Rookies thrive in first round at Hoag Classic, with Els and Couples lurking

• March 22, 2025

NEWPORT BEACH — Welcome to “March Madness” on the PGA Tour Champions.

Like the NCAA Tournament in college basketball, the first round of the 2025 Hoag Classic at Newport Beach Country Club on Friday fittingly featured some “madness” of its own.

Though there are eight World Golf Hall of Famers in the field, including two-time Hoag champions Fred Couples and Ernie Els, plus defending champion Padraig Harrington – the top golf seeds, so to speak – it was a pair of 50-year-old “rookies” on PGA Tour Champions who finished at the top of the leaderboard on a sun-kissed afternoon in Newport Beach.

In his second Champions event since turning 50 on March 3, Australian Brendan Jones shot a 7-under 64 to take a one-shot lead over fellow rookie Freddie Jacobson of Sweden (6-under 65) and tour veteran Michael Allen (65), with Hall of Famers Els (5-under 66) and Couples (4-under 67) lurking within three shots.

Jones and Jacobson both earned their playing status on the 50-and-over Champions Tour by finishing in the top five at PGA Tour Champions Qualifying School in Scottsdale, Arizona, in November. That makes them the Cinderella stories in the tournament, so far.

It remains to be seen whether the rookies can maintain their positions or whether they falter, like No. 15 NCAA seed Robert Morris, which put a scare into No. 2 seed Alabama on Friday before falling in the NCAA Tournament. But upsets happen in golf, too, just as No. 12 seeds McNeese State and Colorado State have demonstrated in the real March Madness this weekend.

Starting on the back nine because of his lack of status, Jones made five birdies on his first six holes Friday to rocket into the lead. Even he couldn’t believe it.

“Five under through six . . . my head was buzzing at that stage,” said Jones, who finished 60th in his only other Champions start two weeks ago in Tucson. “I couldn’t in my wildest dreams have imagined getting off to that start that I did, but I felt calm and I felt that I could have gone on with it, too.”

It wasn’t until later that Jones thought about how low he actually could have gone.

“I never got too far ahead,” he said. “Late in the round, I thought, ‘Wow, 5-under through 6, I could have shot in the 50s today.’ But I wasn’t thinking that; I was thinking, OK, next shot, hit the best shot I can. That comes with experience. Even though I’m a bit of a novice and a baby face out here (on the Champions tour), I’ve had 25 years of experience around the world (including 15 wins on the Japan Golf Tour). So it’s not unusual, but it’s unusual being on top of the leaderboard with the names that are right behind me.”

That would be names like Els, Couples and Harrington.

Couples, a two-time Hoag champion who lives in nearby Corona del Mar and is an honorary club member at Newport Beach Country Club, got off to a fast start – 4-under through six holes, including an eagle on the par-5 third hole. But he struggled with his putter, missing one short birdie putt and leaving two putts on the lip, including his birdie attempt on No. 18.

“I missed a couple of real makeable ones, one a 3-footer,” said Couples, who said he has been battling a bad head coach for several days. “But to say I don’t feel well just means putting was the hardest thing. … I putted OK; I just didn’t hit them hard enough.”

Like Jones, Jacobson said his spot near the top of the leaderboard after his bogey-free round of 65 was unexpected because he returned to his home in Sweden for a month after playing in his first two Champions events in February.

“I’m a little bit surprised,” Jacobson said. “I’m not getting much good practice in, so it’s been a little uneven. So, I’m not going to get carried away with this one (round).”

After all, it’s only one round in a 54-hole tournament, so it’s not even halftime. March Madness continues on Saturday.

