swing and how hard they hit it, and every once in a while I had to tell myself, go on, stop watching and play your game and focus on what you want to do.  But it is fun to watch and fascinating how they do it."

DeChambeau said his next start on Tour would be at the Tournament of Champions in January. His next major appearance will be in April, again at the Masters, where he leaves this year lamenting what might have been.

"Oh, absolutely.  At the beginning of the week I felt like I could have a great chance to win the tournament if I just played my game. Shoot, I made enough birdies (18) this week and eagles (1) to have a chance to win," DeChambeau said. "I made way too many mistakes that I've got to talk about with my caddie and go, Hey, how do we not make these mistakes anymore, how can we work better as a team to have that not happen?

"At Winged Foot we did a great job of it. This week we didn't. We didn't place it in the right places and I mis‑hit a lot of shots that usually are pretty easy for me. Numerous factors that were in play, but to have all this adversity and to still finish it off somewhat decent and be under par for the week is great, even though I feel like I shot 15 over for the week, really, to to be honest with you. It was one of those things, one of those weeks."