GOLF
The PGA Tour abruptly dropped its expensive fight with Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf venture yesterday and instead announced a stunning merger that creates a global operation featuring the world’s top players backed by the Saudis’ massive wealth. As part of the deal merging the PGA Tour and European tour with Saudi Arabia’s golf interests, the sides immediately are dropping all lawsuits involving LIV Golf. From the golf side, still to be determined is how players like Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson can rejoin the PGA Tour after defecting last year for signing bonuses reported to be in the $150 million range.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan spent more than an hour explaining to players Tuesday afternoon why he changed his mind about taking Saudi funds in a surprise collaboration, saying it ultimately was for their benefit. And to think it was nearly a year ago to the day that Saudi-funded LIV Golf teed off in its inaugural event as a rival and a threat, flush with defectors from golf’s top circuit. Morals were questioned. Lawsuits were filed. Golfers doubled down on their affiliations. A merger, it seemed, wasn’t in the cards. But on Tuesday, professionals from both tours were caught off guard by news that their worlds would collide — that the PGA Tour, European tour and LIV Golf were merging.
The PGA Tour's merger with rival LIV Golf has reignited a debate over sportswashing and drawn critics ranging from current professional golfers to the families of Sept. 11 victims. Sportswashing has been going on for decades in the Olympics and other sports across the globe. The sportswashing angle with LIV Golf gained steam last year when its first big-name signing, Phil Mickelson, was quoted as calling the Saudis “scary (expletives)” as he discussed what the CIA concluded was the Saudi-backed killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Family members of Sept. 11 victims who blame Saudi Arabia for the 2001 terror attacks have also been vocal critics of Mickelson and others who have accepted multiple millions from LIV Golf.
MLB
Rob Refsnyder had the go-ahead RBI single in a four-run eighth inning and James Paxton tied his season high with nine strikeouts, giving the Boston Red Sox a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. Kiké Hernández drove in two runs and Masataka Yoshida had three hits for the Red Sox, who put their first six batters on base in the eighth against relievers Enyel De Los Santos and Nick Sandlin. Paxton allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings, matching his longest outing since Sept. 3, 2019, with the Yankees. Kenley Jansen worked a perfect ninth for his 13th save in 16 opportunities.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa had an RBI double with two outs in the seventh inning off Chicago reliever Joe Kelly, ending a combined no-hit bid by the White Sox against the New York Yankees. Lucas Giolito pitched the first six innings for the White Sox. He struck out seven, walked three and threw 100 pitches before being removed without allowing a hit. Kelly entered to start the seventh and struck out his first two batters before Willie Calhoun walked. Kiner-Falefa sent a drive into deep left-center and it appeared left fielder Andrew Benintendi and center fielder Luis Robert Jr. both had an opportunity to make a difficult running catch. But both outfielders backed off at the last instant, making sure to avoid a collision, and the ball fell between them.
Meanwhile, Aaron Judge is headed to the injured list for the second time this season after the New York Yankees star hurt his right toe making a spectacular catch at Dodger Stadium. The reigning AL MVP missed his second consecutive game last night. He met with team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and underwent testing that showed a bruise and a sprained ligament, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said following his team’s 3-2 loss to the White Sox. Boone said Judge will be placed on the IL but did not give a timeline for his return. The slugger received a platelet-rich plasma injection. Boone said Judge’s toe is not fractured.
Orlando Arcia drove in the go-ahead run in Atlanta’s four-run sixth, Bryce Elder overcame his worst inning of the season and the Braves beat the New York Mets 6-4. Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso hit two-run homers in the third, but Elder regrouped with three scoreless innings and New York lost its fourth straight, matching a season high. The Mets led 4-1 before starter Carlos Carrasco allowed three runs in the sixth. Arcia’s RBI single off reliever Drew Smith deflected off the glove of diving second baseman Eduardo Escobar to give Atlanta a 5-4 lead. Elder began the night leading the majors with his 1.92 ERA.
Kyle Schwarber hit a leadoff homer, Taijuan Walker threw seven scoreless innings and the Philadelphia Phillies won their fourth straight, 1-0 over the Detroit Tigers. Walker allowed two hits, Seranthony Dominguez worked the eighth and Craig Kimbrel completed the three-hitter, striking out the side in order for his ninth save in as many chances. The defending NL champion Phillies pulled within three games of .500. Miguel Cabrera had the Tigers’ only extra-base hit, a one-out double in the fifth. Detroit has lost all five on a six-game trip that ends Wednesday night at Philadelphia.