NOTES

In the inaugural Newport Beach Celebrity Classic played on Sunday, March 16, the team of pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler and Aaron Dexheimer won the two-man best-ball event with 9-under 62 in the gross division. NHL Hall of Famer and former Ducks star Teemu Selanne and partner Steve Johnson tied for second at 6-under. NFL MVP Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, a Dana Point resident, and partner Matt Barkley, former USC and NFL quarterback, tied for fifth. The event raised $200,000 for fire relief, benefiting Steadfast LA and its campaign to rebuild after the recent wildfires in LA, as well as the Newport Beach Fire Department Foundation. . . Former USC and NFL quarterback Matt Sanchez, whose father was a career fire captain at nearby Irvine Station 6, also participated in the event, calling the fire relief campaign “a cause close to my heart. Helping people get back on their feet after the fires, I’m all in.” . . . On Friday, local PGA club pro Steve Holmes, an instructor at Moorpark’s Rustic Canyon Golf Course in Ventura County, a sponsor’s exemption, shot a 3-under 68 and is tied for 15th . . . Champions veteran Paul Goydos of Coto de Caza shot an even-par 71, tied for 49th.

​ Orange County Register 

Proposed gutting of Department of Education worries Southern California educators, activists

• March 22, 2025

President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education was met with uncertainty Friday at some Southern California school districts, where educators and activists worry any federal funding cuts could impact already cash-strapped budgets and threaten programs for disadvantaged students.

Among the most vocal critics of the president’s plan was Alberto M. Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

“Any significant change at the appropriation level, undermining current funding levels, could prove to be catastrophic in terms of the quality of education kids get,” Carvalho said in a videotaped statement. “It could mean an end to after-school programs, an end to tutorial programs. It could be the loss of a teacher’s aide in a special needs classroom. It could be the end of supper or a snack for after-school programs benefiting kids. That’s what’s at stake.”

The LAUSD, the second-largest school district in the nation with 429,000 students, receives about $1.2 billion in federal funds annually. The largest portion, totaling about $470 million, is earmarked for Title I programs benefiting the “poorest of the poor” in areas where where 85% of the population lives at or below the poverty level, Carvalho said.

About $170 million in federal funds is used by the LAUSD each year for students with disabilities, including those on the autistic spectrum, those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders and others requiring special assistance.

“Poverty has grown across the country,” Carvalho said. “Homelessness impacting the youth has grown across the country. These federal programs provide stability, support and accelerated learning for thousands of kids in our district, millions of kids across America.”

Carvalho said he is concerned policy shifts from Trump’s executive order will undermine the personal and civil rights of children of color, immigrant students and the LGBTQ community. “There’s so much at stake right now,” he said.

Carvalho also took issue with the argument that it’s better to earmark federal funds for education directly to states through block grants and empower states with local decisions.

“I have news for you, that’s already the reality,” he said. “States receive no more than 4-7% of their budget from the federal government, and the federal government does not determine the adoption of textbooks, the curriculum, the standards or assessments. Those are determined by states and then affirmed by locally elected school boards, so the power and the control over the funding and the decisions regarding curriculum are already at the local level.

“This begs the question, why and why now? And what is the impact long term, directly affecting our kids.”

Trump contends the Department of Education has not improved student outcomes since it was created by Congress in 1979 at the urging of President Jimmy Carter. In 2024, only 39% of the nation’s fourth-graders and 28% of eighth-graders were proficient in math, and only 30% of fourth-graders and 29% of eighth-graders were proficient in reading, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Conservative activists have long supported elimination of the Department of Education, which Trump has assailed as wasteful and responsible for spreading “woke” ideas such as programs to support diversity, equity and inclusion and protections for transgender students.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon explained this week that mandated functions of the department will be transferred to other federal agencies and the states.

“Closing the department does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them — we will continue to support K-12 students, students with special needs, college student borrowers and others who rely on essential programs,” McMahon said in a statement after Trump signed the order. “We’re going to follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.”

It’s uncertain how the states will distribute federal money the department provides to educate students who are poor, disabled or still learning English and need extra support. School systems with weak property tax bases, including those in rural areas, depend on federal funding for teachers salaries, buses and classroom technology.

Elimination of the Department of Education would require congressional approval.

Trump’s executive order prompted the Public School Defenders Hub, a coalition of more than 35 statewide organizations, to demand Friday that Orange County Department of Education Superintendent Stefan Bean release details of an action plan.

