Chun shows love for big stage at Women's British Open

In Gee Chun is making another strong run at a major.

The South Korean took the halfway lead at the Women's British Open after a 5-under 66 in the second round on Friday at Muirfield, Scotland,, putting her in position to challenge for a second major title of the year, and fourth overall.

Chun had an 8-under total of 134, putting her one shot ahead of South Africa's Ashleigh Buhai and Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom, who both shot 65.

Seven-time major winner Inbee Park, also of South Korea, was a shot further back after a 67.

Chun, who won the Women's PGA Championship at Congressional in June despite consecutive weekend rounds of 75, carded six birdies and a solitary bogey in her round at Muirfield.

Sunday's winner will earn more than $1 million but Chun said she was also motivated by a slightly smaller cash prize on offer.

“Before the start of the tournament my caddie Dean and I talked about the course and after that we had a little bit of betting,” Chun said. “If I make a bogey-free round he's said he's going to buy me dinner and pay me 100 dollars each day. So before each round it's like setting another goal. That mindset helped a lot on the course. I had two bogeys over the last two days but I want to keep trying to make a bogey-free round.”

Of Chun's four LPGA Tour victories, three have come at majors, including the 2016 Evian Championship and 2015 U.S. Women's Open.

• Joohyung “Tom” Kim began the Wyndham Championship with a quadruple bogey on his first hole and wasn't the least bit bothered. The kid seems to be going places in a hurry.

Already assured a PGA Tour card for next season, Kim overcame his rough start with a 6-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with Brandon Wu and Ryan Moore in the final PGA Tour event of the regular season in Greensboro, N.C.

Kim, a 20-year-old South Korean, has to win at Sedgefield Country Club to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs because he will not be considered a PGA Tour member until September when the new season starts. Only a victory gives him instant membership.

He doesn't feel extra pressure to get it done. Considering where he was a month ago, Kim is happy to be where he is.

Kim — he goes by “Tom” because of his fascination as a kid with Thomas the Tank Engine in the TV series “Thomas & Friends” — finished third in the Scottish Open, made the cut in the British Open and 3M Open, and then finished seventh last week in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

That gave him enough points to be assured of a card next year. And as he has shown in two days, it takes a lot to stop this train.

He took eight shots for his first hole on Thursday. Since then, Kim has made 14 birdies and reached 9-under 131 along with Wu (67) and Moore (67).

“If you would have told me after the first hole yesterday where I'd be after two days, I definitely would have taken it, so pretty happy,” Kim said.

“It's just one bad hole,” he said, “Told myself, `You know what? I've got plenty of holes to bring it back if I just play well on my next 35 holes.' And that's exactly what I did. I played better than I thought I was going to, so it's a bonus.”

John Huh, who opened with a 61, had a 71 and was one shot behind along with Russell Henley (65) and Sungjae Im (67).

• Padraig Harrington made a long eagle putt on the final hole for a 6-under 64 that gave him a oneshot lead over Kirk Triplett in the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta.

Harrington matched his lowest score of the year on the PGA Tour Champions, and it was is best opening round of the season on the 50-and-older circuit. The 50-year-old Irishman is second in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, though still well behind Steven Alker.

Arizona coach faces battery charges

Arizona Cardinals running backs coach James Saxon was charged in Indianapolis with two counts of domestic battery stemming from an alleged incident in May.

One of the counts is a felony that includes domestic battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16 years old.

Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said Saxon has been placed on administrative leave.

Saxon is a long-time running backs coach who has been with the Cardinals since 2019. He was the running backs coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2000 to 2019. He played eight years in the NFL from 1988 to 1995.

NCAA: 2 regional sites for women's tourney

The NCAA Tournament for women's basketball is going to a two-host format for its regional rounds next year with eight teams apiece playing in Seattle and Greenville, S.C.

Each of those sites will host two regional semifinal games March 24 and two more on March 25. Each site will host one regional championship on March 26 and another on March 27.

In the past, the NCAA Tournament had four regional sites.

Badosa ousts Gauff in San Jose quarterfinals

Coco Gauff's first time at the Silicon Valley Classic ended in a 7-6 (4), 6-2 loss to Paola Badosa, one day after she knocked out former No.1 player in the world Naomi Osaka.

Gauff's match against Osaka ended just before 8:30 p.m. on Thursday night, giving her just 20 hours to turn around for her 4:30 p.m. match against Badosa, the tournament's No. 2 seed and the overall No. 4-ranked player in the world.

Gauff had issues with her serve throughout the match, with the 18-year-old committing six double faults — all in the first set, which she lost in a tiebreak. The Spaniard Badosa took advantage of a tired Gauff in the second set with a strong serve, winning points on 12 of the 13 first serves she landed.

Badosa will take on the No. 12-ranked player in the world, Daria Kasatkina, who won a three-set marathon over Aryna Sabalenka 4-6, 7-5, 6-0.

The second semifinal today will include Veronika Kudermetova, after the Russian took down the tournament's No. 3 seed, recent Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur, 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Kudermetova will face an American in this evening's semifinal — either No. 22 Amanda Anisimova or No. 45 Shelby Rogers, who already has knocked out the Silicon Valley Classic's top seed and world No. 3 Maria Sakkari.

• Rafael Nadal withdrew from the upcoming hardcourt tournament in Montreal because of the abdominal injury that caused him to pull out of Wimbledon ahead of the semifinals.

Predators sign Trenin

The Nashville Predators signed forward Yakov Trenin to a two-year, $3.4 million contract after going through arbitration.

Trenin, 25, is coming off his best season yet setting career-highs with 80 games played, 17 goals scored, 24 points, 33 blocked shots and 191 hits.

National team's Mewis to miss NWSL season

U.S. national team midfielder Sam Mewis will miss the remainder of her season with the Kansas City Current because of what the club called “a long-standing progressive injury to her right leg” that occurred before she joined the team.

Mewis, 29, had arthroscopic surgery on her right knee last August.

Mewis emerged as one of the world's best players while spending time with Manchester City, then returned to the National Women's Soccer League with the North Carolina Courage last year. She was traded to the Current last November.

Mewis played a big role in helping the U.S. win the 2019 World Cup, playing six of seven matches and scoring a pair of goals.