U.S./World Sports category, Page 164
Rich Strike highlights horse racing’s lack of diversity
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — When Rich Strike bolted into horse racing’s spotlight in a little over two minutes with his upset Kentucky Derby victory, he shared the stage with his handler, who long has toiled in the shadows constantly tending to the champion colt. Rich Strike’s attention stems from winning as...
PGA Tour says Saudi-paid players no longer eligible for tour
Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson launched tee shots in the Saudi-funded golf league Thursday, and it wasn’t long before the PGA Tour said its players who took part were no longer welcome, even if they already had resigned. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan held a hard line on his pledge...
Oklahoma drubs Texas in WCWS championship series openerVideo
OKLAHOMA CITY — Jocelyn Alo and Tiare Jennings fueled Oklahoma’s record-setting offensive burst to help the Sooners move a victory away from successfully defending their Women’s College World Series title. Alo and Jennings each hit two home runs and top-seeded Oklahoma rolled past unseeded Texas 16-1 on Wednesday night in...
Celtics beat Warriors to take 2-1 lead in NBA FinalsVideo
BOSTON — Jaylen Brown scored 27 points, Jayson Tatum added 26 and the Boston Celtics beat back another third-quarter onslaught by the Golden State Warriors in a 116-100 victory Wednesday night that gave them a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals. Marcus Smart added 24 points and helped lead a...
California native Jill Gregory ready to host full NASCAR show at SonomaVideo
Kyle Larson took a swig of the winner’s wine, tilted his head back and spit it in the air. He couldn’t have predicted the wind catching hold of the vino and blowing it all over new track general manager Jill Gregory. Some homecoming, eh? Gregory, a Modesto native and graduate...
Dirty money: Tony Stewart to award $1 million prize at Eldora SpeedwayVideo
Tony Stewart went to bed at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday after pulling an all-nighter at Eldora Speedway. Stewart has $1 million to give away Thursday night and is determined that his track in Rossburg, Ohio, will be in the best condition possible for the return of The Eldora Million. “I’m just...
Report: DeChambeau, Reed to join Saudi-funded league in U.S.Video
Major champions Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed plan to sign up with the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational series in time for the rival circuit to start playing in U.S. cities, a British newspaper reported Wednesday. The Daily Telegraph said Greg Norman and his staff that runs LIV Golf Investments plan...
Saudi-funded golf series puts new scrutiny on MickelsonVideo
ST. ALBANS, England — Out of public view for four months, Phil Mickelson returns to golf under severe scrutiny because of where he’s playing and who is paying him. Mickelson is a six-time major champion, the most popular golfer this side of Tiger Woods. And now he is being referred...
AEW continues to thrive after celebrating 3rd anniversary
LOS ANGELES — All Elite Wrestling continues to thrive with compelling matches while attracting new fans three years after making its debut. The upstart professional wrestling circuit kicked off a busy summer schedule by returning to Las Vegas for its “Double or Nothing” pay-per-view for the first time since its...
Simone Biles, others seek $1B-plus from FBI over Nassar
DETROIT — Former Olympic gymnasts, including gold medalist Simone Biles, are among dozens of assault victims who are seeking more than $1 billion from the FBI for failing to stop sports doctor Larry Nassar, lawyers said Wednesday. There’s no dispute that FBI agents in 2015 knew that Nassar was accused...
Pennsylvania senate passes bill against trans girls playing girls’ sports
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Senate passed Republican-sponsored legislation Tuesday to prohibit transgender women from participating in women’s sports. The proposal, which passed 30-20, now heads to the House, where an identical bill previously was approved. One Democrat, Sen. Lisa Boscola of Northampton County, crossed party lines to vote in favor...
Road Warriors draw on experience as NBA Finals move to BostonVideo
BOSTON — Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors have no problem playing on the road. The Celtics, meanwhile, haven’t been lights-out in Boston during these playoffs. As the NBA Finals shift to TD Garden for Wednesday’s Game 3 with the series tied at 1, the Celtics ought to have...
