Golf: Ex-soccer hopeful Manley is Open’s early clubhouse leader
SOUTHPORT, England (Reuters) – Welshman Stuart Manley closed his round with an eagle and a birdie to become the early clubhouse leader with a two-under-par 68 at the British Open on Thursday.
O’Meara’s farewell to Birkdale is a round to forget
SOUTHPORT, England (Reuters) – Former winner Mark O’Meara was given the honor of being first off in what will almost certainly be his final British Open, but the American endured a horrible round of 81 in the rain at Royal Birkdale.
Cycling: Van Vleuten takes Izoard stage on La Course by Le Tour
COL D’IZOARD, France (Reuters) – Annemiek van Vleuten of the Netherlands attacked four kilometers (2.5 miles) from the finish on Thursday to win the first stage of La Course by Le Tour, the women’s race run by Tour de France organizers ASO.
Olympics: Japan stadium worker’s suicide was ‘death by overwork’ say parents
TOKYO (Reuters) – The parents of a worker on Japan’s Olympic stadium who committed suicide have petitioned the government to recognize it as “death by overwork”, an official said on Thursday, with media saying he worked 200 hours of overtime a month be…
O.J. Simpson makes case for freedom before Nevada parole board
CARSON CITY, Nev. (Reuters) – A state parole board in Nevada convened on Thursday morning to consider O.J. Simpson’s bid for freedom after nine years in prison for a botched armed robbery of his own sports memorabilia in a Las Vegas hotel room.
Doping: Russian octet cleared to compete as neutrals, 53 declined
ZURICH (Reuters) – The world athletics body has approved eight Russians to compete as neutrals but declined the applications of a further 53 competitors hoping to be awarded a similar status, the IAAF said on Thursday.
Poulter sets clubhouse pace, Spieth starts well
SOUTHPORT, England (Reuters) – England’s Ian Poulter made light of tough conditions to shoot a rock-solid 67 in the British Open first round at Royal Birkdale on Thursday and move behind American leaders Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka.
U.S. defenders double up in Gold Cup win over El Salvador
(Reuters) – Defenders Omar Gonzalez and Eric Lichaj scored a goal apiece in the closing minutes of the first half to send the United States into the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 win over El Salvador on Wednesday.
Johnson and Spieth favorites as British Open begins
SOUTHPORT, England (Reuters) – Americans Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth are the bookmakers’ favorites to win the British Open, which starts at Royal Birkdale on Thursday.
Cycling: Iconic Izoard climb to stage decisive battle for yellow
SERRE-CHEVALIER, France (Reuters) – The Col de l’Izoard, where the decisive battle in this year’s Tour de France will be waged on Thursday could, in the words of race founder Henri Desgrange, “make a mule whimper”.




