Chun's big lead grows to six shots at Women's PGA
In Gee Chun shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to increase her lead to six strokes halfway through the Women's PGA Championship.
Chun led by five after the first round, equaling the biggest 18-hole advantage in the history of women's major championships. The Congressional Country Club course in Bethesda, Md. was a bit more forgiving Friday, and she began with three birdies in the first five holes.
Bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8, however, kept her from opening a even bigger lead.
Lydia Ko (67) and Jennifer Kupcho (68) were second. Kupcho took the first major of the season in early April in the California desert and won a playoff Sunday in Michigan for her second LPGA Tour title.
After wet conditions for the first round brought the course's length into focus, it was a clear, warm day Friday. Ko's impressive performance set the tone early on. Like Chun, Ko is trying for her third major title and first since 2016.
Lexi Thompson matched Ko with a 67 of her own, highlighted by an eagle when she holed out a wedge from 102 yards on the par-4 17th.
U.S. Women's Open champ Minjee Lee (68) was with Thompson at 3 under.
SCHAUFFELE'S 63 GIVES HIM 5-SHOT PGA LEAD >> Xander Schauffele shot his second straight 7-under 63 to take a five-stroke lead in the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn.
The Olympic champion shot a 31 on the front nine at TPC River Highlands with four birdies, then had a 32 on the back, making birdies on 11, 14 and 17.
Kevin Kisner (64), Nick Hardy (64), defending champion Harris English (65), Cam Davis (66) and Patrick Cantlay (67) were tied for second at 9 under. First-round leaders Rory McIlroy and J.T. Poston followed opening 62s with 70s to drop six strokes back.
The cut was at 2 under, with 2017 winner Jordan Spieth ( 1 over) dropping out with Sam Burns (even par), Zach Johnson (4 over) and Jason Day (6 over).
HARRINGTON LEADS STRICKER IN U.S. SENIOR OPEN >> Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker are going at it again on a big stage, and this time they have more say over the outcome at the U.S. Senior Open in Bethlehem,
Pa.
The two Ryder Cup captains from Whistling Straits last September will be in the final group going into the weekend at Saucon Valley after Harrington birdied three of his last six holes for a 6-under 65 to take a oneshot lead.
Stricker, whose U.S. team of stars throttled Europe in the Ryder Cup, did some nifty work of his own to overcome a sloppy start. He birdied his last three holes for a 69.
Harrington was at 6-under 136 going into a weekend that will not include Bernhard Langer for the first time since he was still in his 40s. Langer shot a 75 and missed by two shots. It was the first time in 65 senior majors that Langer failed to qualify for the weekend.
EUROPEAN TOUR BANS LIV GOLFERS >> The European tour banned golfers who competed in the Saudi-backed breakaway LIV series from three upcoming tournaments, including the Scottish Open, and fined them $120,000.
Swimming
LEDECKY GRABS MORE GOLD, AUSSIES SET RECORD AT WORLDS >> Stanford's Katie Ledecky extended her record haul of medals and Australia set a world record in the mixed 4x100 meters freestyle final at the world swimming championships in Budapest.
Ledecky won the 800 freestyle final for the fifth time at the worlds to seal her fourth consecutive 400/800/1,500 triple at the event.
She clocked 8 minutes, 8.04 seconds to finish more than 10 seconds ahead of her rivals. Australia's Kiah Melverton was 10.73 behind in second and Italy's Simona Quadarella 10.96 behind for third.
It's Ledecky's 19th gold at a worlds and her fourth this week including the 4x200 freestyle relay.
“Really good end to a great week,” Ledecky said.
Her 22 medals are the most for a female swimmer in world championships history. Only Michael Phelps, who won 26, has more.
Australia's mixed relay team of Jack Cartwright, Kyle Chalmers, Madison Wilson and Mollie O'Callaghan clocked 3:19.38 in the 4x100 to shave two-hundredths of a second off the record set by the United States at the last worlds in Gwangju, South Korea, in July 2019.
Tennis
SERENA TO BEGIN WIMBLEDON AGAINST 113TH-RANKED FOE >> Serena Williams will begin her Wimbledon comeback by facing Harmony Tan, a 24-year-old from France who is ranked 113th and owns a 2-6 career record in Grand Slam matches.
The placement of Williams in the women's bracket was the most anticipated aspect of the draw at the All England Club. She is making her first appearance in singles at any tournament since she hurt her right leg and stopped playing during the first set of her first-round match at Centre Court a year ago.
The potential men's quarterfinals are top-seeded Novak Djokovic vs. No. 5 Carlos Alcaraz, No. 3 Casper Ruud vs. No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz, No. 2 Rafael Nadal vs. No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime, and No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. No. 8 Matteo Berrettini. KVITOVA ADVANCES AT EASTBOURNE >> Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova advanced to her first grasscourt final in four years by beating Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-6 (5), 6-4 at Eastbourne.
Kvitova will face defending champion Jelena Ostapenko in the final. The eighth-seeded Latvian defeated 12th-seeded Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
TSITSIPAS FACING AGUT IN MALLORCA FINAL >> Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the final of the Mallorca Championships in Spain after beating Benjamin Bonzi in straight sets.
The second-seeded Tsitsipas saved all three break points he faced to beat Bonzi of France 6-4, 6-4. Tsitsipas will face Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat Antoine Bellier 7-6 (5), 6-2.