GOLF
Henderson leads at Meijer
Brooke Henderson on Saturday birdied the final three holes for a three-under 69 and a two-stroke lead over Annie Park at the Meijer Classic, with Lexi Thompson three shots back after a 62. Trying to break a tie for the Canadian victory record for both women and men, the 21-year-old Henderson had a 19-under 197 total at Blythefield Country Club. She opened with consecutive 64s, playing 30 holes on Friday after rain delayed the start on Thursday. Both Taiwanese at the tournament failed to make the cut, with Hsu Wei-ling shooting a pair of 72s and Chien Pei-yun shooting a 72 and a 73.
CRICKET
South Africa get first win
South Africa won their first match at the Cricket World Cup with a nine-wicket thrashing of Afghanistan under the DLS method at Sophia Gardens on Saturday. Quinton de Kock hit 68, including eight fours, and Hashim Amla was 41 not out in their 131-1 in 28.4 overs in reply to Afghanistan’s 125 all out in 34.1 overs. Captain Faf du Plessis was a happy man at the end. “Very relieved. Feel a little bit lighter, but I think all our cricket today was much better and much more competitive,” Du Plessis said. However, South Africa remained in the bottom half of the table with the West Indies, Bangladesh and Pakistan, but have played one more game. Afghanistan, have lost all four of their matches and remained last. In the top half, Australia defeated Sri Lanka by 87 runs to go to No. 1. Sri Lanka, whose top order threatened to overhaul Australia’s 334-7, were fifth.
SOCCER
Group E top two decided
The Netherlands and Canada ensured they would finish in the top two in Group E at the Women’s World Cup with victories. In Valenciennes on Saturday, Vivianne Miedema scored a brace as they saw off a spirited Cameroon 3-1, while Canada laid siege to the New Zealand goal in Grenoble to win 2-0.
SOCCER
Antuna scores hat-trick
Uriel Antuna went from not even being on Mexico’s roster to getting the start and scoring a hat-trick. The forward — who was a last-minute addition to the roster — scored three goals and had an assist as top-seeded Mexico cruised to a 7-0 rout over Cuba on the opening day of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. “I am very happy I was able to score, but the team played a great game, so I am very happy to be here,” Antuna said to CONCACAF.com after the game. Canada opened play with a 4-0 victory over Martinique in Saturday’s first game.
BASEBALL
Ruth jersey sets record
A New York Yankees jersey worn by baseball legend Babe Ruth was sold at auction for a record-breaking US$5.64 million, a statement said on Saturday. Hunt Auctions said the jersey was the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold. “The legacy and significance of Babe Ruth to the game of baseball and American popular culture is unmatched by any other figure in the history of this country,” Hunt Auctions president David Hunt said in a statement. The identity of the buyer was not disclosed. Saturday’s sale shattered the previous record for sports memorabilia of US$4.4 million, also for a Ruth jersey, set in 2012.
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
Former world No. 2 Paula Badosa has withdrawn from this week’s Wuhan Open, organizers said on Tuesday, amid a racism row over an online photograph. Tournament organizers said the Spaniard had pulled out of the WTA 1000 tournament, citing a gastrointestinal illness, hours before her first-round match against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic. News outlets including Britain’s the Telegraph earlier reported that Badosa had posted a photo on Instagram in which she appeared to imitate a Chinese face by placing chopsticks on the corners of her eyes. The photo was taken last week in a restaurant in Beijing, where she reached the semi-finals of the
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one
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