Spieth won’t go to Games
Golf waited 112 years to get back into the Olympics. The top four players in the world are waiting a bit longer.
Jordan Spieth delivered the final blow Monday when he told the International Golf Federation he would not be going to Rio de Janeiro next month, leaving the sport without its four highest-ranked players who have captured six of the last eight majors.
IGF President Peter Dawson said Spieth cited his concern over “health issues” for withdrawing.
All have indicated support for 2020 in Tokyo.
Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy previously withdrew, all citing the Zika virus. Day and Johnson have said they plan on having more children, while McIlroy is engaged and said he would soon be starting a family.
Eighteen eligible men, based on Monday’s world ranking, withdrew from the Olympics.
The women only had one player withdraw, Lee Anne Pace of South Africa, because of Zika concerns.
The men will have eight of the top 15 in the world in Rio. The women will have the top nine in the world; Ha-Na Jang at No. 10 is not eligible because South Korea already reached its maximum of four players.
“There is no doubt that the number of withdrawals hasn’t shed golf in the best light, and we have to accept that,” Dawson said. “But we do understand why these individual decisions have been taken.
“Personally, I think there’s been something of an overreaction to the Zika situation, but that’s for individuals to determine, and there’s certainly a great deal of concern about this issue inside the game of golf, no doubt about that.”
A ruling on tennis star Maria Sharapova’s appeal of her two-year doping ban has been postponed until September, ruling her definitively out of the Summer Olympics.
A verdict is expected by Sept. 19, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said.
The Atlanta Hawks and point guard Jarrett Jack agreed on a one-year contract for next season.
Jack will back up starter Dennis Schroder at the position. The Hawks needed an established point guard after trading Jeff Teague before the draft.
Angels first baseman C.J. Cron will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a broken bone in his left hand. He suffered the injury when he was hit by a fastball Friday in Baltimore. The Angels announced they expect him to miss between six and eight weeks. — Pedro Moura
Boston Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel had successful surgery on his left knee to repair a medial meniscus tear.
Kimbrel is expected to be out three to six weeks.
The Kings signed a trio of their restricted free agents: goaltender Jack Campbell, defenseman Derek Forbort and center Nic Dowd. All three players reached two-year contract agreements with the Kings.
Forbort and Dowd spent most of last season with the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate in Ontario. They both made their NHL debuts this past season: Forbort played in 14 games with the Kings, while Dowd appeared in five.
The Kings picked up Campbell in a trade with the Dallas Stars on June 25.