Former England full-back Ben Foden has officially announced his retirement from the sport aged 36, saying the decision took a "lot of deliberation".

After starting his career at Sale Sharks, he spent 10 years at Northampton and helped the Saints lift their only Premiership title in 2014.

"It's been a 18-year career filled with every emotion possible," he said.

Foden won the first of his 34 England caps against Italy in 2009 and scored seven tries over a four-year period.

"Rugby has given me so much through my lifetime and given me enough memories to keep me smiling for the rest of my days," he added.

"It's taken me all over the world and I feel privileged to say it's given me friendships and a family I can always depend on.

"To everyone who has been part of this journey with me, thank you for everything."

EVANS, Ga. – Even superheroes have off days.

Rose Zhang entered this week’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur with other-worldly expectations – and rightfully so, as the world No. 1 and two-time USGA champion has won three times and hasn’t finished worse than T-10 in seven collegiate starts as a freshman at Stanford. But on Wednesday at Champions Retreat, Zhang dug herself an early hole with an opening-round, 4-over 76.

“Today was a little bit rough,” said Zhang, who carded six bogeys in an uncharacteristically sloppy – relative, of course – performance. “I felt like it was just really hard to get my numbers right. Whenever I hit a really good shot, it would be a very unlucky bounce. The greens today were very tough to read, for me. Overall, it was definitely a grind out there.”

Zhang admitted that she hasn’t had the “sharpest game” recently. She closed in 2-over 74 on Sunday at Arizona State’s event for her worst college finish to date.

On Wednesday, she frequently found herself hitting her ball into the wrong spots.

“You really have to place your ball correctly on this course,” Zhang said, “and if you’re not able to do that, you’re going to shoot high numbers very easily. … It’s a little bit of everything, especially the putting a little bit, and just being on this golf course, you really have to have the right course management, and I didn’t really have that today. So, there’s definitely much to talk about and discuss about with my team later.”

With rough weather rolling in, including heavy rain, on Thursday, Zhang is likely to face a tough challenge to make her third straight cut at the ANWA. She tied for third last year after sharing 17th as a 15-year-old in 2019. That latter performance marks the last time that Zhang has failed to crack the top 10 in a non-professional stroke-play tournament. During that period, she’s won 12 times.

A closing birdie from 35 feet on Wednesday moved her into a tie for 39th at 4 over. The top 30 players after Thursday’s second round advance to Saturday’s finale at Augusta National.

Zhang is accustomed to going low when she absolutely needs to. Earlier this spring, she closed with a course-record 64 at the Meadow Club in Fairfax, California, to secure runner-up finishes for her and the Cardinal.

On a difficult course in trying conditions, it shouldn’t take a superhuman round for Zhang to make the cut. Something in 60s should do the job this time.

“It’s definitely difficult, but you just have to keep yourself in the right mindset,” Zhang said. “I already knew going into this event that it’s going to be a grind, and I’m continuing to have that mindset. Tomorrow’s not going to be an easy day, especially with the weather, so I’m going to have to just go out there and play my best.”

EVANS, Ga. – At 16 years old, Anna Davis is one of the youngest players in the field at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She feels like it, too.

“Usually when I go to events, I know the people who are playing, and I don't know a lot of the girls here,” Davis said. “So, I kind of feel like an underdog.”

Considering Davis’ resumé – a seven-shot victory at last year’s Girls Junior PGA, reigning first-team AJGA All-American, Junior Solheim Cupper, five straight top-4 finishes in junior events – it’s not often that she is overlooked. The last time Davis hasn’t been among the favorites at a tournament, she says, was almost a year ago, at the AJGA’s Heather Farr Classic last April.

How did she fare that week? She won.

“When you’re the underdog, there’s not as much pressure to play super well,” Davis said.

No wonder she played, well, super on Wednesday at Champions Retreat. Competing in the shadows of amateur stars like Rose Zhang, Rachel Heck and Ingrid Lindblad, the teenager from Spring Valley, California, beat all but one player on Wednesday, firing an opening-round, 2-under 70 to share the lead with Italy’s Benedetta Moresco, a sophomore at Alabama.

Normally a gifted ball-striker, on this day Davis shined around the greens. With firm putting surfaces making strong GIR performances difficult, Davis scrambled often and well, carding just one bogey, at the par-4 15th hole.

There was also a little bit of luck involved, of course, as her chip on the par-5 18th hole was struck a little thin but hit the flatstick, resulting in a tap-in birdie to close.

“Good thing the hole was there,” Davis quipped.

Her twin brother, Billy, was thinking the same thing. Billy Davis – also an accomplished junior player, who learned the game alongside his sister when they were “just of out their walkers” – was watching from the gallery. Anna says she’ll frequently get a snarky remark or two out of her brother during rounds. “I'll like hit a bad shot, and he'll go, ‘Ooh, that was a good one,’” she said.

But as his sister stood in front of the cameras after a skillful opening display, Billy couldn’t help but give Anna her due.

