Oh, baby! Sam Burns takes the lead in a British Open he planned to miss
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Sam Burns has a great chance to win a major he never planned on playing. Burns shot a 65 on Saturday to build a two-shot lead over Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim going into the final round of the British Open. Burns thought his runner-up finish in the U.S. Open would be his last major of the year because his wife was due to give birth the week of the British Open. But she had their daughter earlier than expect and Burns decided a week ago Friday to fly over to England. Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau shrugged off his two-shot penalty Friday with a 69. He was four shots back.
DeChambeau feels the love from fans at the British Open and stays in contention for claret jug
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau enjoyed overwhelmingly positive support from the galleries at Royal Birkdale the day after his heated brush with officials and subsequent two-shot penalty at the British Open. DeChambeau high-fived a line of spectators, accepted a request for a selfie with a kid and then stopped to fist-bump a fan after leaving the driving range for his third round. Shouts of “We love you Bryson” and “Go Bryson” followed him to the first tee, where fans cheered and whooped when he was introduced by the starter. There was the odd jibe from the deep galleries but it's clear he remains a popular figure among golf fans.
Kylian Mbappé passes Lionel Messi for career World Cup scoring record with 22 goals
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Kylian Mbappé moved past Lionel Messi for the career World Cup scoring record with 22 goals, scoring twice for France in a 6-4 loss to England in the third-place match. Mbappé finished this World Cup with 10 goals, two more than Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, which is awarded to the tournament’s top scorer. Should he remain ahead of Messi after Argentina plays Spain in Sunday’s final, he would become the first player to win the Golden Boot twice. His second goal Saturday was a left-footed strike from about 14 yards in the 66th minute to pass Messi’s career mark of 21 goals.
Saka’s hat trick lifts England past Mbappé and France 6-4 in wild World Cup third-place game
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Bukayo Saka scored three goals to lead England to a 6-4 win over France for third place in the World Cup, while Kylian Mbappé surpassed Lionel Messi’s career World Cup scoring record and took the lead in the Golden Boot race with a pair of second-half goals. It was the highest-scoring World Cup game since Hungary beat El Salvador 10-1 in 1982, and the 10 goals were the most in a third-place match. Saka had goals in the 37th minute and first-half stoppage time, then added his third on a penalty in the 87th for his second career hat trick with England.
Ryan Fox matches major championship record with a 62 in the British Open
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Ryan Fox has joined the list of players with a major championship scoring record. He became the third player this week to shoot a record-tying 62 at the British Open at Royal Birkdale. Fox started early with minimal wind and took advantage. He made five birdies on the front nine and birdied two of his last three holes. Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns also shot 62 on Friday. There have now been eight rounds of 62 in major championship history, with half of them at Royal Birkdale. Branden Grace first set the record there in 2017.
Tommy Lad does enough to keep alive hopes of British Open in his hometown
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Tommy Fleetwood has been dreaming of winning the British Open since he was a child sneaking onto Royal Birkdale. He remains determined to make that dream a reality. Fleetwood shot a 1-under 69 and is five shots behind Sam Burns. The crowd at Royal Birkdale has been a huge support for Fleetwood, who is a local favorite. Thousands have cheered him on, creating a special atmosphere. Despite some challenges, Fleetwood is eager to see how the tournament unfolds. He cherishes the experiences and dreams of lifting the silver claret jug. And he says the support has been massive.
Josh Kerr of Britain breaks the men’s mile world record that stood since 1999
LONDON (AP) — British runner Josh Kerr ran 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds to break the longstanding men’s mile world record at a Diamond League meet in London on Saturday. Kerr, the 2023 world champion beak Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj’s mark of 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds, set in Rome in 1999. Kerr was so dominant that he finished just over three seconds clear of American Yared Nuguse in 3:45.69. He had targeted the mile race at the Diamond League meet as a main goal in a track season with neither Olympics nor world championships.
The World Cup final awaits, with Messi and defending champion Argentina set to face Spain
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Lionel Messi rarely loses. Spain never loses. That’s been how things have worked in recent years, anyway. Soccer’s best player and soccer’s dominant team are set to collide Sunday in a World Cup final worthy of the sport’s grandest stage. Messi and Argentina will face a Spain squad that is unbeaten in 37 consecutive matches going back to early 2024. For Spain, it’s a chance at a second World Cup title to go along with the one from 2010. For Argentina, it’s a chance to become the first back-to-back men’s World Cup champion since Pele and Brazil did it in 1958 and 1962.
Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn loses no-hit bid in 7th inning against Nationals
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn lost his bid for a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals when Keibert Ruiz lined a clean single to center field with one out in the seventh inning Saturday night. After the base hit, Ginn was removed from the game by manager Mark Kotsay and received a standing ovation. The right-hander exited with the A’s leading 8-0 as they tried to snap a 10-game losing streak. Ginn struck out seven and walked three. He threw 82 pitches, 50 for strikes. Before the seventh, Washington’s only baseruners came on a pair of two-out walks in the second and a two-out walk in the fifth. The Nationals piled up a season-high 21 hits Friday night in a 23-4 blowout against the A’s.
Ryan Blaney looks to stay hot as NASCAR heads to North Wilkesboro for first points race in 30 years
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (AP) — Ryan Blaney is on a tear with eight straight top 10 finishes, including a win last week at Atlanta. He’s gearing up for Sunday night's historic race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, NASCAR's first championship points race there in 30 years. The track was dormant for years but has been revitalized. Blaney is also in the semifinals of the $1 million NASCAR In-Season Challenge. Heavy rain washed out qualifying, so Blaney will start on the pole. NASCAR legends will be present to celebrate the event and Rusty Wallace will serve as grand marshal for the sold out race.
