GOLF-BRITISH OPEN
Dustin Johnson leads a British Open that won’t finish until Monday
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — David Duval has set the tone for going low in the third round of the British Open. Duval took advantage of the soft greens and barely a hint of wind to shoot a 5-under 67 in the first group out Sunday. That’s his best score in the Open since his closing round 67 to win at Lytham in 2001.
In fact, five of the first six players to finish shot in the 60s.
Of course, the 36-hole leaders have yet to take the course.
Dustin Johnson finished the second round with a one-shot lead on Danny Willett and two ahead of Paul Lawrie. Johnson and Willett are in the final group.
The weather took a sudden turn for the worse during today’s play, with heavy rain pounding the course and golfers breaking out their umbrellas and weatherproof gear. But so far, there are no worries about another delay.
PGA-BARBASOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Co-leaders in Alabama
OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) — Ricky Barnes and Scott Piercy each shot 6-under 65 to share the third-round lead in the PGA Tour’s inaugural Barbasol Championship in Alabama.
Barnes and Piercy reached 13-under 200 on Grand National’s Lake Course. Piercy birdied four of his first five holes, and Barnes birdied 16 and 17 to grab a share of the lead.
Second-round co-leaders Whee Kim and Mark Hensby were among five players a shot back.
LPGA-MARATHON
Jang stays on top
SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) — Ha Na Jang remains the leader through 54 holes in the LPGA’s Marathon Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.
Jang fired a 2-under 69 for an 11-under total, one stroke ahead of fellow South Korean Q Baek. Defending champion Lydia Ko is tied for third with top-ranked Inbee Park at minus-9.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Nats win one, lose one
UNDATED (AP) — A couple of National League division leaders squared off on Saturday, with each team coming away with a victory.
Pinch-hitter Matt den Dekker belted a two-run homer in the eighth inning to send the Washington Nationals to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Drew Storen picked up his 28th save by wrapping up a game that was suspended after five innings Friday night because of a lighting malfunction.
Clayton Kershaw dominated the Nats in Game 2 by striking out 14 while allowing three hits over eight shutout innings of the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory. Yasiel Puig (YAH’-see-ul pweeg) hit a pair of RBI singles to back Kershaw, who had his start pushed back one day after pitching in Tuesday’s All-Star game.
The Dodgers now top the NL West by 3 ½ games over San Francisco following the Giants’ fifth consecutive win, 8-4 at Arizona. Buster Posey had three hits and four RBIs to help Jake Peavy get his first win of the season. Peavy improved to 1-4 despite yielding four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Also in the majors:
— St. Louis crushed the New York Mets 12-2 as Randal Grichuk (GRIH’-chuhk) went 3-for-3 with a three-run homer, a two-run blast and six RBIs. Jason Heyward went 5-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored to support John Lackey, who surrendered 10 hits but just one run in seven innings. The outcome expands the Cardinals’ lead in the NL Central to 4 ½ games over Pittsburgh and drops the Mets three games behind the NL East-leading Nationals.
— Milwaukee spotted the Pirates a 3-0 lead in the first inning before beating the Bucs 8-5. James Nelson began the Brewers’ rally with a two-run single and pitched into the seventh to get the win. Jonathan Lucroy hit a two-run homer, Aramis (ah-RAH’-mihs) Ramirez added a solo shot and two RBIs and Khris Davis launched a solo blast.
— Jon Lester was terrific in the Chicago Cubs’ 4-0 shutout of Atlanta, fanning seven and holding the Braves to a pair of singles in 7 1/3 innings. Lester had a no-hitter until A.J. Pierzysnki (peer-ZIHN’-skee) singled leading off the bottom of the eighth. Anthony Rizzo opened and closed the scoring with RBI singles.
— Tampa Bay beat Toronto 3-2 on Curt Casali’s tiebreaking homer in the eighth. The Blue Jays went ahead 2-1 on Jose Bautista’s solo blast in the sixth, but the Rays tied it on Brandon Guyer’s solo shot the next inning. The Rays improved to 8-4 against the Jays this season and pulled into sole possession of second in the AL East, 3 ½ games behind the New York Yankees.
— Robinson Cano (kah-NOH’) snapped a season-long slump with a pair of two-run homers against his former team as the Mariners beat the Yankees in New York 4-3. Cano was hitting .249 with just six home runs and 30 RBIs before his first-inning blast off Michael Pineda (pih-NAY’-dah).
— Baltimore had dropped 11 of 14 before Chris Tillman tossed one-hit ball over eight innings of the Orioles’ 3-0 shutout of Detroit. The Tigers were no-hit after Ian Kinsler led off the bottom of the first with a single. David Price was the hard-luck loser despite striking out 12 in seven innings.
— Kansas City blew a two-run lead in the ninth before Lorenzo Cain homered in the 13th inning to lift the Royals past the White Sox 7-6 in Chicago. Cain had three of the Royals’ 17 hits and Mike Moustakas (moos-TAH’-kahs) drove in a pair of runs. Greg Holland blew the save when J.B. Shuck hit a two-run double.
— The Royals’ lead in the AL Central is up to five games after Minnesota blew a 2-1 lead in the ninth and lost in Oakland 3-2 in 10 innings. Billy Burns led off the 10th with a double and scored on Stephen Vogt’s (vohts) single, one inning after Jake Smolinski singled home the tying run. Billy Butler homered and Scott Kazmir blanked the Twins until Joe Mauer laced an RBI double in the ninth.
