U.S./World Sports category, Page 111
Scheffler tied for lead in PGA Championship as Oak Hill delivers a new challenge
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Oak Hill is delivering a little bit of everything at this PGA Championship. One constant is Scottie Scheffler, who is getting used to chasing majors. A frost delay at the start gave way to warmth and wind Friday morning before rain showers brought out the umbrellas in...
Bob Baffert is back at Preakness, his 1st Triple Crown race in 2 years
BALTIMORE — Bob Baffert is back at the Preakness for his first Triple Crown race in two years, returning from a suspension and looking for a record-breaking win with National Treasure. The white-haired Hall of Fame trainer and one of the faces of horse racing was in a familiar spot...
Takuma Sato, Marcus Ericsson put Ganassi on top in final practice before Indy 500 qualifyingVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Two-time Indy 500 champion Takuma Sato turned the fastest lap at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 27 years on Friday, and defending winner Marcus Ericsson was close behind him, making Chip Ganassi Racing the team to beat heading into qualifying weekend for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Sato turned...
Mage faces tough challenge in second Triple Crown race at Preakness
BALTIMORE — Mage’s path through Triple Crown season is not an easy one. The Kentucky Derby winner opened as the favorite for this weekend’s Preakness Stakes, but Mage will have to top a field that includes Bob Baffert-trained National Treasure and others to become the first horse to take the...
Wrestling’s ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham, the template for Hulk Hogan, dies at 79
“I lift barbell plates. I eat T-bone steaks. I’m sweeter than a German chocolate cake. How much more of me can you take?” When you discuss the hyperbolized figures in pro wrestling history, “Superstar” Billy Graham has to be in the conversation. He was supposed to be a reviled rulebreaker,...
First Mission scratched from Preakness 36 hours before Triple Crown race
BALTIMORE — Brad Cox-trained First Mission has been scratched from the Preakness on the advice of veterinarians, taking one of the top contenders out of the Triple Crown race 36 hours before post time. Godolphin, which owns the horse, announced the scratch early Friday, saying vets identified a left hind...
Katie Taylor’s impact on women’s boxing hits home for young Irish fighters
DUBLIN — Kaci Rock was an elementary school student when she slipped on the gloves at Bray Boxing Club. Problem was, there weren’t many other girls. Katie Taylor was one of them, though. “There was nothing really for girls at that time. I’d have to fight boys when I was...
DeChambeau resurfaces at Oak Hill and leads PGA ChampionshipVideo
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Bryson DeChambeau was back on a major stage Thursday. No longer the incredible bulk, he still lashed away with speed and strength that carried him to a 4-under-par 66 at tough Oak Hill and the early lead in the PGA Championship. DeChambeau kept the ball in play...
Triple Crown hopeful Mage heads to the Preakness with hundreds of owners cheering him onVideo
BALTIMORE — Mage winning the Kentucky Derby gave horse racing a welcome distraction. After seven horses died at Churchill Downs over a span of 10 days, the sport got a winner with a unique story. No conglomerate owners, no big-name trainers. Mage is the first Derby winner with ties to...
Rafael Nadal to miss French Open with hip injury, expects 2024 to be last year of tennis career
For months, Rafael Nadal waited for his body to heal. Waited to be able to push himself around a court at full speed, with full energy, of the sort that has carried him to a record 14 titles at the French Open and a total of 22 at all Grand...
Florida judge rules against Tiger Woods’ ex-girlfriend
A Florida judge ruled late Wednesday that the ex-girlfriend of Tiger Woods must abide by a nondisclosure agreement she purportedly signed and resolve her lawsuits seeking millions from the golf superstar through private arbitration behind closed doors. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Metzger, in an 11-page opinion, rejected Erica Herman’s attempt to...
Spieth says wrist is feeling good enough to play ‘nasty’ Oak HillVideo
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Jordan Spieth finished nine holes of practice at Oak Hill on Wednesday and said his left wrist felt good enough to play in the PGA Championship and good enough that he’s won’t rule out his chances of a career Grand Slam. That’s a big leap from a...