The OCDE serves some of Orange County’s most vulnerable student populations and provides support and mandated fiscal oversight to 28 school districts serving more than 600 schools and approximately 450​,000 students.

“Eliminating the Department of Education will have disastrous consequences for millions of families,” said Andy Thorburn, president of the Public School Defenders Hub. “Gutting the Department will impact programs for students with disabilities, lead to larger class sizes, and severely reduce local school budgets. Many qualified students will find higher education out of reach due to the lack of federal loans and grants.”

The OCDE said it is monitoring the impact of the executive order, Bean said in a written response to demands from Public School Defenders Hub.

“While the majority of school funding in California comes from the state, I agree that federal dollars remain essential to supporting our most vulnerable student populations,” Bean said in an email to Public School Defenders Hub obtained by the Southern California News Group.  “At this time, we have no indication of changes or disruptions to federal funding for programs supporting students with disabilities or those from low-income families, though funding could be distributed through other federal agencies.”

The Capistrano Unified School District, which serves more than 48,000 students and is the largest district in Orange County, receives about about $27.5 million annually in federal funding. Most of the money is used for student special education and low- income programs and about $6.5 million is used for food and nutrition programs.

If CUSD is forced to make budget reductions due to the elimination of the Department of Education, it will focus on areas that have the least direct impact on students and classrooms, said Ryan K. Burris, a spokesperson the district.

“In the meantime, we continue to advocate for all CUSD students as we work directly with our local, state and federal leaders,” Burris said.

The Irvine Unified School District, which serves more than 35,000 students, also is taking a wait-and-see attitude to the proposed changes, said district spokesperson Annie Brown.

Elsewhere, Trump’s executive order did not seem to be a cause of concern in the Corona-Norco Unified School District, which enrolls more than 50,000 students in Riverside County, said Evita Tapia-Gonzalez, the district’s spokesperson.

“The district remains fiscally stable and fully capable of sustaining current programs and services,” Tapia-Gonzalez said. “Should additional changes occur at the federal or state level, the district remains committed to its long-standing practice of financial prudence while ensuring that students continue to receive a high-quality, world-class education.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

LeBron James, Rui Hachimura might return for Lakers’ game vs. Bulls

• March 22, 2025

LOS ANGELES — Starting forwards LeBron James and Rui Hachimura could return for the Lakers’ home game against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.

James and Hachimura were upgraded to questionable on the team’s Friday evening injury report after missing the last several games.

The 40-year-old James missed the previous seven games because of a strained left groin injury he suffered late in the March 8 road loss to the Boston Celtics.

The four-time league MVP averaged 25 points (while shooting 51.7% from the field, 38.4% from 3-point range), 8.5 assists and 8.2 rebounds while playing 58 of 62 games before missing time with the groin ailment. James and Denver Nuggets reigning MVP Nikola Jokic are the only players in the NBA averaging at least 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Hachimura missed 10 consecutive games of left patellar tendinopathy. He hasn’t played since the Feb. 27 home win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Hachimura is averaging 13.3 points (while shooting 50.6% from the field, 41% from 3-point range) and 5.2 rebounds in 50 games (all starts).

The Lakers went 7-5 without Hachimura and 3-4 without James. That included a 3-3 stretch of six games in eight days that concluded with Thursday’s blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks – a game Luka Doncic (sprained right ankle), Austin Reaves (sprained right ankle), Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle injury management) and Jarred Vanderbilt (strained right groin) also were unavailable for.

Doncic, Reaves, Finney-Smith and Vanderbilt were listed as probable for Saturday’s game, which is the final game of a five-game homestand before a four-game trip.

BULLS AT LAKERS

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Crypto.com Arena

TV/radio: Spectrum SportsNet/710 AM

​ Orange County Register 

UK Subs bassist says band members were denied entry into U.S. at LAX after Trump criticism

• March 22, 2025

Three members of the pioneering British band UK Subs were detained and denied entry into the United States at LAX airport, according to a social media post by the band’s bassist, Alvin Gibbs. The situation meant only the group’s singer was able to perform at the LA Punk Invasion festival in Los Angeles.

