Fast Break

Golf

Arnold to take swing at Masters

Arnold Palmer will tee it up in the Masters again, but only for one ceremonial swing.

The four-time Masters champion, who played for the 50th and final time three years ago, will hit the opening tee shot Thursday and become the seventh honorary starter in tournament history.

“The time has come,” Palmer said Tuesday, wearing his member’s green jacket.

Sam Snead in 2002 was the last honorary starter; he died a month later.

So what happens if Palmer rips one down the middle? Would he be tempted to keep going?

Palmer grinned.

“I’m not too smart,” he said. “But I’m not stupid. I think I’ll just let it go, wherever it goes.”

Baseball

Foreign-born players list grows

The percentage of major league players born outside the 50 states increased slightly to a near record level.

Of the 849 players on rosters at the start of the season, 246 were born outside the 50 states, the commissioner’s office said. That comes to 29 percent, up from 27.4 percent last year and near the record 29.2 percent set in 2005.

The Dominican Republic had the most non-U.S. players with 98, followed by Venezuela (51), Puerto Rico (28), Canada (19), Japan and Mexico (13 each), Panama (seven), Cuba (six), South Korea (three), Colombia and Taiwan (two apiece), and Aruba, Australia, Curacao and Nicaragua (one apiece).

College basketball

Bennett earns another honor

Washington State’s Tony Bennett received his sixth major coach of the year award, the Naismith Award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Bennett, who led WSU to a 26-8 record in his first season, was previously honored by The Associated Press, The Sporting News, United States Basketball Writers Association, Basketball Times and CBS/Chevrolet.

Meanwhile, Bennett’s Cougars finished 17th in the final USA Today/ESPN coaches Top 25 poll. National champion Florida finished No. 1, and runner-up Ohio State was No. 2.

UCLA was the highest-ranking Pac-10 team at No. 3. Oregon finished No. 8 and USC No. 15.