Schauffele overcomes deficit to take lead at The Players
Xander Schauffele erased a four-shot deficit Saturday with another bogey-free round on a course where trouble is around every corner, capping off a 7-under 65 with a superb chip to save par and take a one-shot lead into the final round of The Players Championship.
U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, who had a four-shot lead at the start and stretched it to five with a birdie on the opening hole, did well to make sure the deficit wasn't greater.
They were tied going to the island green on the par-3 17th. Clark hit it so clunky that his wedge shot came up some 15 yards short of land. But he hit the next one to 7 feet and escaped with bogey, and then saved par on the 18th for a 70.
Schauffele was at 17-under 199.
Skiing
Mikaela Shiffrin capped her campaign that was marred by a recent six-week injury layoff with her record-extending 60th win in slalom and 97th overall at the World Cup finals.
Shiffrin had already locked up her record-equaling eighth slalom season title last week by winning her first race back since hurting her knee in a downhill crash Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy in January.
Tennis
DJOKOVIC WITHDRAWS IN MIAMI >> Top-ranked Novak Djokovic will skip the Miami Open, saying less than a week after a surprise loss at Indian Wells that he needs to balance his “private and professional schedule.”
Djokovic's announcement on his social media accounts follows his 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 defeat to unheralded Luca Nardi on Monday in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Soccer
COACH CRITICIZED BY RIVAL FOR CELEBRATION >> A soccer manager in England was slammed by a rival coach for celebrating in the face of a 13-year-old ball boy after a late-winning goal in a thrilling FA Cup quarterfinal match.
After his team scored in the 10th minute of stoppage time to secure a 3-2 victory over Wolverhampton, Coventry manager Mark Robins ran over to the ball boy and crouched toward him before later aiming a fist pump in his direction.
Robins offered an unprompted apology for his behavior in his post-match news conference, saying the ball boy had annoyed him before the late goal by dropping the ball in front of him and walking away with a smile on his face.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil said Robins' conduct was “disgusting.”
Baseball
PIRATES FINALIZE DEALS >> Outfielder Michael A. Taylor and the Pittsburgh Pirates finalized a $4 million, one-year contract.
Taylor, who turns 33 this month, hit .220 with 21 home runs and 53 RBIs last season for Minnesota.
College football
COACH SUSPENDED BY MICHIGAN >> Michigan defensive line coach Greg Scruggs has been suspended indefinitely while the football program and athletic department review details of his arrest for suspected drunk driving.
Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore said Scruggs made “an unfortunate mistake” in a statement, about 12 hours after the newly hired assistant was arrested.