Park closes in on Women’s Open crown
Golf: Inbee Park is one round from making history by winning the first three majors of the year.
The top-ranked Park had a four-stroke lead through three rounds at the U.S. Women’s Open in Southampton, N.Y. She shot 1-under 71 on Saturday in harsh conditions at Sebonack and was 10 under for the tournament.
Fellow South Korean I.K. Kim had a 73 to remain in second but lost two strokes to Park.
• Four-way tie at Congressional: Roberto Castro went from a share of the lead to five shots behind in three holes in an eventful day at Bethesda, Md. He finished the third round of the AT&T National at Congressional by hitting a 5-iron left of the 18th green and into the water. And he still managed to be part of a four-way tie for the lead.
Bill Haas made triple bogey on the 11th hole to fall five shots behind. Four holes and three birdies later, he had the outright lead. He was helped by Andres Romero, who squandered a three-shot lead in two holes. James Driscoll is also tied for the lead.
• Couples birdies himself into lead: Fred Couples birdied three of the final five holes for a 3-under 67 and a two-stroke lead after the third round of the Senior Players Championship.
Couples completed a 62 in the morning in the rain-delayed second round and had a 15-under 195 total at Fox Chapel. Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett was 5 over.
Bylsma set to coach U.S. Olympic team
Hockey: USA Hockey selected Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma to lead the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team at the 2014 Winter Olympics, hoping the free-flowing style he teaches translates well to the wider rinks that await in Sochi, Russia in February.
• Red Wings, Kindl agree to contract: The Detroit Red Wings and defenseman Jakub Kindl have agreed to terms of a four-year contract.
The Sumperk, Czech Republic, native scored a career-high four goals for the Red Wings in the 2012-13 season and tied his career high of 13 points.
Obviously captures Shoemaker Mile
Horse racing: Obviously won the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile by 31/4 lengths Saturday at Betfair Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.
Ridden by Joe Talamo, Obviously ran a mile on the turf course in 1:32.86. The win pushed the 6-year-old gelding’s earnings to $848,361 and landed him a berth in the Breeders’ Cup.
• Also: Starformer pulled a 15-1 upset in the $200,000 New York Stakes for fillies and mares at Belmont Park in New York. … Laughing set a Monmouth Park turf course record while winning the $100,000 Eatontown Stakes at Oceanport, N.J.. … Reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan won his seventh consecutive start at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., taking the Grade 2 $168,450 Firecracker Handicap.
Funeral held for man in NFL murder case
Miscellany: Hundreds of relatives, friends and well-wishers wept together and hugged at the funeral in Boston of Odin Lloyd, a semipro football player whose killing led to murder and weapons charges against former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez.
• Ledecky breaks Evans’ record at nationals: Katie Ledecky broke a 25-year-old U.S. long-course swimming record set by Janet Evans, winning the 1,500-meter freestyle in 15 minutes, 47.13 seconds at Indianapolis.
Three other Olympic gold medalists – Ryan Lochte in the men’s 200 individual medley, Natalie Coughlin in the women’s 50 free and Nathan Adrian in the men’s 50 free – also won.
• Kirilenko opts out of contract: Andrei Kirilenko has decided to opt out of the final year of his contract with the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and will become a free agent.
Kirilenko, who averaged 12.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for the Wolves last year, has $10 million and one year left on his current deal.
• Vanderbilt dismisses four players: Vanderbilt has dismissed four football players from the team and kicked them off campus while Nashville police investigate whether a sex crime occurred in a dormitory.