IN BRIEF Hughes fires career-low 60 at Travelers
Mackenzie Hughes shot a careerlow 60 on Thursday to take the first-round at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut as the PGA Tour tried to switch its focus back to golf amid growing concerns about the coronavirus.
Hughes, a 29-year-old Canadian, had a chance to shoot the 12th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history, but his 40-foot birdie attempt on his final hole came up short. Jim Furyk shot a 12-under 58 on the same TPC River Highlands course four years ago, the lowest score in a tour event.
It was good enough for three-shot lead over Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland, who each shot 63 on a day of low scoring.
Phil Mickelson, paired with McIlroy in his first competitive round since turning 50, was one of six players to shoot 64. Bryson DeChambeau’s 65 was the worst score in the threesome.
Mickelson learned earlier Thursday that he was granted an exemption into this year’s U.S. Open for being in the top 70 in the world on March 15, when golf was shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The run-up to the Travelers was consumed by news about the coronavirus and questions about how long the tour can continue after two players — Nick Watney and Cameron Champ — and the caddies for Brooks Koepka and Graeme McDowell tested positive. Those were the only four positive tests of the 1,382 conducted by the tour since its return.
Players who test positive are required to withdraw. Koepka, his brother Chase, McDowell and last week’s winner, Webb Simpson, withdrew because of concerns about the virus.
Auto racing: New Hampshire Motor Speedway will allow fans in the grandstands and suites for the Aug. 2 NASCAR Cup Series race. Fans will be subject to social distancing requirements and additional health and safety protocols.
Baseball: Eddie Kasko, an All-Star infielder with the Reds who managed the Red Sox and spent nearly three decades with the latter in a variety of roles, died Wednesday. He was 88. No cause was given.
NBA: Vince Carter retired Thursday, announcing on his podcast that his 22-year NBA career, the longest in league history, has come to an end. Carter, 43, became the first NBA player to appear in four different decades. An eight-time All-Star who ranks 19th on the all-time scoring list, Carter appeared in 1,541 NBA games, behind only Robert Parish (1,611) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560). He started his career with the Raptors, then played for Nets, Magic, Suns, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Kings and spent his final two seasons with the Hawks, who didn’t qualify for the NBA restart next month in Orlando, Florida.
NFL: The NFL announced Thursday that while it expects training camps to start on time late next month, it canceled the Hall of Fame game that traditionally opens the preseason and is delaying the 2020 induction ceremonies for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Aug. 6 exhibition game in Canton, Ohio, between the Cowboys and Steelers is the first on-field event the league has canceled during the pandemic.
Soccer: Australia and New Zealand will co-host the Women’s World Cup in 2023. The joint bid beat Colombia 22-13 in a vote Thursday by FIFA’s ruling council. Both Australia, the No. 7ranked team in women’s soccer, and No. 23 New Zealand will qualify automatically for the tournament.