Canada beats South Africa 1-0 in World Cup's first knockout match on Stephen Eustáquio's late goal
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Eustáquio scored in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, and Canada beat South Africa 1-0 for its first knockout match victory in a World Cup. A tense match appeared to be headed for extra time until Eustáquio put a stunning volley from outside the penalty area into the bottom corner of Ronwen Williams’ net. Eustáquio plays professionally for Los Angeles FC several miles away from SoFi Stadium. Canada hung on with strong defensive play in the final minutes and advanced to face the Netherlands or Morocco in Houston on Saturday, July 4.
Scheffler makes clutch putt to force Monday playoff against Hovland in Travelers Championship
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler celebrated as though he won and it must have felt that way. He made an 8-foot par putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Viktor Hovland at the Travelers Championship. That will have to wait until Monday. The final round was stopped for 90 minutes because of storms at the TPC River Highlands. Hovland had three straight birdies to catch Scheffler and they finished with three pars. The delay meant it was too dark to contest even one playoff hole. That means they will return Monday morning to complete the final signature event.
Haeran Ryu wins the Women's PGA Championship for her first major title
CHASKA, Minn. (AP) — Haeran Ryu recovered from a rough start to secure her first career major title by winning the Women’s PGA Championship by two strokes over Ina Yoon. Ryu shot a 2-under 70 to finish at 13-under 275 and become the sixth South Korean to win the event over the last 12 editions. The 2023 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year was 10 strokes back in a tie for 70th place after the first round. Brooke Henderson and Dewi Weber tied for third at 10 under. Tour leader Nelly Korda tied for eighth after winning the first two majors of the year.
Korda looks forward to rest before taking on next two majors after frustrating finish at Women's PGA
CHASKA, Minn. (AP) — Nelly Korda moved within three strokes of the lead as she made the turn in the final round of the Women’s PGA Championship and birdied the 10th hole before fading down the stretch. The LPGA Tour leader finished seven shots back of winner Haeran Ryu in a tie for eighth place after a tough weekend on the greens. Korda was seeking to become the third player in women's golf history to win three straight majors to start a season. This was only the second time in nine official stroke play events this year that she didn't finish first or second.
Sonny Gray loses no-hit bid against Yankees in 8th but Red Sox rally in 10th to finish 4-game sweep
BOSTON (AP) — Sonny Gray was almost overloaded with reasons to celebrate. As if taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning and reaching 2,000 career strikeouts weren’t enough, his brilliant outing Sunday night for Boston came against the rival New York Yankees — a team Gray once pitched for and hasn’t been shy about disliking. So after winning a wild game 5-4 in 10 innings, Gray and the Red Sox were reveling in a four-game sweep at Fenway Park that marked their longest winning streak this season. Boston squandered a 2-0 lead in the ninth, but Jarren Duran’s game-ending single capped a three-run rally in the 10th that gave the Red Sox their first four-game sweep of the Yankees since 2018.
Hornets send Miles Bridges to Phoenix Suns as offseason shakeup continues, AP source says
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says the Charlotte Hornets are trading forward Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round draft pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for guard Grayson Allen, forward Royce O’Neale and a 2033 first-round pick. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the trade still needs to be approved by the league. The Hornets last week traded star point guard LaMelo Ball to Minnesota as part of a larger deal setting off a major restructuring in Charlotte just months after the team improved its win total by 24 games from last season. The Hornets lost in the play-in game to Orlando.
Serena Williams gave herself a pep talk to play singles at Wimbledon at age 44
LONDON (AP) — Serena Williams had to talk herself into accepting Wimbledon’s offer to play singles. The All England club was holding one last wild card entry and the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion had a decision to make. The 44-year-old Williams says “I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me, Serena? What are you thinking? Are you nuts? Like you really should do this.’” Williams’ first match at the grass-court Grand Slam since 2022 will take place on Centre Court on Tuesday evening when she faces 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia as part of her evolving tennis comeback.
Lindsey Vonn has a special understanding of Serena Williams' comeback as a fellow 40-something
LONDON (AP) — Skier Lindsey Vonn has a special understanding of what Serena Williams is going through as she prepares to play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon at age 44. Vonn was the top World Cup downhiller last season at age 41 until her horrific crash at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Vonn tells The Associated Press “there is an increasing shift in what women can accomplish at later stages in their careers or life.” She adds that she and Williams "don’t need to prove anything to anyone but we still have the ability to compete at an elite level. She also told me that I played a role in inspiring her to come back so that of course was meaningful to me.”
Money can't buy success in World Cup for gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar
ATLANTA (AP) — Spending billions of dollars and attracting some of soccer’s biggest stars doesn’t guarantee success at the World Cup. Saudi Arabia is out at the earliest point. Again. Bottom of a group that included tiny Cape Verde, the third-smallest nation ever to compete on this stage and into the knockouts for the first time. By signing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema as part of a spectacular recruitment drive in recent years, Saudi Arabia has been a major disruptor of club soccer. But on the international stage it still has a long way to go eight years out from hosting the World Cup in 2034.
Inside the World Cup knockout stage bracket: Some teams have an easier path than others
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The World Cup knockout stage is set, and some teams might feel like they've drawn the short straw. Morocco and the Netherlands face off early, meaning one top team won't make it to the Round of 16. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi and Argentina have a favorable path, starting against Cape Verde. The bracket is based on group-stage results, not a selection committee, so some matchups seem tougher than others. France and Germany might clash in the Round of 16, while Portugal faces a challenging start against Croatia. The semifinals are set for mid-July, with the final in New Jersey on July 19.