“She’s pretty inspiring actually,” Billy said. “The way she plays, the way she handles herself on and off the course; she handles herself like she’s a grownup.”

While Anna may be short in the tooth as it relates to this field, she’s mature beyond her years. Yes, she still considers herself a “stereotypical 16-year-old,” who doesn’t own a driver’s license, loves lunches with friends and spends too much time on her phone. But there’s also a reason Billy calls her his “older sister.”

Anna plays the game like a seasoned vet, with cleverness and confidence. She’s serious about her craft, too, recently switching to online classes so that she can practice more. Asked hypothetically what she’d serve at the Masters Champions Dinner, she responded: steak and potatoes.

And her independence is arguably unmatched. She isn’t even old enough to legally talk with college coaches (she remains uncommitted), yet for much of the past year, she’s traveled to tournaments by herself or with friends.

“A lot of people look at that and they're like, ‘Your parents are letting you travel alone? That's a little weird,’” Anna said. “I think I'm a little mature for my age, and I know how to handle things.”

Her solo trips have taught her a lot, but mostly she’s learned to, in her words, “pay a little more attention to what's actually going on around me because I don't have my parent there holding my hand.”

That translated well to the golf course on Wednesday, as Anna noticed her playing competitors hitting their tee balls through the wind on the par-3 17th hole. Instead of staying in her own little world and keeping 6-iron in hand, Anna went back to her bag and switched to a 7-iron.

The result: a stress-free par – and a clap from her brother.

“She hit it great, drove it great,” Billy said. “If her speed control on the greens is good and she makes a few more putts, I definitely think she has a chance.”

Anna, sitting at No. 100 in the world amateur rankings, began the week with no expectations except only to have fun.

Now, though, she’s put both herself in a position to win and the rest of this talented field on notice.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Brooke Henderson waited as long as she possibly could to put a new driver in her bag. Come Thursday, for the first time in competition, Henderson will put a 46-inch driver into play at the Chevron Championship.

“I was going to use the 48 [inch driver] up until I couldn't anymore,” Henderson said Wednesday about replacing her old club. “I'm going to miss it, but definitely excited moving forward. I feel like I have a solid driver in the bag, and hopefully it'll do the job.”

In October 2021, the USGA and R&A made available a model local rule which restricts driver length to 46 inches. Although she didn’t know if the LPGA Tour would adopt the rule, the Canadian began the search for a new club. She had played a 48-inch driver since she was 15 years old, and she knew that finding a replacement would take some time.

In January, the LPGA Tour announced they would adopt the rule, which went into effect on March 21, ahead of last week’s JTBC Classic.

After months of testing, Henderson said she landed on a replacement around the new year. She says she tried out more than a dozen different shafts. Ultimately, the major champion settled on a Ping driver with the same head and shaft as the one she had in her previous club. Henderson said Ping also put some added weight in the grip to try to emulate the feeling she had when she hit her old driver.

Henderson used the new 46-inch driver during Wednesday’s pro-am, and she was no longer choking down on the grip, which she had done with her previous club. Instead, she’s gripping it at the end. Henderson says the shorter driver, combined with the new grip position, has cost her some distance. This season, she’s averaging 272 yards off the tee. However, she says the ball she switched to earlier this season has helped to offset the loss and chalked it up to a couple of yards.

“The thought process on gripping at the end [of the club] was to gain back some yardage that I lost by choking up,” Henderson explained about the grip change. “It's definitely a big adjustment since I choke down on everything else, but I think it's what needs to be done to get some distance back.”

Henderson will continue to choke down on the rest of the clubs in her bag for now, but says she may adopt a more traditional grip with all her clubs as she becomes more comfortable with her shortened driver.

“I think as I get used to the timing and the rhythm of it, I'll be able to gain back some of the distance that I lost,” Henderson said. “It's just a little bit of an adjustment now, but moving forward I think it'll be good.”

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been named an honorary captain for Michigan's annual Maize and Blue spring game on Saturday, the school announced Wednesday.

The school tweeted pictures of Kaepernick with coach Jim Harbaugh and players.

Football Family.

Excited to share the field with our honorary captain for Saturday's Maize and Blue Spring Game, @Kaepernick7 #GoBlue 〽 pic.twitter.com/2H6Yj2Ivwl

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) March 30, 2022

Harbaugh coached Kaepernick with the San Francisco 49ers for four seasons from 2011 through 2014 before leaving for Michigan in 2015. Harbaugh benched Alex Smith in favor of Kaepernick in 2012, giving Kaepernick an opportunity to rise to a higher profile in the NFL.

Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance following the 2012 season, last played in the NFL in 2016, the same year he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cornerback Patrick Peterson announced Wednesday on "All Things Covered," the podcast he co-hosts with Bryant McFadden, that he will be re-signing with the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year contract.

"I'm gonna stay put in Minnesota and run it back with the guys. Keep it in the North," he said, while donning a Vikings cap.

He said other teams his agent was talking to included the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He said Tampa Bay's interest was dependent on whether they re-signed Carlton Davis, which they ultimately did.