Texas ace Jacob deGrom will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, cutting short his first season with the AL West-leading Rangers after the oft-injured pitcher signed a $185 million, five-year contract. General manager Chris Young says the decision came after the latest MRI on deGrom’s ailing right elbow. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner hasn’t pitched since April 28 against the New York Yankees, when he exited early because of injury concerns for the second time in a span of three starts. DeGrom spent his first nine seasons with the Mets. Injuries limited him to 156 1/3 innings over 26 starts during his last two years in New York.
NBA
Erik Spoelstra has preached about the value of adversity for months, not shying away from saying that it helped the Miami Heat get to these NBA Finals. And now Denver is dealing with a little taste of it as well. Game 3 of the NBA Finals is tonight at 8:30 in Miami, with the series between the eighth-seeded Heat and top-seeded Nuggets knotted at a game apiece. It got that way after Miami rallied to win Game 2 in Denver 111-108 on Sunday night, an outcome that prompted Nuggets coach Michael Malone to openly share frustrations primarily over a lack of discipline on a lot of possessions.
WNBA
A’Ja Wilson scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces remained undefeated, holding off Connecticut 90-84 in a rematch of the teams in last year’s WNBA Finals. Jackie Young added 22 points for Vegas, which led by as many as 19 points before a furious fourth quarter comeback by Connecticut cut that lead to three. Kelsey Plum had 17 points and Chelsea Gray added 14 points. Rebecca Allen scored 22 points for the Sun, hitting four of her six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Alyssa Thomas had her seventh double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for the Eastern Conference leaders. Brionna Jones added 15 points.
NHL
The Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers were connected by tragedy five years before meeting in the Stanley Cup Final. Both teams helped their communities recover after the 2017 Las Vegas Strip shooting that left 60 dead and the 2018 massacre of 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Both teams have honored the victims, worked with their families and donated to foundations. In each arena, there is a memorial to their community's respective tragedy. Duke University professor Orin Starn says sports teams can help communities heal after tragedy. He points to the New York Yankees' first home game after 9/11 and New Orleans Saints players assisting relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina.
SOCCER
Online racist abuse of soccer players is prolific on social media platforms. It's the latest form of racism blighting the world's most popular sport. It's technology-fueled, visual, permanently intrusive, 24/7 and a haunting reminder of the 1980s-style monkey chants and banana throwing. Players and teams targeted by abuse are coming up with ways to raise awareness and reduce their exposure to offensive users. It includes using companies who configure AI software to act as a filter to stop discriminatory comments from being seen. Some are choosing alternative platforms to promote not just themselves but more ethical behavior online. There's also legislation in the works in the European Union and Britain to force big tech companies to act tougher on racism.
NFL
With a helmet on, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin took part in team drills in a practice open to reporters for the first time in six months since having a near-death experience during a game. Hamlin appeared upbeat by waving to the cameras pointed at him during pre-practice stretching drills. Soon after, he served as a punt protector in several special team periods before taking the field with the defense. General manager Brandon Beane said Hamlin practiced fully for the first time in a session closed to reporters last week. Hamlin was cleared to resume playing in mid-April, and had previously been limited to taking part in individual drills and the stretching portions of practice.
Two Cleveland Browns defensive players were robbed at gunpoint by six masked men outside a downtown nightclub, according to police. Police redacted the names of the players in a field case report. A person familiar with the situation identified the players as cornerback Greg Newsome II and tackle Perrion Winfrey. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. According to police, one of the players was returning to his truck in a parking lot at 3:30 a.m. when the masked suspects jumped out of a car and robbed him of jewelry before fleeing in his vehicle. The player said he was not injured during the theft.
FRENCH OPEN
Novak Djokovic has come back after dropping a set for the first time in the tournament to beat 11th-seeded Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4 at the French Open to reach his 45th career Grand Slam semifinal. Roger Federer holds the men's record of 46 appearances in the final four of a major. Tuesday's victory put Djokovic in that round for the 12th time at Roland Garros. Djokovic moves into a much-anticipated semifinal against No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who overwhelmed Stefanos Tsitsipas on Tuesday night. Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Muchova both reached the women's semifinals in Paris for the first time.
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