Poston leads by three at John Deere Classic
J.T. Poston made up for two back-nine bogeys with an eagle on the par-5 17th, shooting a 4-under 67 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the John Deere Classic.
Trying to complete a wire-towire victory after tying for second last week in the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, Poston made a 13 1/2-foot eagle putt on 17.
“That was huge kind of going into tomorrow,” Poston said about the eagle. “I wasn't quite as sharp today off the tee and had to play a little defensive into some of the greens. Nice to put two good swings on there and make that putt to kind of capitalize and get some ground back that I had lost.”
He had a 19-under 194 total at TPC Deere Run.
Playing partner Denny McCarthy birdied the final two holes for a 66 to join Scott Stallings (64) and Emiliano Grillo (65) at 16 under.
“Was nice to finish that way,” McCarthy said. “Nice to make a putt on 18. Nice to see something go in going into (today). It's a good feeling to kind of feel like I got something out of round, birdieing the last two.”
From Hickory, North Carolina, Poston won the 2019 Wyndham Championship for his lone PGA Tour title.
* Adrian Meronk will take a narrow lead into the final round of the Irish Open as he bids to become the first Polish winner in the history of the European tour.
Former champion Shane Lowry, who birdied the final four holes on Friday to make the cut with a shot to spare, carded a third round of 68 to reach 7 under.
WNBA
STEWART SWINGS ALL-STAR
DEAL FOR BIRD >> Breanna Stewart traded for her Seattle teammate Sue Bird in the WNBA All-Star draft Saturday.
Bird was set to be a cocaptain with A'ja Wilson before Stewart pulled off the deal to acquire Bird for Sylvia Fowles. Bird and Fowles are set to retire at the end of the season and were named co-captains with Stewart and Wilson.
“We can do legend for legend. Ok, I got that. I'm good with that,” Wilson said. `I feel good about that. We're back on track. That was a good one.”
Bird will be playing in her record 13th All-Star Game on July 10 in Chicago. Fowles will be in her eighth.
Stewart also acquired Nneka Ogwumike former Miramonte High and Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu in a separate trade with Wilson.
The WNBA switched to the team captain format in 2018.
Horse racing
BELMONT WINNER MO DONEGAL OUT >> Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal came out of the last leg of the Triple Crown with bone bruising and will be out of training for 60 days.
Jerry Crawford, CEO of Donegal Racing, and coowner Mike Repole said the colt will continue to be evaluated.
Motorsports
ELLIOTT WINS POLE >> Chase Elliott won the pole at Road America and will lead the field to green today as he attempts to defend his win on the Wisconsin road course.
NASCAR's most popular driver is coming off a win last weekend at Nashville and put himself in position to make it two straight Cup victories with a strong run qualifying run on the 4.048mile road course. The Hendrick Motorsports driver edged Chase Briscoe by 0.038 seconds in Saturday qualifying.
That marks a major change from his starting position last year, when NASCAR's premier series came to Road America for the first time since a Grand National event in 1956. Elliott started 34th last year but still found a way to win.
“Definitely a different vibe to the weekend,” Elliott said. “The car, I think, is going to need some different things to be successful tomorrow. I don't think we're as good as we need to be to be successful tomorrow, as we sit. I want to make sure we do our homework.”
Seven of Elliott's 15 career victories have come on road courses.
* Carlos Sainz was fastest in the rain in qualifying for the British Grand Prix to earn his first career pole position in his 150th start.
* Pato O'Ward became the ninth different pole winner through nine races this season at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course — the first time that's happened in 61 years — and the Arrow McLaren SP driver now has a shot at the IndyCar points lead.
Tour de France
JAKOBSEN SURGES TO FIRST STAGE WIN >> Dutch rider Fabio Jakobsen overtook Wout van Aert right on the line to win the second stage of the Tour de France while Van Aert took the yellow jersey on Saturday.
It was a first Tour stage win for Jakobsen and a second in two days for the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team after Yves Lampaert's win in Friday's time trial.
But Van Aert took the yellow jersey for the first time with a six-second bonus for finishing second, to lead Lampaert by one second overall.
“It's a great pleasure for me to wear the jersey. I've tried to get it many times. I'm very happy and proud,” Van Aert said. “This is the biggest cycling race in the world so of course I will try to defend it.”
Van Aert also has the green jersey for best sprinter and is Primož Roglič's teammate on the Jumbo-Visma team.
“We have big ambitions,” Van Aert said.
Two-time defending champion Tadej Pogačar stayed third overall and was eight seconds behind Van Aert.
Huge crowds packed the roadsides as the red-andwhite wave of Danish enthusiasm continued.
Especially with Danish rider Magnus Cort forming an early breakaway group, along with Norwegian Sven Erik Bystrøm, and Frenchmen Cyril Barthe and Pierre Rolland.
Cort and Bystrøm pulled away from the French at the front.
With no one to help him, Bystrøm was caught with 30 kilometers left. Then, Cort was among riders who crashed approaching the bridge and Lampaert tumbled when he was on it. He got back up and worked hard to reach the peloton.