“Some of you might have seen posts on UK Subs’ websites, which provide photos and video of a random line-up playing with Charlie at a Los Angeles Punk festival at the weekend. You might therefore be wondering ‘how come?’ Well, the truth is that Stefan, Marc and I were all denied entry into the USA,” Gibbs wrote in a Facebook post just after noon on March 19.

The festival took place March 15 at The Belasco and Mayan theatres. Gibbs was referring to band vocalist Charlie Harper, who according to his post, was the only band member allowed to enter the country. Fellow band members Marc Carrey and Stefan Häublein were also deported back home, according to the post.

According to his lengthy post, Gibbs thinks it could be his public criticism of Trump that got him denied from entering the country.

“There were two issues: 1) they said I didn’t have the right visa for entry and 2) there was another issue, which they wouldn’t disclose, both of which prevented me from being allowed into America — I’m now wondering if my regular and less than flattering public pronouncements regarding their president and his administration were a factor; or maybe that’s just me succumbing to paranoia.” he wrote on Facebook.

Gibbs said his phone and passport were taken and he was forced to spend 25 hours in a holding room with his bandmates and other detainees.

This is the latest instance of people reporting they were denied entry into the United States recently. Published reports include a French scientist who said he was barred because of anti-Trump comments, though the assistant Secretary of Homeland Security called the allegation “blatantly false.” Trump is also expected to soon ban or restrict travel to the United States by citizens of several countries.

The comments on Gibbs’ Facebook post were in large part supportive of the musician.

“Unbelievable. So much for free speech. At least you made it home safe,” one of his followers posted.

Some questioned whether this would affect other artists trying to enter the U.S.

“This makes me wonder about others trying to tour this year, that their visas that used to work just fine normally suddenly won’t when the time comes to do their USA legs,” another commenter posted.

Still  in true punk fashion, Gibbs also lamented the lack of alcohol on his return flight back after a “nightmarish experience,”

“Another eleven hour flight was then endured, the worst bit being I was denied any alcohol because its United Airlines’ policy that any passenger being escorted onto a flight in that manner cannot be served as much as a single glass of wine: Stefan and Marc, on the other hand, who travelled back via British Airways, were allowed to make the most of the free booze on their flight to help offset the stress of our shared experience,” he wrote on the post.

​ Orange County Register 

Newport Harbor baseball starts Sunset League play with three straight shutouts of Corona del Mar

• March 22, 2025

NEWPORT BEACH — Newport Harbor baseball coach Josh Lee and his Sailors couldn’t have asked for a better start to their Sunset League schedule.

Pitcher Lucas Perez allowed two hits and one walk and had six strikeouts over six scoreless innings in the Sailors’ 2-0 victory over Corona del Mar on Friday at Newport Harbor High School.

He also doubled and scored the game’s first run in the second.

The victory completed a three-game sweep for the Sailors (7-1, 3-0), who won all three games by shutouts over their Battle of the Bay rivals.

The Sailors, who are ranked No. 15 in Orange Cunty, won the opener, 4-0, on Tuesday and took the second game, 1-0, at Corona del Mar (6-4, 0-3) on Wednesday.

“The Battle of the Bay here in any sport you go to, a volleyball game, a water polo game or a girls field hockey game, and it’s a rivalry,” Lee said. “We’ve got a long way to go. We’ve got to get our offense on track, but you know it’s not a bad thing when your pitchers pick up your hitters.”

Perez was making his first appearance since the Sailors’ 3-2 nonleague victory over Northwood on Feb. 17.

The senior right-hander allowed a two-out double in the first and went on to retire the next five hitters before giving up a one-out walk in the third.

Perez then retired six in a row before giving up a leadoff single to Jack Phillips in the sixth.

He struck out two of the next hitters and got the third on a fielder’s choice.

