Sports shorts U.S. jumps to lead in Presidents Cup

A memorable start that featured the previous three U.S. presidents on the first tee ended with a familiar result in the Presidents Cup. The Americans are out to another big lead in the event they haven’t lost in nearly two decades.

PGA champion Justin Thomas made his professional team debut with a short day of work as he and Rickie Fowler lost only two holes in a 6-and-4 victory. Jordan Spieth holed a 35foot putt that sent him and Patrick Reed to another victory. Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar remained unbeaten.

The Americans won the opening session for the sixth straight time in the Presidents Cup and built a 3 ½-1 ½ lead Thursday after the opening foursomes matches.

Phil Mickelson, playing in his 23rd consecutive team competition, ended the tough, wind-swept afternoon at Liberty National by missing an 8-foot par putt, or the U.S. lead would have been even greater.

Mickelson’s only complaint was that he botched his selfie with former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, with barely his head showing.

The U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association is donating $16,000 to help get the union for players in the National Women’s Soccer League off the ground.

The NWSL Players Association represents more than 160 players who are not paid by the U.S. and Canadian soccer federations. Those federations pay the salaries of several national team players who are allocated across the five-year-old women’s professional league.

The $16,000 donation represents the proceeds from T-shirts sold as part of the U.S. national team’s 2016 #equalpayforequalplay campaign while the players sought a new labor agreement with U.S. Soccer. A deal between the two sides was struck in April. San Jose Sharks forward Joel Ward says he has decided not to protest by kneeling during the national anthem.

Ward had said he was considering a protest to raise awareness to the issues of racial inequality and excessive force by police against minorities in the United States. But he said Thursday that he doesn’t want the focus to be on the anthem and wants to work on bringing minorities and law enforcement together.

Ward says he wants to spend more time talking about these issues in the locker room, at kitchen tables and in the community.

The 36-year-old Ward, one of about 30 black players in the league, is Canadian.