Digest: Henderson takes lead at Sahalee
Golf: Brooke Henderson made an early hole-in-one and birdied her final two holes to take the early lead Thursday in the Women’s PGA Championship, the second of the LPGA Tour’s five major championships.
The 18-year-old Canadian, ranked fourth in the world, had a 4-under 67 on a cool day at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington. Henderson aced the par-3 13th hole – her fourth hole of the day – to win a car. She closed with a short birdie putt on the par-3 ninth to take a two-shot lead.
Christina Kim and I.K. Kim followed at 69, with the afternoon wave still on the course.
Three-time defending champion Inbee Park was in the featured group in the afternoon. The 27-year-old Park will become eligible for the LPGA Hall of Fame at the completion of the round, making her the youngest player in tour history to reach the eligibility threshold and the first since Se Ri Pak in 2007.
Stefani, Hoge, Noh share lead in Memphis: Shawn Stefani, Tom Hoge and Seung-yul Noh shared the FedEx St. Jude Classic lead at 5-under 65.
Hoge had a bogey-free round with five birdies in the morning group. This is only the second time Hoge has played the event, but he has qualified for the U.S. Open twice in Memphis and tied for 12th at Southwind last year.
Clarke, Jaidee withdraw from US Open: Darren Clarke has withdrawn from the U.S. Open because he says his Ryder Cup duties have kept him from preparing the right way.
Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand also withdrew, citing personal reasons.
Clarke was replaced by Thomas Aiken of South Africa, the first alternate from the sectional qualifier in Memphis, Tennessee.
Thongchai was replaced by Jeev Milkha Singh of India, the first alternate from the England qualifier.
Blake leads Senior Players Championship: Jay Don Blake birdied three of the last five holes at windy Philadelphia Cricket Club for a 2-under 68 and the first-round lead in the Constellation Senior Players Championship.
Blake had five birdies and three bogeys in windy conditions on the A.W. Tillinghast-designed Wissahickon Course.
The 57-year-old Blake won the last of his three senior titles in 2012.
NHL appeals Wideman suspension
NHL: The National Hockey League might be suffering buyer’s remorse after agreeing players can appeal a commissioner’s decision to an outside arbitrator.
The league asked a Manhattan federal court judge to reject the reduction of Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman’s suspension for knocking down a linesman.
An independent arbitrator reduced Wideman’s suspension from 20 games to 10 after ruling that Wideman did not intend to injure linesman Don Henderson in Jan. 27 game against the Nashville Predators. The suspension has already been served.
Loyola investigates Swoopes
NCAA: Loyola women’s basketball coach Sheryl Swoopes says she did nothing wrong as the school investigates her treatment of players.
Swoopes said she is confident facts will show she acted only out of concern for her players.
Loyola said in April that it would investigate the allegations. One former player, Cate Soan, has said Swoopes humiliated her and created a hostile environment.
Baylor assistant remain despite report: Baylor University has kept its assistant coaching staff intact after firing head coach Art Briles despite a scathing report that concluded multiple football “coaches” acted inappropriately in handling sexual assault allegations against their players.
While Baylor regents demoted former President and Chancellor Ken Starr and athletic director Ian McCaw resigned, Briles has remained the only coach to be dismissed since the report accused the football program of acting as if it was “above the rules.”
Chicharito powers Mexico past Jamaica
Soccer: Javier Hernandez scored on a first-half header, and Mexico survived a tense second half to advance to the Copa America quarterfinals in Pasadena, California, with a 2-0 victory over Jamaica.
Substitute Oribe Peralta scored in the 81st minute and goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made several big stops in El Tri’s 11th consecutive win in international play, including its first two Copa America games.
Venezuela beats Uruguay to advance: Salomon Rondon scored on a rebound after a shot from midfield struck the crossbar and Venezuela beat Uruguay 1-0 on to advance to the Copa America Centenario quarterfinals.
The West Bromwich striker scored in the 36th minute, after a shot from midfield by Alejandro Guerra was barely deflected by Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and hit the crossbar.
Venezuela won its first two games and leads Group C with six points. Uruguay has two losses and will be eliminated from the tournament if Mexico wins or ties Jamaica in the late match in Pasadena, California.
Federer tops Fritz at Mercedes Cup
Miscellany: In his first match in a month, Roger Federer overcame a stiff challenge from American teenager Taylor Fritz to reach the Mercedes Cup quarterfinals with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win in Stuttgart, Germany.
Federer struggled to hold serve early in the third but broke for 5-4 and clinched the match with a backhand winner.
Russian minister denies cover up: Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko denied allegations in a German documentary that he intervened to conceal a soccer player’s positive drug test, dismissing the report as “laughable” and “implausible.”
The documentary, aired by German broadcaster ARD, showed what it said were Mutko’s initials on a document as proof that the minister helped to cover up a positive test of an unidentified player of the Krasnodar soccer team.
Hagen wins Stage 4 at Dauphine: Edvald Boasson Hagen claimed the fourth stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere in Belley, France, after coming out on top of a bunch sprint finish.
The Norwegian edged Frenchmen Julian Alaphilippe and Nacer Bouhanni to claim his fourth stage win in six years at the warm-up race for the Tour de France.
de Grasse wins men’s 100: Canadian, Andre de Grasse won the 100 meters at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway in 10.07 seconds, with a three Americans finishing right behind him.
Michael Rodgers was second in 10.09, followed by Dentarius Locke in 10.12 and Ameer Webb in