Off the wire

GOLF Tavatanakit’s lead grows

Patty Tavatanakit opened a five-stroke lead on another hot and windy afternoon at the ANA Inspiration, all but crushing her challengers’ hopes with a striking combination of power and touch. A stroke ahead after each of the first two rounds at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif., the 21-year-old Thai player shot a 5-under 67 in 100-degree heat Saturday to reach 14-under 202 in the first major championship of the year. Tavatanakit matched the tournament 54-hole record set by Pernilla Lindberg in her 2018 victory. Dottie Pepper set the overall mark of 19 under in 1999. Defending champion Mirim Lee and Ally Ewing were second at 9 under in the event being played without spectators for the second time in seven months.

Gaby Lopez continues to move up the leaderboard. The former University of Arkansas golfer is tied for seventh after posting a 2-under 70 on Saturday. Stacy Lewis (Razorbacks) is tied for 17th after a 5-under 67 on Saturday. She stands at 4 under for the tournament.

Spieth has share of lead

Jordan Spieth shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to move into a tie for the lead heading into the final round of the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio. Spieth and Englishman Matt

Wallace are at 12 under after each player birdied their final two holes of the day. Wallace also posted a 67, and Charley Hoffman is alone in third at 10 under after shooting a 65. Hoffman was seven shots back after a bogey at No. 4, but he finished up with six birdies and sank a 5-foot eagle putt at the 14th. He won here five years ago. Three consecutive bogeys early on the back nine sent second-round leader Cameron

Tringale to a 1-over 73 that put him at 8 under for the tournament. India’s Anirban Lahiri is at 7 under after a 69.

Novak stays out front

Andrew Novak maintains a three-stroke advantage at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Emerald Coast Classic in Destin, Fla., after posting a second consecutive round of 67 at the Sandestin Resort and Golf Course. Novak is at 14-under 196 heading into today’s final round. David Lipsky also shot a 67 on Saturday to remain three strokes behind the leader. Former University of Arkansas golfer

Nicolas Echavarria is at 5-under 205 after shooting a 1-under 69 on Saturday. Taylor Moore (Razorbacks) turned in a 68 and stands at 1-under 209.

TENNIS Barty repeats in Miami

Ash Barty pushed a forehand winner into the open court as her opponent, Bianca Andreescu, laid on her back in the far corner, injured yet again. With that, the Miami Open final was decided. Andreescu limped through 11 more points before she retired while trailing 6-3, 4-0. The No. 1-ranked Barty won her second successive Miami title Saturday, and the Australian was already in control of the match when Andreescu turned her right foot while hitting a forehand and sprawled to the hard court. Barty hit one more shot to win the point, and play continued. But during the ensuing changeover, a trainer taped Andreescu’s foot, and after another game the injury-plagued Canadian reluctantly called it quits. The tournament was the first in the United States for the 20-year-old Andreescu since she won the 2019 U.S. Open. She sat out 2020 because of injuries and the coronavirus pandemic and now faces another possible layoff. Today, 19-year-old Italian

Jannik Sinner will try to become the youngest men’s champion in tournament history when he plays No. 26-seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.

BASKETBALL Auburn hires PB native

Auburn has hired longtime SEC assistant Johnnie Harris as its head women’s basketball coach. Harris is a native of Pine Bluff and attended Watson Chapel High School. Athletic Director Allen Greene announced the hiring Saturday. Harris has spent a combined 16 years as an assistant at Arkansas, Texas A&M and Mississippi State. She spent this season as the associate head coach at Texas. She helped guide Texas to an Elite Eight appearance under Coach

Vic Schaefer. Harris was an assistant under Schaefer at Mississippi State, which made NCAA championship game appearances in 2017 and 2018. Harris began her playing career at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff before transferring to Arkansas Baptist for her final two seasons.

Bueckers wins Naismith

UConn’s Paige Bueckers became the first freshman to win the Naismith Trophy, awarded to the nation’s most outstanding player, on Saturday. She also was one of 10 players named to the WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America team earlier in the day. The Naismith Trophy is Bueckers’ second player of the year honor after she won Associated Press national player of the year last week. Bueckers is also a finalist for the Wooden Award, which will be announced Monday.

Hayward injures foot

Gordon Hayward will miss at least a month after spraining his right foot during the Charlotte Hornets’ win Friday night over the Indiana Pacers. The team said in a statement Saturday that Hayward will be reevaluated in roughly four weeks. He was injured when he stepped on

Myles Turner’s foot while driving to the basket in the second quarter and immediately crumpled. The 31-year-old forward is averaging 19.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in his first season with the Hornets on a $128 million, four-year deal. Charlotte is already without rookie guard LaMelo Ball, out indefinitely with a broken right wrist.

BASEBALL Donaldson placed on IL

The Minnesota Twins have placed third baseman Josh Donaldson on the 10-day injured list with a mild right hamstring strain. The move comes two days after Donaldson appeared to hurt himself while running the bases on a double in the first inning of the Twins’ season-opening 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Donaldson stayed on the bases for the remainder of that half inning but didn’t join the Twins on the field for the bottom of the inning. Donaldson, 35, played just 28 games last season due to a calf injury. The three-time All-Star and 2015 AL MVP signed a four-year, $92 million contract with the Twins before the 2020 season.

Angels’ reliever retires

Los Angeles Angels reliever Ty

Buttrey has retired from baseball, saying he’s lost his affection for the game. The 28-year-old right-hander was one of the key pieces of the Angels’ bullpen the past three seasons. His 115 appearances from 2018-20 were fourth on the team among pitchers, and he was 8-11 with a 4.30 ERA.