AP Sports

Bryson DeChambeau goes from petulant pro to man of the people during his US Open triumph

PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau has gone from being the petulant young pro who seemed to court controversy to a fan favorite and man of the people during a memorable week at Pinehurst No. 2. He capped it with a duel for the ages with Rory McIlroy at the U.S. Open on Sunday. As McIlroy stumbled down the stretch, DeChambeau hung tough, and his par save from a bunker on the 18th hole that he called one of the best shots of his life allowed him to lift the U.S. Open trophy for the second time in his career.

Celtics back home with chance to close out Mavericks and clinch record 18th NBA championship

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics’ catastrophic performance in Game 4 of the NBA Finals gave them a chance to clinch their unprecedented 18th championship under the banners already hanging in the TD Garden rafters. And coach Joe Mazzulla reminded them that they would still have two more chances after that. The Mavericks avoided elimination with a 122-84 victory on Friday night — the third-biggest blowout in Finals history. That sent the series back to Boston, where the Celtics will again try to win their first title since 2008. In a city that’s collected 12 championships already this century, that’s what passes for a drought.

Panthers hope to rebound from blowout loss, returning home on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Florida Panthers return home for another chance to win the Stanley Cup licking their wounds from an 8-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers that prevented the final from being a sweep. They are still up 3-1 and have the opportunity to close out the series in front of their fans in Game 5 on Tuesday night. And coach Paul Maurice and the players think they understand what went wrong to cause Game 4 to get away from them. Isolating and fixing how they defend some of the Oilers’ best and quickest players could be key to clinching the first championship in franchise history.

Les Miles sues LSU, NCAA and College Football Hall of Fame over 37 vacated victories

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Former LSU coach Les Miles is suing the university over its decision to vacate 37 of his teams’ victories between 2012 and 2015. The lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Baton Rouge alleges that LSU never gave Miles a chance to be heard before altering his career record in a way that disqualified him from consideration for the College Football Hall of Fame. The decision in June 2023 to vacate the victories stemmed from an NCAA ruling that former Tigers offensive lineman Vadal Alexander had received financial benefits that violated NCAA rules at the time he played. LSU said it could not comment on pending litigation. Miles won a national championship at LSU in 2007.

Romania earns first Euros win in 24 years while Ukraine apologizes for 3-0 loss

MUNICH (AP) — Romania has recorded only its second ever victory at the European Championship with a 3-0 win over Ukraine to give coach Edward Iordănescu a belated birthday present. Nicolae Stanciu put Romania ahead at the break and two quickfire goals from Răzvan Marin and Denis Mihai Drăgus early in the second half helped Romania to its first win at the Euros since a surprise 3-2 triumph over England 24 years ago. Stanciu also hit the bar as Romania thoroughly beat Ukraine, which is playing at Euro 2024 amid the backdrop of war at home and hoping to give its citizens some joy even as Russian missiles keep raining down on the country.

Through connection to their land, Tarahumara runners are among Mexico’s most beloved champions

CHIHUAHUA, México (AP) — They were born to run. Nestled in a remote mountain range in northern Mexico, the Tarahumaras got used to running to cope with long distances, scarcity and isolation. Self-trained, listening to their bodies and deeply connected to their lands, they can run for 5, 10 or 20 hours non-stop. Many of them start running at a young age, such as Miguel Lara, an ultramarathoner who encapsules how the sport can be linked to his people’s history and closeness to the Earth. Local communities organize running competitions as part of their religious ceremonies.

Dodgers star Mookie Betts suffers broken left hand when hit by a pitch

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts broke his left hand when he was hit by a pitch during the seventh inning of Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Royals. The former MVP and seven-time All-Star was drilled in the hand by a 97.9 mph fastball from Dan Altavilla and fell to the ground, writhing in extreme pain. Manager Dave Roberts didn’t know how much time Betts would miss but said the injury would not require surgery. Betts made an appearance in the clubhouse after the Dodgers’ 3-0 victory with his left hand wrapped. He will see Dr. Steven Shin, a hand specialist, on Monday.

Bryson DeChambeau wins another US Open with a clutch finish to deny Rory McIlroy

PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau is the U.S. Open champion for the second time. It was another thriller at Pinehurst No. 2 that came down to the last hole. He was tied with Rory McIlroy, who was in the group in front. McIlroy missed a 4-foot par putt to fall one shot behind. DeChambeau blasted out of a bunker from 55 yards away to 4 feet and made the par putt for a 71. It wasn’t quite the famous putt of Payne Stewart in 1999 when he made par from 15 feet. But DeChambeau celebrated the second major for a LIV Golf player.

Rory McIlroy’s two missed short putts cost him a shot at winning the U.S. Open

PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) — Rory McIlroy missed two short putts over the final three holes during the final round of the U.S. Open, allowing Bryson DeChambeau to beat him by a shot at Pinehurst No. 2. McIlroy had a two-shot lead with five holes to go before he missed a 30-inch putt on the 16th hole. He missed another from just inside 4 feet at the 18th, then watched on TV as DeChambeau got up and down from a bunker on the finishing hole to beat him by a shot. It extended McIlroy’s decade-long drought in majors, and may have been the most disappointing one yet.

Ukraine displays destroyed stadium stand in Munich in reminder of war ahead of Euro 2024 opener

MUNICH (AP) — The Ukrainian soccer federation has unveiled an installation in Munich of a stadium stand destroyed in the war back home to highlight the ongoing conflict ahead of the team’s first match at the European Championship. Parts of a stand from Kharkiv’s Sonyachny stadium that was built for Euro 2012 — which Ukraine co-hosted — was displayed in a square in Munich ahead of the team’s opener against Romania. The stadium was destroyed by Russian troops in May 2022. Former Ukraine coach and player Andriy Shevchenko, who is the president of the country’s soccer federation, said: “We play today for the people who defend our lives and our country.”