Column: Saudi money could put college stars in tough spotVideo
DUBLIN, Ohio — Texas A&M senior Sam Bennett was a mixture of joy and exhaustion upon making it through 36-holes of U.S. Open qualifying for the first time. Still to come is the toughest test in golf. All that might be a breeze considering what could await. The temptation of...
Figure skating minimum age rises to 17 before 2026 OlympicsVideo
PHUKET, Thailand — No 15-year-old figure skaters will be allowed to compete at the 2026 Olympics following the controversy surrounding Russian national champion Kamila Valieva at this year’s Beijing Games. A new age limit for figure skaters at senior international events was passed Tuesday by the International Skating Union in...
Derby winner Rich Strike morning line 3rd choice in BelmontVideo
NEW YORK — Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is the third betting choice on the morning line for the Belmont Stakes, with Triple Crown newcomer We the People installed as the favorite. Rich Strike opened at 7-2 odds and drew the fourth post position in a field of eight horses...
U.S. Open to accept Mickelson and all eligible playersVideo
Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson are welcome to play the U.S. Open next week under a USGA decision announced Tuesday that puts the open nature of the championship over a player’s decision to play in a Saudi-funded rival league. Mickelson and Johnson are among a dozen players in the LIV...
Tiger Woods says his leg not ready and he won’t play U.S. OpenVideo
Tiger Woods withdrew from the U.S. Open on Tuesday, saying his damaged right leg needs more time to get stronger to contend in the majors. Woods made a surprise return at the Masters, just 14 months after he broke bones in his right leg and ankle in a February 2021...
Dustin Johnson quits PGA membership to play in Saudi league
ST. ALBANS, England — Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson has resigned his PGA Tour membership to participate in the new golf series backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. The first LIV Golf Invitational, which offers $25 million in prize money, is taking place outside London from Thursday. Johnson said...
NASCAR’s Denny Hamlin vows to get even with Ross Chastain after Gateway wreckVideo
MADISON, Ill. — Denny Hamlin posted a clip on Twitter late Sunday that essentially mashed up his beef with Ross Chastain from earlier in the day with a scene from “Days of Thunder,” when Tom Cruise’s character tells his team to change his tires after a race had ended so...
Phil Mickelson the last to sign up for Saudi-funded golf league
Phil Mickelson, a chief recruiter for a Saudi-funded rival league to the PGA Tour, is ending his four-month hiatus by adding his name to the 48-man field for the LIV Golf Invitational that starts Friday outside London. Mickelson will be joining Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and three other former major...
Analysis: Whatever Nadal’s future holds, his legacy’s secure
PARIS — Rafael Nadal’s status for Wimbledon is in doubt because of a chronic problem with his left foot — as is his future in tennis. What’s secure, no matter what happens now, is his legacy. Nadal got through the French Open, he explained after a dominating 6-3, 6-3, 6-0...
Warriors answer in Game 2, top Celtics to even Finals
SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry scored 29 points, Jordan Poole connected from just inside of midcourt to cap a huge third-quarter run and the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics, 107-88, on Sunday night in Game 2 to even the NBA Finals. Poole finished with 17 points for the...
Minjee Lee wins U.S. Women’s Open, largest winner’s prize in LPGA historyVideo
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — The awesome Aussie would not be denied. Minjee Lee won the U.S. Women’s Open by four strokes over Mina Harigae at Pine Needles on Sunday to earn $1.8 million, the largest payout in the history of women’s golf. Lee closed with an even-par 71 to finish...
Logano outlasts Kyle Busch in wild NASCAR race in St. LouisVideo
MADISON, Ill. — Joey Logano watched helplessly as Kyle Busch drove away from him on a late restart Sunday, seemingly ending his hopes of delivering a much-needed win for Team Penske in the NASCAR Cup Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway. Kevin Harvick’s wreck with five laps left gave...
Quin Snyder ends his tenure as Jazz coach after 8 seasons
Quin Snyder guided the Utah Jazz to six consecutive playoff appearances, was an NBA coach of the year finalist just last season and won nearly 60% of his games with the franchise. And he’s decided that was enough. Snyder resigned Sunday as coach of the Jazz, ending an eight-year run...
