DEREK LAWRENSON AT AUGUSTA: Mark one up for the future of golf over its past and present as 21-year-old Jordan Spieth took the first-day honours with a stunning opening round of 64 on a spectacular day of scoring at the sun-baked 79th Masters. For much of the day it looked as if he might have to share top billing with 34-year-old Justin Rose and 45-year-old Ernie Els, as the Englishman and the South African posted scores of 67 to tie Charley Hoffman, an American representative of the rank and file. Last man out Jason Day would join them in the evening shadows.

World boxing champion Kell Brook enjoyed an evening at the darts as he watched the Premier League road show come to his home town of Sheffield on Thursday. Less than two weeks after his successful IBF welterweight title defence against Ionut Dan Ion the 28-year-old received another hero's ovation when he was introduced to the crowd. Brook watched on as Dave Chisnall was a winner twice on the same evening to catapult himself onto 17 points in second place in the table after 10 weeks.

It takes a lot to impress Barcelona's all-star cast, but young defender Martin Montoya provoked gasps from his team-mates with an outrageous trick shot during training. The young Spanish defender made his hoop dreams come true by netting a lofted pass from around 30 yards 'downtown' straight into a basketball ring on the other side of the club's Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training ground. After the ball drops into the net, a group of watching players applaud while others, including Ivan Rakitic and Javier Mascherano race over to congratulate the 23-year-old left-back.

Conceding three goals would be embarrassment enough for any goalkeeper, but Rob Green was forced to suffer even more humiliation at the hands of a ball boy on Monday night. As the clock ticked down during QPR's 3-3 away draw with Aston Villa, a cheeky youngster decided to while away a few more seconds by mugging off the former England No 1 with a handmade nutmeg. The ball boy, who initially shames himself by slipping over while retrieving the ball, toys with Green by pretending to hand him the ball back before rolling it between the clearly frustrated 35-year-old's legs.

It was billed as the year that Aintree would finally become fashionable, following last month's announcement that a strict new dress code emphasising 'Chanel-style looks' had been introduced. Not everyone managed to pull off the high fashion ensembles recommended by the style guide and, instead, appeared bent on proving that mismatched hair extensions and acres of cleavage are still in vogue.

MARK BUTCHER'S COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP GUIDE: A new county cricket season is almost upon us with the first round of Championship fixtures this summer beginning on Sunday up and down the country.  Yorkshire will be looking to defend their Division One title while Kevin Pietersen will hope his runs help Surrey to promotion from the second tier.  Here is former Surrey and England batsman Mark Butcher's guide to the County Championship.

CHRIS FOY - WORLD OF RUGBY: It's normally Steffon Armitage who triggers it, but this time it is Nick Abendanon's doing. He played so well for Clermont Auvergne last weekend - again - that England's policy against picking players based abroad is back in focus. For the umpteenth time, the RFU and Stuart Lancaster are being urged to invoke the 'exceptional circumstances' get-out clause. There is an assumption in many quarters that, this being a World Cup year, it is time to abandon all principles and do whatever it takes to ensure that every Englishman, wherever he may be, is available for selection.

The Masters got underway at Augusta National on Thursday with Rory McIlroy bidding to complete a career grand slam, while Tiger Woods is looking to rediscover his magic. But who are the wives and girlfriends that will be cheering the players on as they make their way round the famous course in Georgia over the next four days? Here, Sportsmail brings you the lowdown on a selection of The Masters WAGS.

BY CHIEF SPORTS REPORTER MATT LAWTON: The thermometer reading Mario Balotelli shared on social media to prove he was too ill to play against Blackburn on Wednesday night will make no difference to Brendan Rodgers.

Not many players have experienced Champions League success on the same scale as former Real Madrid defender Roberto Carlos. The brilliant Brazilian won the competition three times in five seasons with Los Blancos, lifting the famous trophy in 1998, 2000 and 2002. Here, Carlos recalls the great names he played alongside and against in Europe's elite club competition to pick his Champions League dream team.

Simply print out the sheet, then cut the names into individual pieces of paper, fold them and put them into a hat ahead of the big race on Saturday, April 11.

The official advert for Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao has been released with less than a month until the two meet in Las Vegas. The marketing team for both Mayweather and Pacquiao put together the 30-second clip, filmed in a Los Angeles studio on March 11, to advertise the pay-per-view event.

Lewis Hamilton has described his ongoing contract issues as 'a pain in the backside' as the reigning Formula One world champion has become mired in paperwork. Following the Malaysian Grand Prix 11 days ago Hamilton claimed his new deal with Mercedes, worth an estimated £21million per year, was '99.6 per cent done' and was now in the hands of his lawyers. But the fine print of the terms and conditions means the 30-year-old, who opted on this occasion - and for the first time in his career - to negotiate for himself without an agent, is becoming frustrated.

The dismissal of Paul Downton as England's managing director may be the big talking point in English cricket but focus has already shifted to the start of the county championship season. However, you don't have to go to far before talk returns to the England team again as Kevin Pietersen cut a range of emotions as he posed for the Surrey team photo before the start of the new campaign. Pietersen looked in deep though as he sat right at the end of the team photo, but was otherwise in a jovial mood as a potentially sensational return to the England set-up took a step closer.

JACK GAUGHAN: This is a pathetic excuse for a professional football club, which has to be seen to be believed. Blackpool will be a League One team next year after relegation was confirmed on Monday. The manner in which the club is being run has sparked anger among fans, who launched their latest protests on Tuesday night (main image). The focus of their ire is the Oyston family which holds the majority stake in the club. Recently, a Range Rover belonging to them (pictured bottom left) was seen at the ground with a number plate apparently mocking the fans' protests. And to the dismay of many, a picture of a woman posing in her underwear at the club's stadium surfaced (top left) on the day Blackpool were relegated.