Michael Johnson, paralyzed from the waist down since a motorcycle accident at age 12, co-drove to a win in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race Saturday at Lime Rock Park.
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Should Jordan Spieth win a second consecutive Claret Jug on Sunday, he’ll be prepared for the occasion. With time to kill before Saturday’s 3:10 p.m. tee time, Spieth decided it was the perfect time to get an overdue trim in Carnoustie. Spieth said he had a simple motive for his pre-round trim. “My hair got a little long, and I needed to get a haircut, so I did this morning,� said Spieth, who walked into town after looking up a barber shop on the app Yelp. Spieth said he wasn’t recognized as the defending Open champion. His hair was cut shorter than his normal style, but he still left a 20-pound note for the 9-pound haircut. “It was intended to be what I normally get, and instead he went a little shorter. Very British haircut,� Spieth said. “A little shaved on the sides, a little longer on top. It is what it is. Summertime, it works out.� Spieth’s closely-shorn haircut was quickly noticed when he appeared on television Saturday afternoon. Kevin Kisner, who’s staying with Spieth in a rental house, called the haircut “military-grade.� It may be immortalized in countless photos if Spieth can continue his good play at Carnoustie. This is the first time since 2014 that Spieth has arrived at The Open Championship without a victory, but he seems to have made progress with his putting. He shot 72 in the first round after playing the final four holes in 4 over, then followed with rounds of 67-65 to share the 54-hole lead with Kisner and Xander Schauffele. Spieth would become the first player since Young Tom Morris to win consecutive Open Championships before the age of 25. Spieth will play with Schauffele in Sunday’s final group at 2:45 p.m. local time.
Can co-leader Jordan Spieth hang on and win his second straight Open title, or will Tiger Woods come from behind and pull a stunner?
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland — Tiger Woods’ playing partner in Saturday’s third round, an obscure 36-year-old South African journeyman who plays on the Japan Tour named Shaun Norris, was mesmerized not only by what he witnessed from Woods but by the madness that surrounds Woods. “It’s absolutely crazy to think so many people can follow a person,� Norris said. “It’s like playing with a mythical creature. It doesn’t feel real.� Norris sounded bullish on where Woods’ game is and his chances to win again. “He’s really hitting the ball well and I think he’s moving in the right direction again,’’ Norris said. “I don’t think he’s very far away from really taking everybody on again. You can see that he knows
NICHOLASVILLE, Kentucky — The highlight of the week? That’s easy. It has to be the grip gap wedge – one of her favorite shots – that Brittany Lincicome played from 116 yards out at the par-5 17th on Saturday that tracked into the hole for eagle. “So cool,â€� Lincicome said with a big smile of satisfaction as she talked with reporters after her round. “When it went in that couldn’t have ended my week any better.â€� Then she proceeded to make everyone’s else’s day, patiently signing every ball, glove and ticket thrust her way. She posed for photos with little girls and boys — and grandparents, as well. “The fans were incredible,â€� Lincicome said. “It was so great feeding off their energy. They were cheering for me every time I hit a shot, every time I got it in the fairway, got it on the green.  
“It made me feel way more comfortable.â€� That comfort zone showed in her performance on Saturday at the Barbasol Championship as Lincicome rebounded from a disappointing opening round of 78 to shoot 1-under. She made that eagle and five birdies – including three straight — while dropping five shots to par. Lincicome is only the sixth woman to ever play in a PGA TOUR event, and just the second to break par. Only two women have completed 72 holes in official TOUR events: Babe Didrikson Zaharias at the 1945 Phoenix Open and the 1945 Tucson Open and Shirley Spork at the 1952 Northern California-Reno Open. “I would’ve liked to have shot better (Thursday),â€� acknowledged Lincicome, who had a triple bogey and a double in the first round. “Obviously today was a pretty nice day, so I guess ending with today’s round it’s a good way to kind of leave, I guess.

“And then holing out on 17 is pretty cool. I can’t wait to watch the replay later.â€� Conrad Schindler said it was a treat to play with Lincicome as she made history in the first two rounds. He gave their gallery something to cheer about on Saturday, too, firing a bogey-free 64.  “To get to have a front row seat in the group, it’s a unique aspect,â€� Schindler said. “A lot of people get behind her, but you also can get some fans out there rooting for you, so it’s definitely nice to have.â€� Schindler said he likes to chat between shots, just like Lincicome does. They talked about the differences between their two tours, and at times the conversation shifted to their dogs – his two, a lab-pit mix and a Catahoula Leopard-Great Dane hybrid and her Rottweiler who lives with her grandmother. Lincicome, who loves to fish for goliath grouper and spend time on her boat, also wants to get a Labrador. “That’s what helps me in my element when I’m playing well, is not thinking about golf as much, just kind of deviating away from it,â€� Schindler said. “When it’s time, we only spend about 30, 40 seconds on the shot. “So it’s nice to have someone else out there that you’re strolling the fairways with talking to.â€� Schindler, who turned 30 on Friday, said he came away impressed with Lincicome’s game. She was tied for third in driving accuracy, hitting 22-of-28 fairways and took 51 putts, including just 23 on Saturday. “It’s really consistent,â€� Schindler said. “You know, she does the same thing every shot. She just knows where it’s going to go. Great short game. Maybe the first day just a little nerves, but each day she gained confidence.â€� Lincicome, who has won eight times on the LPGA Tour, thinks that playing in the Barbasol Championship could help her as she goes after her third major at the Ricoh Women’s British Open Aug. 2-5 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Hitting shots inside the ropes this week wasn’t the hard part – although the Lincicome admitted she had to force herself not to try to swing out of her shoes when she saw her playing partners outdriving her by 20 or 30 yards. But the media attention, the fan curiosity and the expectations all were heightened this week. Lincicome called World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam to get her advice on Wednesday night. Sorenstam was the first woman to play on the PGA TOUR in 51 years when the world No. 1 teed it up in the 2003 Bank of America Colonial. Sorenstam told Lincicome to look at the big picture and how this week at Keene Trace Golf Club will help her handle her nerves in the future. Sorenstam also said to relax by watching a movie that night. But Lincicome, who was renting a home for the week with her husband, parents and caddy, had too much going on to follow that advice. “This is obviously a much bigger stage or different stage than I’m used to,â€� Lincicome said. “With a major coming up, hopefully that first tee shot I won’t be as nervous. “I’ve learned to kind of play through the nerves this week, which is great. Just in the future I think that’ll really help me.â€�
Tiger Woods’ name shot to the top of the leaderboard at a major again. Ian O’Connor says it’s OK to imagine what it would feel like if he’s there when Sunday closes.