He said the addition of new head coach Kevin O'Connell and his pick for defensive coordinator, Ed Donatell, has him excited to return.

"I just felt it was right just to be there and grind with those guys and try to all come together for that common goal. The team is stacked," he said. "Like I always talked about last year, we just didn't put it together in certain situations but we got even better, I believe, this year in the offseason by adding a great offensive mind in Kevin, adding pass rusher (Za'Darius Smith) to help Danielle [Hunter], with Ed coming from his defensive background ... these guys are definitely trying to put the pieces into place and now it's just on us, the coaching staff and the players, to go out and executive and put together the best game plan possible to get some dubs."

He said he would like to play three more seasons, including the 2022 season.

"I feel great, it just all depends on what the body feels," he said.

After 10 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals where he earned three All-Pro honors and was named to eight consecutive Pro Bowls, Peterson signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Vikings in 2021.

Peterson, 31, brought a wealth of experience to the Vikings secondary as he transitioned into a role that did not rely on him shadowing opponents' top receivers the way he had throughout the prime of his career in Arizona. While in Minnesota, Peterson played an important role in helping develop young cornerbacks like Cameron Dantzler, Kris Boyd and Harrison Hand.

Peterson still excelled as a run defender and might opt to explore a move to safety at this point of his career, a move he discussed at the tail end of the 2020 season while still with the Cardinals.

The cornerback walked away from the 2021 season with a pick-six in the Vikings' Week 18 finale against the Chicago Bears to extend a streak of recording an interception in all 11 seasons he has played in the NFL. He appeared in 13 games for the Vikings after a hamstring injury forced him onto injured reserve from Weeks 7-10 and a COVID-19 diagnosis caused him to miss a Week 13 loss at Detroit.

Peterson said his goal is to play 15 seasons before considering retirement, which could feature a move into broadcasting. His podcast that he co-hosts with Bryant McFadden, his cousin and a seven-year NFL vet, is a weekly obligation for the cornerback.

The Cardinals selected Peterson fifth overall in the 2011 draft. He has 29 interceptions in his 11 NFL seasons.

ESPN's Courtney Cronin contributed to this report.

Seton Hall has hired Shaheen Holloway -- fresh off leading Saint Peter's on its historic Elite Eight run -- as its next head coach, the school announced Wednesday.

Holloway, who will be introduced as the Pirates' coach on Thursday, agreed to a six-year deal, sources told ESPN.

"Life has a way of coming full circle," said Holloway, who starred at Seton Hall as a player and later was an assistant coach. "This is certainly a full-circle moment for my family and I. Seton Hall is near and dear to my heart; it's where I became a man, where I met the love of my life, where I spent countless hours honing my crafts as a basketball player and a basketball coach.

"To say that I'm excited to get started as the head men's basketball coach at Seton Hall University would be an understatement."

Holloway, 45, was the breakout coach of this month's NCAA tournament, guiding 15-seed Saint Peter's on a remarkable run. The Peacocks pulled off upset wins over Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue to advance to the Elite Eight, before coming up short against North Carolina.

It was the deepest that a 15-seed has ever gone in the tournament.

"I am incredibly excited to welcome Shaheen Holloway and his family home to Seton Hall," athletic director Bryan Felt said. "Shaheen is a winner in every sense of the word, and he is not only an incredible coach, but also an incredible educator of young men. He works tirelessly to put his student-athletes in a position to succeed, and he makes them believe that they can achieve anything with hard work and determination. That is evidenced by his historic NCAA tournament run this month.

"Shaheen made an unforgettable impact here at Seton Hall first as a student-athlete and then again as an assistant coach, and now we're ready to watch him take over our men's basketball program as head coach and lead our Pirates to further greatness. Welcome home, Coach Holloway!"

Holloway had coached the Peacocks for four seasons, finishing second in the MAAC in both 2020 and 2022. Saint Peter's, considered one of the toughest jobs in the region, won the MAAC tournament this season to advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011 and only the fourth time in program history.

In four seasons, Holloway went 64-54 overall and 44-32 in league play, winning MAAC Coach of the Year honors in 2020.

Before taking over at Saint Peter's in 2018, Holloway was an assistant coach under Kevin Willard for 11 seasons at Iona and Seton Hall, following Willard from the Gaels to the Pirates in 2010. Seton Hall went to three straight NCAA tournament appearances in Holloway's final three seasons with the program.

Holloway is one of the best players in Seton Hall history, setting the program record for career assists and leading the Pirates to the 2000 Sweet 16. From Queens, he was named to the All-Big East team three times. Holloway also won McDonald's All-American Game MVP honors in 1996 as a high school player.

He replaces Willard, who left earlier this month for the vacancy at Maryland.

"I am ecstatic for Shaheen and his family that they are returning to Seton Hall," Willard said. "I can't think of a better person to take over the program. Shaheen's hard work and determination helped build the foundation of our program and that led to multiple NCAA tournament appearances and a Big East championship. He bleeds Blue and White, and I have no doubt that he will succeed."