April 1997 in Sport

Events in Sport

  • Apr 4 Anaheim Ducks clinch their 1st-ever playoff berth
  • Apr 4 Braves officially open Turner Field against Cubs
  • Apr 6 9th Seniors Golf Tradition: Gil Morgan wins
  • Apr 6 Annika Sorenstam wins LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge
  • Apr 6 Brad Faxon wins Freeport-McDermott Golf Classic
  • Apr 7 150th Grand National: Tony Dobbin aboard Lord Gyllene wins
  • Apr 9 Cleveland Indians pitcher Jose Mesa is acquitted of rape
  • Apr 9 Major League Soccer announces Miami & Chicago expansion
  • Apr 9 NFL announces it will give $3M to CFL & possible "World Classic Bowl"
  • Apr 13 48th time opposing pitchers hit HRs, Carlos Perez (Mon)/Darren Holmes

Sport awardGolf Major

Apr 13 61st Masters Golf Tournament: Tiger Woods at 21 (270 18 under par)

Golfer Tiger Woods
Golfer
Tiger Woods
  • Apr 13 Hartford Whalers last NHL game

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Apr 13 NHL Pitts Penguin Mario Lemieux's last NHL regular game

NHL Legend and Owner Mario Lemieux
NHL Legend and Owner
Mario Lemieux
  • Apr 13 Travis Fryman homers off R Hernandez in both games of double header 1st time since 1961 that 2 doubleheaders are played in the same city Giants vs Mets & Oakland A's vs Yankees in NY

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Apr 15 Baseball honors Jackie Robinson by retiring #42 for all teams

Baseball Player Jackie Robinson
Baseball Player
Jackie Robinson

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Apr 17 NJ Devil Martin Brodeur is 2nd NHL goalie to score in a playoff game

NHL Goalie Martin Brodeur
NHL Goalie
Martin Brodeur
  • Apr 19 San Diego Padres & St Louis Cards play at Aloha Stadium Hawaii
  • Apr 19 NFL Draft: Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace first pick by St. Louis Rams
  • Apr 20 1st baseball game in Hawaii, Cards beat Padres in doubleheader
  • Apr 20 58th PGA Seniors Golf Championship: Hale Irwin
  • Apr 20 Cubs beat NY Mets ending NL worst opening, lost 14 straight games
  • Apr 20 Karrie Webb wins LPGA Susan G Komen International

Sport awardGolf Tournament

Apr 20 Nick Price wins golf MCI Classic

Golfer Nick Price
Golfer
Nick Price

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Apr 20 Mark McGwire is 4th to HR on Detroit Tiger left field roof (others are Frank Howard, Harmon Killibrew, & Cecil Fielder)

MLB First Baseman Mark McGwire
MLB First Baseman
Mark McGwire
  • Apr 21 101st Boston Marathon: Lameck Aguta of Kenya 1st man in 2:10:34 and Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia 1st woman in 2:26:23
  • Apr 25 Seattle Mariner Ken Griffey Jr hits his 250th HR

Sport awardGolf Tournament

Apr 27 Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Chick-fil-A Charity Championship

LPGA Golfer Nancy Lopez
LPGA Golfer
Nancy Lopez
  • Apr 29 KC Royal Chili Davis is 75th to hit 300 HRs
  • Apr 30 Atlanta Braves win record 19 games in April

Birthdays in Sport

  • Apr 3 Gabriel Fernando de Jesus, Brazilian football player (Manchester City, Brazil national team), born in São Paulo, Brazil

Person of interestLydia Ko

Apr 24 Lydia Ko, New Zealand golfer, (Evian C'ship 2015, ANA Inspiration 2016), born in Seoul, South Korea

Golfer Lydia Ko
Golfer
Lydia Ko

Weddings in Sport


HeartWedding of Interest

Apr 19 Tennis player champion Andre Agassi (26) weds actress and model Brooke Shields (31) in Monterey, California

Supermodel & Actress Brooke Shields
Supermodel & Actress
Brooke Shields
Tennis Legend Andre Agassi
Tennis Legend
Andre Agassi

Deaths in Sport

  • Apr 3 Sergei Filatov, Soviet equestrian dressage (Olympic gold 1960), dies at 70
  • Apr 6 Jack Kent Cooke, Canadian entrepreneur, NFL team owner (Washington Redskins), dies at 84
  • Apr 7 Luis Aloma, Cuban baseball player, dies at 73
  • Apr 13 Voldemar Väli, Estonian wrestler (b. 1903)
  • Apr 23 Dennis Compton, England cricket batsman & footballer (5,807 Test runs, Arsenal 1950 FA Cup), dies at 78