— The Angels blanked Boston for the second straight night as Garrett Richards tossed a two-hitter in a 3-0 win at Anaheim. Kole Calhoun was 3-for-3 with a pair of solo homers to help Richards improve to 10-6. The Angels stretched their lead in the AL West to 1 ½ games over Houston.
— The Astros lost for the seventh time in eight games as Josh Hamilton and Rougned Odor (ROOG’-nehd oh-DOHR’) each had three hits and two RBIs to lead the Texas offense in a 7-6 triumph over Houston. Odor, Hamilton and Robinson Chirinos each homered while the Rangers were building a 7-4 lead. Colby Rasmus belted a two-run homer in the ninth for the Astros.
— Clint Barmes (BAHR’-mehs) hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning of San Diego’s 5-4 verdict over Colorado. Padres rookie catcher Austin Hedges homered and threw out a runner.
— Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes (yahn gohmz) hit three-run homers and Brandon Moss added a two-run shot in Cleveland’s 9-4 blowout over Cincinnati. Reigning AL Cy Young award winner Corey Kluber improved to 5-10 by yielding three runs and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings.
— Chad Billingsley scattered four hits in five shutout innings to pitch Philadelphia past Miami 3-1. Ryan Howard and Dominic Brown provided RBI singles in the first inning as the majors’ worst team improved to 2-0 since the All-Star break.
MLB-PIRATES-LIRIANO
Liriano scratched
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano was scratched minutes before the start of Saturday night’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers due to neck tightness after a bad night of sleep.
Liriano had made all 18 of his previously scheduled starts this year, going 5-6 with a 2.98 ERA.
Vance Worley took Liriano’s turn on the mound and was shelled in his first start since May 14.
NFL-PACKERS-FAVRE
Favre honored by Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Lambeau Field was packed on a July evening.
The Green Bay Packers have inducted Brett Favre (fahrv) into their Hall of Fame and retired his No. 4 jersey. The stadium was packed with fans, family members and friends, along with former teammates and coaches who watched while Favre spoke for about 50 minutes.
The three-time MVP quarterback played 16 years for the Packers before leaving the team on bad terms in 2008.
Former general manager Ron Wolf and former coach Mike Holmgren were among those who joined Favre at a press conference before the ceremony.
SOCCER-GOLD CUP
U.S. routs Cuba to reach Gold Cup semis
BALTIMORE (AP) — The United States will make its eighth straight Gold Cup semifinal appearance after crushing Cuba in Baltimore on Saturday.
Clint Dempsey notched his first international hat trick as the Americans rolled to a 6-0 victory. Dempsey raised his tournament-leading goal total to six and pulled within 10 of Landon Donovan’s U.S. record of 67 international goals.
Next up for the U.S. is Jamaica, which beat Haiti 1-0 on Giles Barnes’ goal in the seventh minute. The Jamaicans are in the semifinals for the first time since 1998 and have never played in the title game.
SOCCER-FIFA
FIFA official pleads not guilty in New York
NEW YORK (AP) — A former top FIFA (FEE’-fuh) official has pleaded not guilty to racketeering and bribery charges in a corruption case aimed at soccer’s governing body.
Jeffrey Webb posted a $10 million bond at his arraignment in federal court and surrendered three passports. He will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of his release.
Webb was among seven FIFA officials detained in Switzerland. The rest are fighting extradition.
PELE
Soccer great in hospital
SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian hospital says Pele (PAY’-lay) is hospitalized in Sao Paulo. Brazilian media say the soccer great underwent successful back surgery and should be discharged from the hospital next week. Calls to Pele’s personal assistant for details went unanswered.
A press officer for the Albert Einstein Hospital says she could only confirm he was there. She says she is not allowed to say when he was hospitalized or why.
INDY-CAR-IOWA
Hunter-Reay wins at Iowa again
NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Ryan Hunter-Reay has won the IndyCar race at Iowa Speedway for the third time in four years, holding off the field on a late restart to give Andretti Autosport its sixth consecutive win on the 0.894-mile oval.
Josef Newgarden was second and rookie Sage Karam was a career-best third, giving American drivers a sweep of the podium.
Points leader Juan Pablo Montoya’s night lasted just nine laps after his No. 2 Penske car flew into the wall. His lead dropped from 54 points to 42 over Graham Rahal, who finished fourth.
TOUR DE FRANCE
Stage 15
MENDE, France (AP) — Chris Froome of Britain is leading the pack as the Tour de France heads toward the Rhone River valley for Sunday’s romp over several hills in a 15th stage that should favor breakaway riders or a bunch sprint at the finish.
The Sky team leader and 2013 Tour champ leads Colombia’s Nairo Quintana, who is second, by 3 minutes, 10 seconds heading into the 114-mile trek.
French police have boosted security around Team Sky after its riders complained about aggressive spectators. Froome said a roadside spectator shouting “doper” in French splashed him with urine in Stage 14. His teammate Richie Porte said someone punched him on a climb in the Pyrenees last week.
Sunday’s ride offers one of the last expected chances for sprinters to shine before the race finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on July 26.
NFL-OBIT
Longtime voice of the Bills dies
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Van Miller, the voice of the Buffalo Bills from the team’s earliest days in the AFL has died at age 87. He began his broadcasting career in 1955 calling high school sports for WBEN radio and television. He became the Bills’ play-by-play man during the team’s first season with the AFL in 1960.
Miller served in that role from 1960 to 1970 and again from 1978 until his retirement in 2003. He called a total of 605 Bills games during his career.
