SPORTS HEADLINES

PGA Championship final features a mix of stars and unknowns at Aronimink

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (AP) — The PGA Championship has the strongest field of the four majors. So it shouldn’t be a big surprise to see so many starts in the mix at Aronimink. But this major is different. For every Alex Smalley and Matti Schmid, there is Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy. Bud Cauley is contending. So is Xander Schauffele. Smalley has a two-shot lead and will play in the final group with Schmid. It’s the first time in 23 years at any major the final group had two players who had never won on any of the main tours around the world.

Sinner becomes 1st Italian man to win Italian Open in 50 years and matches Djokovic’s Masters sweep

ROME (AP) — Jannik Sinner is the first Italian man to win the Italian Open since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago. The top-ranked Sinner’s 6-4, 6-4 victory over Casper Ruud in the final on the red clay of the Foro Italico on Sunday also made him only the second man after Novak Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 events. With his only real rival Carlos Alcaraz currently sidelined due to a right wrist injury seemingly nobody can beat Sinner. Sinner extended his winning streak to 29 matches. And he’s now 17-0 on clay this year entering the French Open. Roland Garros starts next Sunday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the overwhelming favorite for NBA MVP in Sunday night’s reveal

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The NBA’s Most Valuable Player announcement timeline went like this last season: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was announced as the winner one day before he and the Oklahoma City Thunder played a home game in the Western Conference finals. It seems like that script may get followed again. The NBA will reveal this season’s MVP on Sunday a day before Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder play host to a West finals home game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain eliminated in early crashes at NASCAR All-Star Race

DOVER, Del. (AP) — The first NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway quickly became an attrition-filled event that eliminated some big names long before the final segment began. Several crashes during the first two 75-lap segments on Sunday collected more than half of the 36-car field. There were 19 drivers locked into the 200-lap dash for $1 million, but Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain still were eliminated because their cars could not be repaired, and backups weren’t allowed. Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell started the last stage with cars that were damaged.

Felix Rosenqvist posts fastest 4-lap average in 1st round of Indianapolis 500 qualifying

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Felix Rosenqvist posted the fastest four-lap average of 232.599 mph in the first round of Indianapolis 500 qualifications. David Malukas was second at 231.813 with Conor Daly third at 231.744, topping the 12-car pole shootout. Others who advanced Sunday were Scott McLaughlin, the 2024 Indy pole winner and Malukas’ teammate with Team Penske; Rinus Veekay of Juncos Hollinger Racing; 2016 race winner Alexander Rossi of Ed Carpenter Racing; two-time Indy runner-up Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren; Santino Ferrucci and rookie Caio Collet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises; and three Chip Ganassi Racing drivers: 2008 race winner Scott Dixon, defending champ Alex Palou and Kyffin Simpson.

Kurt Kitayama becomes 2nd player with a Sunday 63 in PGA Championship history

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (AP) — Kurt Kitayama has tied the lowest final round in major championship history with a 63 at the PGA Championship. Kitayama charged up the leaderboard at Aronimink Golf Club. He became the ninth player to shoot a 63 in the final round of a major and the second to do it in the PGA Championship. Kitayama credits his success to his putting, making more than 141 feet of putts. The 33-year-old Californian started with a 5-under 30 on the front nine and finished with a birdie on the 18th. His performance follows notable Sunday 63s by Johnny Miller and Henrik Stenson.

Neymar angry at being accidentally substituted in last match before Brazil announces World Cup squad

SAO PAULO (AP) — An apparent mistake by the fourth official has forced Neymar off the field in the 65th minute of Santos’ 3-0 home loss to Coritiba in the Brazilian league, the last match before Brazil’s World Cup squad is announced Monday. The 34-year-old Neymar has struggled to be fit since he tore his ACL in 2023 and has tried for more than a year to show Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti he deserves a place. Neymar was replaced by Robinho Jr. on Sunday after his number was held up on the substitution board while Neymar was having medical treatment. The substitution sheet said No. 31 Gonzalo Escobar should have left the field instead. Neymar got a yellow card for refusing to be substituted.

West Ham on brink of relegation from the Premier League as Bruno Fernandes ties assist record

West Ham’s 14-year stay in the Premier League is almost over. The London club lost 3-1 at Newcastle to stay in the relegation zone and two points from safety with one match left. That’s against Leeds at the Olympic Stadium in the final round next Sunday. The Hammers will be relegated before then if Tottenham, which is the only other team that can mathematically go down, beats Chelsea on Tuesday in the first of its two remaining games. Bruno Fernandes has grabbed his record-tying 20th assist of the Premier League season to help Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 in an end-to-end match featuring the latest VAR controversy.

North Korean women’s soccer team arrives in South Korea for regional tournament

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A North Korean women’s soccer team has arrived in South Korea to compete in a regional tournament. This marks the first visit by North Korean athletes in eight years amid ongoing political tensions. The team, Naegohyang Women’s FC, landed at Incheon International Airport on Sunday. They will face South Korea’s Suwon FC Women on Wednesday in the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League semifinals. Experts caution against viewing this visit as a sign of improved relations. North Korea last sent athletes to South Korea in 2018.

Topsy-turvy Sabres-Canadiens 2nd-round playoff series to be decided with Game 7 at Buffalo on Monday

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Sabres and Montreal Canadiens’ topsy-turvy and sometimes logic-defying second-round playoff series is going the distance with Buffalo set to host Game 7. As much as Sabres coach Lindy Ruff would like a venue change because of Buffalo’s 2-4 home record, he vows the team will be at its best on Monday night. Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis cited physics in wanting his team to bounce forward, as opposed to bounce back after failing to clinch the series following an 8-3 loss in Game 6 at home. The winner advances to face the well-rested Carolina Hurricanes.