Marlene Hagge-Vossler, last surviving LPGA founder, dies at 89
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Marlene Hagge-Vossler, a Hall of Fame player and the last surviving founder of the LPGA Tour, died Tuesday morning, her family said. She was 89. Hagge-Vossler won 26 times on the LPGA Tour, including the 1952 LPGA Championship, and she was inducted into the World Golf...
The Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes and draft lottery has a winner: It’s the Spurs
CHICAGO — Victor Wembanyama is now set to begin his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs, after they won the NBA Draft lottery and the No. 1 overall pick Tuesday night. The Spurs were one of three teams with the best odds — 14% — to land the No....
76ers fire coach Doc Rivers after 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA — Doc Rivers’ penchant for playoff collapses and second-round exits cost him his coaching job with the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers fired Rivers on Tuesday following a third straight exit in the second round of the playoffs, and the second time over that span he lost a series lead...
As NBA coaching changes mount, some lament the lack of job security
MIAMI — Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Denver’s Michael Malone are two of the four NBA coaches to have spent at least eight years with their current team. They know how rare that is. Spoelstra and Malone both spoke out Monday following the recent dismissals of three coaches who aren’t far...
Column: NASCAR is facing a tense summer of negotiations with its Cup Series teamsVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR spent the weekend at Darlington Raceway celebrating its 75th anniversary, a salute that now will move to North Wilkesboro Speedway with the first Cup Series race at the reopened track since 1996. The nostalgic nod to NASCAR’s early days has created a festive atmosphere at the...
Kentucky Derby winner Mage set as 8-5 morning line favorite for PreaknessVideo
HALETHORPE, Md. — Kentucky Derby winner Mage was installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite for the Preakness at the post position draw Monday. He’s the only horse in the field of eight set to take part in the second race of the Triple Crown two weeks after running in...
Justin Thomas looking to find results as he defends PGA Championship titleVideo
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Justin Thomas won the PGA Championship when he least expected it, matching a tournament record last year at Southern Hills when he rallied from seven shots behind in the final round and won in a playoff. Now he’s not sure what to expect. That was his only...
Victor Wembanyama about to learn NBA destination with draft lotteryVideo
Academy Award winner Michael Douglas loves basketball. He’s a big Miami fan, mainly because of his relationship with Heat president Pat Riley. Douglas has gone to a couple French league games in recent weeks for one reason: Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 French phenom who is already capturing the basketball world’s...
Doyle Brunson, called the Godfather of Poker, dies at 89
LAS VEGAS — Doyle Brunson, one of the most influential poker players of all time and a two-time world champion, died Sunday, according to his agent. Brunson was 89. Brian Balsbaugh, Brunson’s agent, posted a statement on Twitter from the family. “It is with a heavy heart we announce the...
Horse dies at Churchill Downs, 8th recent fatality at home of Kentucky Derby
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A horse died Sunday after a race at Churchill Downs, making it the eighth fatality in recent weeks at the home of the Kentucky Derby. Rio Moon “suffered a catastrophic injury to his left foreleg a few strides after the wire,” according to notes in the Equibase...
Kurt Busch hopes to return to NASCAR Cup Series, improving after concussion
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Kurt Busch hasn’t given up hope of competing in the NASCAR Cup Series again. Busch has been sidelined since suffering a concussion during a crash in qualifying at Pocono last summer. He announced in October that he’d be stepping out of his ride at 23XI to continue...
Hendrick driver Alex Bowman unsure when he’ll return from back injury
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Alex Bowman is unsure when he can return to the track after fracturing his vertebrae in a short-track accident last month. The Hendrick Motorsports racer has missed the past three events, including Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Bowman came to the track to reconnect with the...
Jason Day gets 1st win in 5 years at Byron Nelson; Scheffler finishes 3 backVideo
McKINNEY, Texas — Jason Day didn’t make the Mother’s Day connection until he saw his late mom’s name on the back of his caddie’s bib on the first green during the final round of the Byron Nelson. That was just one more reason for the emotions to flow over the...
