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Tiger Woods attracted most of the attention. Jordan Spieth caused the most concern.

Opening day at the Masters had a wide-open feel until Spieth hit his stride. He saved three straight pars with that superb short game. He ran off three straight birdies to take the lead. And then he fired an 8-iron at the pin on the par-3 16th , letting the club twirl through his hands as he walked away, knowing only that it was another good one. It plopped down 5 feet away.

Spieth took only 10 putts on the back nine. He made five straight birdies, a career best for him in the majors. Even a bogey on the final hole felt like a par the way he navigated out of the trees and limited the damage with a pitch that stopped inches from going in.

That gave him a 6-under 66 and a two-shot lead over Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar.

Woods has some catching up to do. He failed to birdie any of the par 5s. He was under par one only one hole. He hit a 9-iron into Rae’s Creek. And only a pair of birdies over the last five holes enabled him to scratch out a 73 and at least stay in range, seven shots behind.

PRO BASKETBALL

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) – Tyronn Lue returned to work humbled, changed and with a new perspective.

Cleveland’s coach has been rewired by a serious health scare.

Lue was back on the sidelines Thursday night and had his blood pressure tested as the Cavaliers rallied to win in his first game following a medical absence that became necessary after he experienced ”piercing” chest pains during two games this season.

Now that he’s feeling better, Lue even joked about his heart after the Cavs overcame a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun the Washington Wizards 119-115.

”I told the guys after the game, `Good job of bailing me out.’ It was tough,” Lue said. ”First game back and not having a point guard and not knowing what sets to call and what to run because you haven’t worked on it. Our rotations were a little off tonight so, I mean, I was rusty.”

Earlier in the day, Lue , who guided the Cavs to an NBA title in 2016, described his ordeal in some detail for the first time. Lue said he had been bothered by chest pains for more than a year, but when they worsened during a March 17 game in Chicago, he realized it was time to step away and get help.

PRO HOCKEY

CHICAGO (AP) – The Chicago Blackhawks are not making changes behind the bench after missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

Team President John McDonough told reporters Thursday that he plans to bring back both coach Joel Quenneville and general manager Stan Bowman after a dismal season for a team that has won three Stanley Cup championships since 2010 but stumbled to a last-place finish in the Central Division this season.

”I believe in continuity, they’ve had an incredible body of success,” McDonough told reporters. ”We’re not tethered to the past. This has been a very disappointing year and our expectations are incredibly high. We’re not going to deviate from those expectations. But I believe both Stan and Joel are the guys that are going to bring this back.”

Chicago had reached the playoffs every year since Quenneville took over four games into the 2008-09 season, winning it all in 2010, 2013 and 2015. But the Blackhawks lost in the first round each of the past two years and this year was a nightmare.

BASEBALL

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) – Tim Tebow sure knows how to make an entrance.

Playing his first game in Double-A ball, Tebow hit a three-run homer on the first pitch he saw. The New York Mets minor leaguer connected on a frigid night at home for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in the Eastern League, facing Portland.

Last April, Tebow homered in his first at-bat with the Class A Columbia Fireflies of the South Atlantic League.

This time , the former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback sent a liner far over the fence down the right-field line as the crowd at NYSEG Stadium stood and cheered the 30-year-old outfielder.

The lefty-swinging Tebow capped a five-run first inning against righty Teddy Stankiewicz, a second-round draft pick by Boston in 2013. The Sea Dogs are a Red Sox affiliate.
Brian Anderson stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied, one out and the bases loaded.

The Marlins’ rookie took the situation in stride like a veteran.

Anderson hit a game-ending sacrifice fly to lift the Miami Marlins over the San Francisco Giants 5-4 on Wednesday night.

”In a situation like that, the pressure’s not on you, it’s on the pitcher,” Anderson said. ”I tried to stay within myself and get something in the strike zone, something I could elevate.”

J.T. Realmuto had two hits and scored twice for the Marlins, who have won three straight for the first time since winning four in a row April 28-May 1.

Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run home run and Buster Posey had three hits for the Giants, who entered the series winning eight of 10 but have dropped the first three games against last-place Miami and eight of the last nine in the series.

”Yyou can’t take any team lightly,” McCutchen said. ”This is the big leagues and regardless of their record or how many fans are in the stands, you’ve got to be ready to go.”

Reyes Moronta (2-1) allowed the first two hitters to reach in the bottom of the ninth, prompting manager Bruce Bochy to call on Hunter Strickland. Pinch-hitter J.B. Shuck hit a hard grounder down the first-base line , but Posey was able to dive to keep the ball in front of him, preventing the Marlins from scoring.

However, Strickland got himself into a 3-1 count against Anderson with one out. Anderson connected on a flyball to center field caught by Gorkys Hernandez, whose throw home was too late to catch Miguel Rojas.

”He didn’t crush it, but he got it deep enough,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

It was the Marlins’ third walk-off win of the season.

San Francisco’s Evan Longoria broke a 3-all tie with a hit in the seventh off Tayron Guerrero. It was Longoria’s team-leading 11th go-ahead RBI of the season.

The Marlins responded with a two-out RBI double in the eighth by Justin Bour off Sam Dyson, tying the game at 4.

It was the third time in the game the Marlins trailed but bounced back to draw even.

”We’re doing what we’re hoping, we’re getting the lead,” Bochy said. ”We’re just having a hard time holding it.”

Drew Steckenrider (3-1) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth.

Andrew Suarez allowed five hits and two runs in five innings for the Giants, pitching in his hometown in front of a number of friends and family members. He struck out three and walked two.

”I just didn’t really have a feel for a lot of pitches later in the game,” Suarez said. ”I just think with all of the humidity and sweating so much, the ball was a little slick. But you have to compete and keep throwing strikes.”

Miami’s Caleb Smith pitched 6 1/3 innings , allowing eight hits and three runs.

He also had two hits at the plate.

”That was pretty fun,” Smith said. ”I’ve been working on it.”

McCutchen’s two-run blast in the first was his seventh of the season.

The Marlins tied the game at 2 on base hits by Cameron Maybin and Lewis Brinson in the fourth.

The teams traded runs in the sixth. Austin Jackson gave the Giants a 3-2 lead before Bour tied it with a base hit.

ROOF OPEN

The retractable roof was open for the 15th time this season, the most in a year since Marlins Park opened in 2012.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (appendix) is likely to have a couple rehab starts with the goal of joining the team on the next homestand beginning June 18 instead of playing this weekend in Los Angeles. … RHP Johnny Cueto (left ankle) will have another bullpen session Friday. … RHP Jeff Samardzija (right shoulder) will have a rehab start with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday with a pitch limit of 60-65 pitches.

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Dereck Rodriguez (1-1, 5.25 ERA) will start Thursday’s series finale. Rodriguez, the son of former Marlins catcher and Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez, spent a lot of time around the Marlins when his father helped lead them to a World Series title in 2003.

Marlins: RHP Dan Straily (2-2, 4.08) is 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA in five career starts against the Giants.

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