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Ben Hogan had to wear two sweaters when he won at Carnoustie. This year, players have been able to get by in shirt sleeves. A week of sunshine and warm weather is putting the course’s well-earned reputation in danger. This is, after all, a place most famous for a triple-bogey. Carnoustie is supposed to be the hardest course in The Open’s rota but Great Britian’s record-setting summer has stripped the course of some of its largest defenses. No one has ever finished double-digits under par at Carnoustie, in large part because of the cold, wind and rain that are common on the coast of the North Sea. The heat has turned Carnoustie’s rough brown and brittle, allowing players to hit into it with impunity, and the rock-hard fairways are making the course play short. Ice cream sales may be up, but Carnoustie’s scoring records are in danger. Three players – Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele and Kevin Kisner – share the Saturday lead in this Open Champiosnhip at 9 under par. Carnoustie saves its toughest holes for last, though, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the course isn’t going down without a fight. Players know that 14 holes of hard work at Carnoustie can quickly be dashed in the hour before they sign their scorecard. Therefore, it’s appropriate that the toughest conditions have been saved for The Open’s final day. The sun is still expected to shine Sunday, but wind gusts are forecast to exceed 30 mph. “I think … tomorrow to expect the unexpected,â€� Spieth said. “It’s ideal for Carnoustie to have a bunched leaderboard and 25 mph winds on Sunday.â€� Sunday’s forecast has been a topic of discussion since the start of the week in the rental house shared by Kisner, Spieth and several of their friends. “It’s going to be a true test, and we’ll get to see really who’s hitting the ball the best and playing the best tomorrow,â€� Kisner said. That’s the way The Open is supposed to be. The Wee Ice Mon won over the fans at Carnoustie in 1953 by being a “stern man for a stern game,â€� one reporter wrote. Tom Watson started his mastery of the links with a win here in 1975, the first of his five Opens. And one of the grittiest players of this era, Padraig Harrington, won the first of his three majors at Carnoustie. Saturday was the second-easiest day in Carnoustie’s history. Spieth said that a majority of the holes played downwind as the wind blew from the southeast. The field averaged 72.4 strokes, and there were seven scores of 66 or lower. “It was the day to be aggressive today,â€� Francesco Molinari said after his 65. He’s in fifth place, three shots behind the leaders and one behind Kevin Chappell. Seven players are stacked four shots back. Sunday may be the day to grind out a score. Spieth said the winner could be someone who’s been sitting in the clubhouse for hours when the final group reaches 18. Carnoustie is the site of the largest comeback in major history. Paul Lawrie was 10 back when he shot a final-round 67 to win here in 1999. Of course, that win was accompanied by some unique circumstances. Anything is possible with high breezes and firm fairways, where off-line shots could go bounding toward Carnoustie’s deep pot bunkers, which are among the most difficult in The Open rota. Then there’s that pesky burn that winds through the final hole. The field has averaged nearly a stroke over par on the closing three holes. Those holes are difficult in any conditions. Carnoustie normally offers a warm welcome, but even its opening holes could be difficult with Sunday’s wind, Spieth said. “Tomorrow it’s going to be a grind just to get started, and those are kind of the easy holes on the golf course,â€� Spieth said. “(Today) we had probably the easiest wind this golf course can have, but when it goes off the left side, …, that’s when you start getting more into the wind. “It’s going to be a meaty start, not to mention, obviously, the last few holes to finish.â€� “I’m really excited to see how hard it can play,â€� Kisner said. “I think that’s the way major championships should be down the stretch, as hard as possible.â€� He just may get his wish.
Jordan Spieth didn’t want to give back the Claret Jug this week. After three strong rounds (and one bad haircut), he has a chance to take it back.
Yoenis Cespedes made a triumphant return to the New York Mets on Friday, hitting a home run and reaching base three times in a 7-5 victory over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Cespedes was activated after missing over two months with a right hip flexor strain, but it’s his heels that have
Montrezl Harrell, a restricted free agent, has agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal to remain with the Clippers.
