U.S./World Sports category, Page 164
Gateway offers some NASCAR Cup Series playoff outsiders opportunityVideo
MADISON, Ill. — Kevin Harvick takes a pragmatic approach to NASCAR’s version of the playoffs, considering he has yet to win to qualify and is just 31 points above the cutoff heading into the Cup Series’ debut at World Wide Technology Raceway. “Just tell me where I am at the...
13-time French Open champ Rafael Nadal meets newcomer Casper Ruud in finalVideo
PARIS — Rafael Nadal truly has nothing more to do to make clear his greatness on a tennis court. The 21 Grand Slam titles. The 13 championships on the red clay of the French Open alone. That’s not to say he doesn’t want to achieve more, of course. Still, it’s...
Iga Swiatek beats Coco Gauff for 2nd French Open title, adds to dominant run
PARIS — Iga Swiatek’s winning streak began to feel like a burden, she said, with all of the attention it gained as it grew, all of the pressure to keep it going, especially with a Grand Slam title in the offing. As good as her forehand is, as skilled as...
Busy summer for Palmer Jackson starts with U.S. Open sectional qualifier
Palmer Jackson was on the Hannastown Golf Club course June 2 playing against his good friend, Mark Goetz. No offense to Goetz, but Jackson would have rather been in Phoenix playing in the NCAA Division I Championship. But Jackson wasn’t pouting. He was preparing to play in the United States...
Big 12 record $426M revenue, new commish expected mid-July
IRVING, Texas — The Big 12 will distribute a record $426 million of revenue to its 10 schools for the 2021-22 school year, a nearly 25% increase over last year and 10% higher than its peak before the pandemic. “We find ourselves in a very strong position today,” Texas Tech...
World No. 1 Jin Young Ko surges, 3 shots back at U.S. Women’s OpenVideo
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (AP) — Jin Young Ko never seems to stress. Nor does she let up. The world’s No. 1 player vaulted into contention for a third major championship Friday, playing the final five holes in 3-under-par to pull within three shots of second-round Minjee Lee and Mina Harigae...
New track, new test: NASCAR’s top series heads to St. Louis
MADISON, Ill. — Kyle Larson is willing to drive just about anything with four wheels and an engine, and his ability to jump between NASCAR’s highest level and small-town late model races on dirt should come in handy this weekend. You see, Larson showed up to World Wide Technology Raceway...
Rafael Nadal advances to another French Open final after opponent’s injuryVideo
PARIS — Rafael Nadal was locked in a tight, compelling and lengthy French Open semifinal Friday when his opponent, third-seeded Alexander Zverev, ran to chase a shot and twisted his right ankle. Zverev crumpled to the ground, wailing in agony and clutching at his lower leg. His black outfit, arms...
Women’s golf youth movement includes rising stars Ko, Korda
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Women’s golf is on the rise, a momentum swing not lost on fans and sponsors. With an abundance of emerging stars gaining notoriety, the sport is drawing more attention — and sponsorships — in the post-covid era. Tickets sales for this week’s U.S. Women’s Open are...
Can Gauff top Swiatek? At Surprise Slam, anything can happen
PARIS — Even Coco Gauff looked ahead to her French Open final against Iga Swiatek and concluded: “She’s definitely the favorite going into the match, on paper.” In an interview last weekend, Swiatek’s sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, saw the way the bracket was developing and spoke of her client “being...
Celtics have huge 4th, beat Warriors in Game 1 of NBA FinalsVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — Once Boston’s balanced roster of NBA Finals first-timers found a groove from long range, the determined Celtics delivered a memorable comeback and rallied past Stephen Curry and the Golden State old guard. Jaylen Brown fueled the late charge and scored 24 points, Al Horford hit six 3-pointers...
Idaho State assistant football coach charged with 2017 Arizona murderVideo
POCATELLO, Idaho — Idaho State assistant football coach DaVonte’ Neal was arrested on suspicion of killing a man in Arizona, and the school intends to terminate his contract. Neal was charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of drive-by-shooting and one count of discharging a firearm at a...
Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad sets U.S. Women’s Open amateur mark with 6-under-par 65Video
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Ingrid Lindblad decided months ago that she wanted to stay in college instead of turning professional. That might be a financial decision she comes to regret. The 22-year-old Swede shot the lowest round by an amateur in the 77-year history of the U.S. Women’s Open, a...
Former Masters champ Hideki Matsuyama disqualified from Memorial for club violationVideo
DUBLIN, Ohio — Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama was disqualified Thursday when officials determined he had too much paint on the face of his 3-wood that he was using for alignment. It was the first time Matsuyama, who won the Memorial in 2014 for his first PGA Tour victory, was...
Transformative year: Black coaches now lead 50% of NBA teamsVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — It’s an annual occurrence in the NBA. Teams change head coaches, and the roster of candidates who should get those jobs starts getting bandied about, and especially in recent years those lists almost always included Black candidates. Case in point: Ime Udoka, who is of Nigerian descent....
Coco Gauff, 18, to face No. 1 Iga Swiatek in final at French Open
PARIS — Coco Gauff sat plain-faced in her French Open changeover chair after moving one set away from her first Grand Slam final at 18 and calmly snacked on some cut-up pieces of pineapple and other fruit, seemingly without a care in the world. Her opponent in Thursday’s semifinals at...
U.S. men’s team cruises past Morocco; Christian Pulisic critical of fan supportVideo
CINCINNATI — U.S. captain Christian Pulisic was critical of the level of American support from the crowd of 19,512 at TQL Stadium during a 3-0 victory over Morocco on Wednesday night in the first of four World Cup warmup matches in June. “For whatever reason, I’m not super happy with...
NBA finalists Warriors, Celtics built teams through draftVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — When Steve Kerr looks at the way the Boston Celtics built a championship-caliber team, he sees plenty of similarities to how his Golden State Warriors got to the NBA Finals in 2015. Boston built a core through the draft by taking Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Jayson...
Jon Rahm ready to start over and get another chance at MemorialVideo
DUBLIN, Ohio — Jon Rahm is ready to start over at the Memorial as tempting as it is to look back. That last shot he hit at Muirfield Village was tapping in for par on the 18th hole that gave him a six-shot lead and a place in the tournament...
Dog days: Coach K enjoying family, ‘at peace’ with coaching retirementVideo
DURHAM, N.C. — Mike Krzyzewski is savoring the first taste of life after a Hall of Fame coaching career at Duke. The 75-year-old has spent time with family, travel and a new puppy in the two months since his coaching retirement. The magnitude of that change hit home during his...
Names listed for Saudi golf league, battle lines drawn
DUBLIN, Ohio — The first Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational has Dustin Johnson and 12 other PGA Tour members as part of its 48-man field next week outside London. The next move falls to the PGA Tour, which must decide whether to allow them to come back. The first fallout after...
Amelie Mauresmo: Women’s tennis has less ‘appeal’ than men’sVideo
PARIS — Amelie Mauresmo, a former No. 1 player who is in her first year as the French Open’s first female tournament director, said Wednesday that nine of the 10 night sessions at Roland Garros involved men’s matches because women’s tennis currently has less “appeal.” Speaking at the traditional second-week...
U.S. Women’s Open’s $10M purse offers hope for gender pay equalityVideo
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Dottie Pepper recalls being paired with Meg Mallon for the final round of the 1991 U.S. Women’s Open with what she viewed as an impressive $110,000 first-place prize on the line. Things have changed, but Lydia Ko says not enough. Mallon would win that tournament and...
Swiatek benefits from double bounce no-call while advancing into French Open semifinals
PARIS — Iga Swiatek benefited from the chair umpire’s no-call on a double bounce that gave her a key first-set service break during a match-altering five-game run and the French Open’s No. 1 seed moved into the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jessica Pegula on Wednesday. Swiatek extended...
Dustin Johnson defies PGA Tour and joins Saudi-funded seriesVideo
DUBLIN, Ohio — Three months after declaring he was “fully committed” to the PGA Tour, Dustin Johnson is among 42 players in the field for next week’s LIV Golf Invitational, which offers a $25 million in prize money that’s backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Phil Mickelson was missing...
