Cantlay takes 2-shot lead into final round

Patrick Cantlay finished with a 25-foot birdie putt that gave him a two-shot lead over Jon Rahm in the Tour Championship on Saturday and set the stage for a sprint to the $15 million prize.

It might not be a two-man race at East Lake, anymore.

Cantlay’s final birdie allowed him to finish strong after a wobbly four-hole stretch that had winnowed his fourshot lead down to one. He wound up with a 3-under 67 and was at 20-under par, leaving him one round away from the FedEx Cup.

Rahm finished with five straight pars for a 68 and was still very much alive. He went from a four-shot deficit after the 10th hole to a one-shot deficit just five holes later.

Three weeks before the Ryder Cup, four-time major champion Brooks Koepka withdrew from the Tour Championship after injuring his wrist from hitting a tree root. Koepka said pulling out on the 13th hole at East Lake on Saturday was a precaution.

NHL: Jesperi Kotkaniemi is now a member of the Hurricanes. Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said Saturday the club won’t match Carolina’s one-year, $6.1 million offer for the 21-year-old restricted free agent forward. “Carolina has used a tool available to them in the collective bargaining agreement and we accept that decision,” Bergevin said in a statement. The Canadiens will receive first- and thirdround picks in the 2022 draft from the Hurricanes.

Soccer: Christian Pulisic is uncertain for the United States’ World Cup qualifier against Canada on Sunday night, and goalkeeper Zack Steffen remains sidelined by back spasms. Pulisic is regaining fitness after testing positive for COVID-19 and missed Thursday’s qualifying opener at El Salvador, a 0-0 draw. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said Pulisic had made progress and was to be evaluated again later Saturday to determine whether he will be on Sunday’s gameday roster.