Sports shorts Stephens dominates, captures U.S. Open Golf

Sloane Stephens dominated a shaky Madison Keys in the U.S. Open final and won, 6-3, 6-0, on Sept. 9 to earn her first Grand Slam title, capping a remarkably rapid rise after sitting out 11 months because of foot surgery.

The 83rd-ranked Stephens is only the second unseeded woman to win the tournament in the Open era, which began in 1968.

This was the first allAmerican women’s final at Flushing Meadows since 2002, when Serena Williams beat Venus Williams.

It was also only the second time in the Open era that two women in New York were making their Grand Slam final debuts against each other.

Keys, 22, and Stephens, 24, have known each other for years and are close friends. They texted and spoke on the phone early in 2017, when both sat out the Australian Open because of operations.

Stephens made her season debut at Wimbledon in July, exiting in the first round. She lost her next match, too, in Washington. Since then, she has gone 15-2, and her ranking has soared from outside the top 900, to what will be around No. 20 as of Monday.

Southern California natives Collin Morikawa and Norman Xiong opened with a record-setting victory to help the United States split the morning foursomes with defending champion Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup on Sept. 9 at Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course.

Morikawa and Xiong beat Harry Ellis and Alfie Plant 8 and 7, the largest margin for an 18-hole match at the biennial amateur tournament.

Xiong, of Canyon Lake, and Morikawa, of La Canada Flintridge, opened with four birdies and won the first five holes. Morikawa plays at California and Xiong had a big freshman year at Oregon.

Connor Syme and Paul McBride beat U.S. Amateur champion Doc Redman and Will Zalatoris 3 and 2. Maverick McNealy and U.S. Amateur runner-up Doug Ghim beat David Boote and Jack Davidson, 5 and 4.

Kyle Larson got his first career win at Richmond Raceway Sept. 9. The win is the fifth of his career. Larson has had only one prior top-10 finish.