SPORTS HEADLINES

Wyndham Clark turning the US Open into a runaway. Scheffler still has hope for a slam

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Wyndham Clark had the right answer for a tough Shinnecock Hills. He was even tougher. Clark shot a 70 in demanding conditions with a collection of big par saves. He wound up with a six-shot lead in the U.S. Open over Scottie Scheffler and three others going into the final round. No one has ever lost a six-shot lead after 54 holes in U.S. Open history. Scheffler shot a 69. That was one of only two rounds under par. He’s going after a little history himself. A win on his 30th birthday gives him the career Grand Slam.

A ‘Who’s That?’ list of dreamers joins Scheffler in 2nd at the US Open, needing to make up 6 shots

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — The bunched leaderboard, the inability to pull away, the momentum changing with virtually every shot. Yes, the race for second in the final round of the U.S. Open figures to be a nailbiter. Three players whose names will drive Google searches galore for the casual golf fans — Tom Kim, Sam Stevens and Sahith Theegala — found themselves tied with a bigger name, Scottie Scheffler, in a four-way logjam for second at Shinnecock. They all head into Sunday’s final round trailing leader Wyndham Clark by six shots.

A flurry of goals and convincing wins are raising US World Cup hopes and expectations

The early results are in: This U.S men’s national team is for real in this World Cup. With a creative offensive attack producing goals in front of stadium-shaking home crowds, the Americans have already won their group and booked their place in the knockout round. A final group stage match against Turkey in Los Angeles awaits. The optimism and expectations of a deep run in the tournament are rising quickly.

Undav scores twice as Germany beats Ivory Coast 2-1, advances to World Cup knockout phase

TORONTO (AP) — Deniz Undav scored twice after being subbed on in the second half as Germany defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 on Saturday and clinched a spot in the knockout phase at the World Cup. Four minutes into stoppage time, Undav received a pass from Felix Nmecha in front of the net and rifled it past Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana to give the Germans a comeback win. Undav’s first goal of the match came after Nadiem Amiri sent in a long ball – that striker Kai Havertz let pass him by – onto the boot of Undav, who slammed it into the back of the net at the 68th minute. Both Amiri and Undav had subbed on eight minutes earlier.

Come inside Iran’s World Cup hotel in Tijuana, Mexico, where fans turn out to cheer

TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — The entrance to the hotel housing Iran’s World Cup team in Tijuana, Mexico, is barricaded and flanked by police and members of the Mexican National Guard. Despite the tensions and challenges surrounding Iran’s participation in the World Cup, early Saturday morning finds the mood inside the hotel relaxed, even jubilant. Several dozen fans mingle and bond over their shared excitement to see the squad’s players before they depart for their second group-stage match. Some say showing up is important because of what they describe as unfair conditions imposed on the team. Some make the drive from the U.S. Others live in Tijuana and are eager to show hospitality.

Pink boots are everywhere at the World Cup as the color becomes a soccer star

Of all the rainbow of colors during the World Cup, one is sticking out: pink. Players on teams from all over are wearing pink boots, and it not a coincidence. Nike, Adidas, Puma, Sketchers and New Balance are among the shoe companies that manufactured pink boots for players in this tournament. Pink sticks out in person and on TV against the green grass of the pitch, and developers chose it because athletes associate the color with confidence. Nothing about the pink boots physically makes them run any faster, but companies believe the lightweight material combined with the color could affect performance.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani says he is a father again in an Instagram post

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is a father again. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has shared the news on his Instagram account. He and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, expressed joy over the safe birth and thanked supporters. A photo of tiny feet and a blue blanket suggest he has a son to go with his daughter, who was born in April 2025. The news of Ohtani’s impending fatherhood emerged Friday when he was absent from the Dodgers’ lineup. The team announced he was on paternity leave. Ohtani was back in the lineup in the leadoff spot for Saturday’s game against the Orioles. Ohtani is known for keeping his family life private.

Phantastic performances: Phillies’ Shwarber homers twice in an inning, Harper hits for cycle vs Mets

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper delivered standout performances for the Philadelphia Phillies against the New York Mets. Schwarber slugged two long home runs in the Phillies’ eight-run third inning. He led off with a solo homer and later hit a three-run shot, marking his major league-leading 27th home run of the season. Harper became the 11th player in franchise history to hit for the cycle. He hit a solo home run in the first, doubled in the third, singled after Schwarber’s second home run, and completed the cycle with a two-run triple in the fifth inning.

Larger World Cup led to predictions of lopsided affairs. The results tell a different story

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Criticism began to pour in about how the quality of the World Cup would likely be affected not long after FIFA announced an expanded 48-team tournament. The critics argued that by allowing smaller teams to the expanded field, the number of weak matchups would increase, as would the chances of lopsided results. But as the biggest World Cup ever progresses, those fears regarding the quality of the competition have not fully materialized. Through the first 24 games, the goal differential was largely unchanged compared to the tournament in Qatar in 2022, suggesting the larger field did not create more lopsided competition.

Hurricanes fans jam into downtown Raleigh for Stanley Cup parade and rally

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes brought their Stanley Cup celebration to downtown Raleigh. Thousands of fans arrived hours early to line sidewalks for the team’s victory parade or packed in near the rally stage where the Hurricanes were set to cap off the festivities. The team was greeted by fans screaming, chanting, waving flags and wearing Carolina jerseys. Carolina beat the Vegas Golden Knights last weekend to win the Cup for the second time, the other coming in 2006. Coach Rod Brind’Amour was captain of that previous championship winner. He said he was “kinda speechless” from the fan response Saturday.