Stanford’s Malone earns spot on U.S. gymnastics team

Stanford’s Brody Malone locked down a spot on the U.S. Olympic men’s gymnastics team on Saturday, earning an automatic berth on the five-man team by capturing the Olympic Trials with a two-day allaround total of 171.600 in St. Louis.

The victory, on top of the NCAA crown the Stanford junior won in April and the national title he won earlier this month cemented Malone’s status as the leader of the men’s program heading to Japan and beyond.

Yul Moldauer, the 2017 national champion and a three-time world championship team member, is heading to Tokyo next month too after finishing runner-up to Malone while also ranking in the top three on four events. The two other spots were decided by a selection committee and went to sixtime national champion and two-time Olympian Sam Mikulak and Shane Wiskus.

Golf SALAS, KORDA TIED HEADING INTO FINAL ROUND OF PGA CHAMPIONSHIP >>

Lizette Salas relied on precision and big putts to make up for a big power gap against Nelly Korda, and they wound up tied for the lead going into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Johns Creek, Georgia.

Salas was practically flawless in delivering a 30 on the front nine to go from a one-shot deficit to a twoshot lead. She then made her first bogey of the week after 45 holes and didn’t make another birdie in a third straight 5-under 67. Korda, the 22-year-old coming off a victory last week on the LPGA Tour, played bogey-free but failed to use her length to capitalize on the par 5s on the back nine of Atlanta Athletic Club. She had a 68.

They were at 15-under 201, five shots clear of a trio that includes Patty Tavatanakit, the Thai star who won the first LPGA major of the year at the ANA Inspiration. Tavatanakit ran off four straight birdies toward the end of her round for a 65.

Joining her five shots behind were Giulia Molinaro of Italy (66) and Celine Boutier of France, who had a 69 while playing in the final group with the co-leaders.

Korda and Salas both will be seeking their first major on Sunday and will be in the final twosome. Salas has only one LPGA Tour victory seven years ago.

Korda is a rising star, the younger sister of Jessica Korda and the daughter of former Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda. She already has five wins and is No. 3 in the world, the highest-ranked American.

HICKOK CHASES FIRST PGA TOUR TITLE >> Kramer Hickok, a 29-year-old minor league tour regular, shot a 2-under 68 to tie for the Travelers Championship lead with three-time winner Bubba Watson.

Hickok, who has never won on the PGA Tour, opened a two-stroke lead before bogeying the final two holes in Cromwell, Connecticut. Watson shot a 68 at the TPC River Highlands, picking up three strokes on Hickok over the final two holes. Jason Day was also in a tie for the lead before a bogey on No. 18 dropped him into a threeway tie at minus-9.

Hickock was 12 under — two strokes ahead of Day and three in front of Watson — heading to the 17th before flying the green and missing a 10-foot par putt. He was still a stroke ahead of the final pairing before three-putting from 8 feet on No. 18 to fall back into a tie.

Cameron Smith (66) and Russell Henley (68) also were 9 under, and three players were another stroke back. Defending champion Dustin Johnson, who birdied the last two holes on Friday to make the cut on the number, shot 65 to climb into a tie for ninth at minus-7.

Motors

LARSON’S NASCAR WIN STREAK SNAPPED >> Alex Bowman ended Kyle Larson’s four-race winning streak when Larson blew a tire while leading on the last lap in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Pocono Speedway.

Larson had tracked Bowman down over the final 19 laps and then taken the lead from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Bowman with four laps to go. Once out front, Larson put some comfortable space between himself and Bowman and was just over a turn away when the tire blew.

Bowman streaked past as Larson’s car bounced along the outside wall and went on to win was his third of the season.

It was Bowman’s first victory in 11 starts at Pocono and just his second top-five. It comes just days after he signed a two-year contract extension with Hendrick.

Kyle Busch, who led a race-best 30 laps, finished second, while William Byron was third. Larson skidded to a ninth-place finish.

Larson was attempting to join Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt,

Harry Gant, Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as winners of four Cup Series races in a row.

Defending Series champion Chase Elliott’s very bad week continued when his car was rammed from behind as the cars went to power after taking the green flag to start the race. The hit flared the left rear fender outward creating a “parachute” effect.

The Cup cars will be back on the Pocono track on Sunday to complete their doubleheader weekend.

Colleges

COVID TAKES NC STATE OUT OF CWS >> North Carolina State baseball players who were one win away from playing for a national championship reacted with anger and confusion to their team’s removal from the College World Series because of COVID-19 protocols.

“Words can’t even describe this feeling,” right fielder Devonte Brown tweeted. “An opportunity of a lifetime, something you dream of as a little kid just snatched away in the blink of an eye.”

The Wolfpack was scheduled to play Vanderbilt Saturday afternoon in the winner-take-all bracket final, but the NCAA declared the game a no-contest early Saturday morning because of health and safety protocols. On Friday, North Carolina State had only 13 players available in the team’s 3-1 loss to Vanderbilt.

The Commodores will face Mississippi State in the best-of-three championship series beginning Monday. The Bulldogs eliminated No. 2 Texas with a 4-3 win on Saturday night.