Perez doubled to lead off the second, took third on a sacrifice bunt from Adam Martin and scored on Wyatt Graham’s ground out.

“I was just looking to have fun,” Perez said. “Tons of people here, great environment for baseball. I was able to put up (six strikeouts), fill it up, and only give up two hits, and I thought that was pretty good.

The Sailors scored their second run when Ryan Williams walked to lead off the sixth, stole second, stole third and scored on the play when the catcher threw the ball wide of third and into the outfield while attempting to throw out Williams.

In the seventh, the Sea Kings had runners on first and second with one out.

Charlie Kaster, the runner on first, was called out for runner’s interference when he was hit by the ball while running to second.

A dead ball was called and the runner who had been on second had to stay at third.

Williams, who came in to pitch in the final inning, retired the next hitter on a fielder’s choice to end the game.

​ Orange County Register 

Laguna Beach defeats Woodbridge in Pacific Coast League baseball

• March 22, 2025

LAGUNA BEACH — It was a matchup of two fine pitchers, both throwing very well.

Laguna Beach senior right-hander Becker Sybirski got just enough run support in his complete-game, 2-1 win over Woodbridge on Friday in a Pacific Coast League baseball game at Laguna Beach High.

The Breakers, No. 23 in the Orange County top 25, are 10-0 overall and 4-0 in the eight-team league and have the most wins in county baseball. They were 10-17 last season

No. 20 Woodbridge is 8-5 overall, 1-3 in league.

Sybirski struck out 10 Warriors and walked only one. He gave up four hits. One of the Woodbridge runs was unearned.

Four pitches are in Sybirski’s arsenal. He used all four of them effectively Friday.

“One of our sayings on the team is ‘command all pitches,” Sybirski said. “So my goal every outing is to command not just my fastball – many people think that you just need to command your fastball – but if I can command my fastball, my curveball, my slider and my changeup, I’m going to do so much better. Just keep the hitters off guard.”

Woodbridge right-handed pitcher Alex Johnson was impressive, too, Friday. He allowed five hits and one earned run over his six innings.

The Breakers scored their runs in the second inning. Dane Jenal led off the inning and reached on an error. Jenal advanced to second base on Parker Moore’s ground ball that just eluded the diving effort of Woodbridge shortstop Nolan Stottlemyer for a single. Jackson Arrarsin’s sacrifice punt moved Jenal to third base and Moore to second. Dylan Yencho’s chopper up the middle kangaroo’d into center fielder to drive in Jenal and Moore, his sixth and seventh RBIs this season, for a 2-0 lead.

Woodbridge scored its run in the top of the fourth. Stottlemyer smacked a one-out double off of the wall in left-center field, took third base on Caleb Camacho’s single to left field, and scored when Dylan Mutac reached on a fielder’s choice to make it 2-1. With Camacho on second base and Mutac on first Sybirski struck the next two Warriors to end the inning.

The Warriors had Camacho on third base in the sixth but could not get him across. Sybirski finished strong, getting two strikeouts in the seventh inning.

Sybirskis improved to 4-0, lowered his earned-run average to 0.83, and has 35 strikeouts in 25.1 innings.

Laguna Beach coach Ryan Belanto said the Breakers players are not getting anxious about keeping that number “zero” in the loss column.

“They’re having fun,” Belanto said. “We work hard in practice and we work hard in games. They’re having a great time out here.”

​ Orange County Register 

George Foreman, the glowering heavyweight who became a lovable champion, dies at 76

• March 22, 2025

By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer

George Foreman, the fearsome heavyweight who lost the “Rumble in the Jungle” to Muhammad Ali before his inspiring second act as a 45-year-old champion and a successful businessman, died Friday night. He was 76.

Foreman’s family announced his death on social media.

“A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,” his family wrote. “A humanitarian, an Olympian and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected. A force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name— for his family.”

A native Texan, Foreman began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medalist who inspired fear as he climbed to the peak of the heavyweight division by stopping Joe Frazier in 1973. His formidable aura evaporated only a year later when Ali pulled off one of the most audacious victories in boxing history in Zaire, baiting and taunting Foreman into losing his belt in one of the greatest fights ever staged.

