Kirk takes Kapalua lead with final birdie; dozen players loom
KAPALUA, HAWAII >> The views off the West Coast of Maui give the PGA Tour's season opener at Kapalua a relaxing vibe. Inside the ropes, The Sentry is a lot more hectic.
Chris Kirk ran off three straight birdies on the back nine just to keep pace with 21-year-old Akshay Bhatia. Xander Schauffele had eight birdies in 11 holes to stay in the mix. Jordan Spieth, who hit the first foul ball of the year Thursday for double bogey, is now bogey-free in his last 51 holes and has made enough birdies for a chance.
Kirk gave himself a little separation Saturday with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 closing hole at the Plantation course for a 7-under 66.
He leads by one shot over Bhatia (66), with a host of others — past Kapalua champions, major champions and newcomers alike — right behind.
Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 play, didn't see many putts go in and took a step back with a 71 that feels a lot higher in this tournament. He still was only three behind.
Throw in Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa, and 12 players were within four shots of the lead.
Hockey
BEDARD BREAKS HIS JAW >>
The Chicago Blackhawks placed Connor Bedard on injured reserve with a broken jaw, sidelining the young center in the middle of an impressive rookie season.
Bedard got hurt when he was leveled by New Jersey defenseman Brendan Smith midway through the first period of Friday night's 4-2 loss to the Devils.
COPLEY DONE FOR SEASON >> Goaltender Pheonix Copley will miss the rest of
the season for the Los Angeles Kings after he underwent knee surgery earlier this week.
The ACL reconstruction procedure was performed by Dr. Frank Petrigliano at Keck Hospital of USC.
Copley suffered the knee injury during practice on Dec. 15 and was immediately placed on long-term injured reserve.
Pro football
PACKERS MAKE MOVES >>
Tight end Luke Musgrave was activated from injured reserve in a move that signals the rookie's possible return from a lacerated kidney when the Green Bay Packers play the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Green Bay can clinch a wild-card playoff berth Sunday by beating the Bears (7-9). The Packers have won their last nine meetings with Chicago. LAWRENCE ON TRACK >>
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and receiver Christian Kirk are on track to start Jacksonville's regularseason finale at Tennessee on Sunday that will decide
the AFC South champion.
Lawrence flew with the team to Nashville after practicing in a limited capacity the last three days, and Kirk was activated from injured reserve after missing the last four games following groin surgery.
Soccer
BRAZIL STAR DIES >> Mario Zagallo, who won two World Cups as a player, one as a coach and another as an assistant coach for Brazil, has died. He was 92.
The first person to win the World Cup both as a player and a manager, Zagallo is for many Brazilian soccer fans synonymous with patriotism, grit and glory.
The only person to ever win four World Cup titles was also the last living member of Brazil's starting team in its first championship victory in the tournament in 1958.
Zagallo died late Friday night of multiple-organ failure as a consequence of multiple comorbidities, Hospital Barra D'Or in Rio de Janeiro said in a statement.
Skiing
CANADIAN WINS >> Valerie Grenier has made a triumphant return to the resort of her first World Cup victory.
The Canadian skier won a rain-marred giant slalom on the same hill in Slovenia where she celebrated her maiden career win a year ago.
Fighting a cold for the past week, Mikaela Shiffrin finished in ninth position, nine days after the American won the previous GS in Austria.
Tennis
SABALENKA BEATS AZARENKA TO REACH BRISBANE FINAL >>
Aryna Sabalenka overpowered twotime champion Victoria Azarenka in a 6-2, 6-4 win that earned her a spot in the Brisbane International final against Elena Rybakina, a rematch of last year's Australian Open championship decider.
The win extended topseeded Sabalenka's streak to 15 on Australian soil.