Foreman left the sport a few years later, but returned after a 10-year absence and a self-described religious awakening.

He then pulled off one of the most spectacular knockouts in boxing history in 1994, flooring Michael Moorer — 19 years his junior — with one perfect combination to claim Moorer’s two heavyweight belts.

Foreman’s transformation into an inspirational figure was complete, and he fought only four more times before moving onto his next career as a genial businessman, pitchman and occasional actor.

He was best known as the face of the George Foreman Grill, a simple cooking machine which sold more than 100 million units and made him much wealthier than his sport ever did.

“George was a great friend to not only myself, but to my entire family,” Top Rank president Bob Arum said. “We’ve lost a family member and are absolutely devastated.”

In the first chapter of his boxing career, Foreman was nothing like the smiling grandfather who hawked his grills on television to great success.

Foreman dabbled in petty crime while growing up in Houston’s Fifth Ward, but changed his life through boxing as a teenager. He made the U.S. Olympic team in 1968 and won gold in Mexico City, stopping a 29-year-old opponent in a star-making performance.

Foreman rose to the pinnacle of the pro game over the next five years, but was perceived as an aloof, unfriendly athlete, both through his demeanor and through the skewed racial lenses of the time. He stopped Frazier in an upset in Jamaica in January 1973 to win the belt, with his knockout inspiring Howard Cosell’s iconic call: “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!”

Foreman defended his belt against Ken Norton before accepting the fight with Ali in the now-immortal bout staged in Africa by promoter Don King. Ali put on a tactical masterclass against Foreman, showing off the “rope-a-dope” strategy that frustrated and infuriated the champion. Foreman was eventually knocked down for the first time in his career, and the fight was stopped in the eighth round.

Exhausted and disillusioned, Foreman stopped fighting in 1977 and largely spent the next decade as a preacher after his religious awakening. He returned to boxing in 1987 in his late 30s, and he racked up a lengthy series of victories before losing to Evander Holyfield in a title fight in 1991.

Three years later, Foreman got in the ring with Moorer in Las Vegas. Moorer appeared to win the first nine rounds rather comfortably, with Foreman unable to land his slower punches. But Foreman came alive in the 10th, hurting Moorer before slipping in the short right hand that sent Moorer to the canvas in spectacular fashion.

Foreman quit the ring for good in 1997, although he occasionally discussed a comeback. He settled into a life as a boxing analyst for HBO and as a pitchman for the grills that grew his fame and fortune. A biographical movie based on his life was released in 2023.

Foreman had 12 children, including five sons who are all famously named George Edward Foreman.

“Legendary boxing champion, life-changing preacher, husband, father, grand- and great-grandfather and the best friend you could have,” WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman wrote on social media. “His memory is now eternal, may Big George rest in peace.”

AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing

​ Orange County Register 

Major League Baseball removes references to ‘diversity’ from MLB Careers home page

• March 21, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball removed references to “diversity” from its MLB Careers home page following an executive order by President Donald Trump that could lead to possible federal action against organizations using DEI programs in violation of his administration’s interpretation of civil rights law.

“Our values on diversity remain unchanged,” MLB said in a statement Friday. “We are in the process of evaluating our programs for any modifications to eligibility criteria that are needed to ensure our programs are compliant with federal law as they continue forward.”

The removal of the references was first reported by the website cupofcoffeenews.com.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, who launched a Diversity Pipeline Program in 2016, said following an owners meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, last month that MLB was evaluating the interpretation of law coming from the federal government.

“Our values, particularly our values on diversity, remain unchanged, but another value that is pretty important to us is we always try to comply with what the law is,” he said. “There seems to be an evolution going on here. We’re following that very carefully. Obviously, when things get a little more settled, we’ll examine each of our programs and make sure that while the values remain the same that we’re also consistent with what the law requires.”

​ Orange County Register