June 22, 2020 3:48 am
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) – Webb Simpson celebrated another victory on Father’s Day, this time with a tartan jacket instead of a U.S. Open trophy. In a wild sprint to the finish after a three-hour storm delay, Simpson ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine at Harbour Town and closed with a 7-under 64 for a one-shot victory over Abraham Ancer. Simpson won the U.S. Open at Olympic Club in 2012. The U.S. Open has been scheduled to end on Father’s Day every year since 1976, but it was moved to September this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The RBC Heritage filled the spot on the schedule and Simpson, now a father of five, became a winner for the second time this year with a record score at Harbour Town. He didn’t have much of a choice with so many low scores on a soft course with little wind. He finished at 22-under 262, breaking by two the tournament record set by Brian Gay in 2009.
June 22, 2020 3:49 am
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) – Thunderstorms Sunday forced NASCAR to postpone the Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway that was to mark the return of more fans to the track. The race, which was pushed back to 2 p.m. CDT on Monday, is the first amid the coronavirus pandemic in which NASCAR opened the gates for up to 5,000 fans. The event was stopped several times for more than three hours of total delays. The race is the ninth for the elite Cup Series since the May 17 resumption, and restrictions are gradually being lifted. It was hardly an ordinary race day at Talladega Superspeedway, even before the lousy weather. The normal hordes of partying fans were nowhere to be seen.
June 22, 2020 3:50 am
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) – NASCAR says a noose was found in the garage stall of Bubba Wallace on Sunday at the NASCAR race in Talladega, Alabama. Wallace is the only full-time Black driver in NASCAR’s elite Cup Series. Two weeks ago, he successfully pushed for NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag at its tracks and properties. NASCAR says it has launched an immediate investigation into the noose. The series says it is “outraged” and says there is no place for racism in NASCAR.
June 21, 2020 7:28 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Tiz the Law has won an unprecedented Belmont Stakes, claiming victory Saturday at the first race of a rejiggered Triple Crown schedule and crossing the finish line in front of eerily empty grandstands. The 3-year-old colt from upstate New York charged to the lead turning to the front stretch and now can set his sights on the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby and Oct. 3 Preakness. All three legs of this year’s Triple Crown schedule were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Belmont, usually the series capper, was initially scheduled for June 6. Tiz the Law gave New York a hometown champion in its first major sporting event since the coronavirus pandemic seized the area. He’s the first New York-bred horse to win the Belmont since Forrester in 1882. This Belmont States was unlike any of the 151 that preceded it. The Long Island track can pack in nearly 100,000, but this race only had about 100 on hand, including jockeys, media and park staff. Masks were mandated for all but the horses – even the jockeys wore face coverings.
June 21, 2020 7:29 am
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) – Buckle up for another wild finish on the PGA Tour. Webb Simpson made one birdie on the back nine at Harbour Town. That was just enough for a 68 that allowed him to join a four-way tie for the lead in the RBC Heritage. He was at 15-under 198. Also sharing the lead were Tyrrell Hatton of England, Abraham Ancer of Mexico and Ryan Palmer. Hatton had one of the six rounds of 63 on Saturday. The change to June because of three-month shutdown appears to be making all the difference. This is a soft course for a strong field. Meanwhile, packed restaurants and a lack of social distancing on Hilton Head Island are leading to concerns that the PGA Tour might have more players test positive for the coronavirus. Nick Watney became the first player to test positive on Friday and withdrew from the RBC Heritage. The tournament is the second since the tour resumed play after a three-month break because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour has tested 11 people who came into close contact with Watney and all initial tests came back negative. Justin Thomas is one of several players to note how busy the island has been. He says, “It’s an absolute zoo around here.”
June 21, 2020 7:31 am
NASCAR heads to Talladega Superspeedway Sunday with new rules and more fans. The Alabama track will admit up to 5,000 fans, just 48 hours after Stewart-Haas Racing confirmed two of its employees tested positive for the new coronavirus. The new rules are in response to Ryan Newman’s crash in the Daytona 500, but there is no practice or qualifying scheduled, so drivers won’t have a feel for the adjustments until the race begins. NASCAR also will be on the lookout for the newly banned Confederate flag.
June 20, 2020 4:13 am
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Webb Simpson has the lead at Hilton Head. Bryson DeChambeau is one shot behind. And the biggest move of the day was a player who made it to the course, but not the tee. That was Nick Watney, who withdrew after becoming the first player to test positive for the coronavirus. Watney tested negative when he arrived Tuesday. He experienced symptoms Friday, took another test and it returned positive. He will be in self-isolation for at least 10 days.
June 20, 2020 4:11 am
(AP)- Canada has approved a National Hockey League plan to play in Canada amid the coronavirus pandemic. The plan required an exemption as the U.S.-Canada border is currently closed to all non-essential travel until at least July 21 and those who enter Canada must self-isolate for 14 days. The league plans to have training camps open in July and to play games without spectators in a couple of cities in late July or August. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada’s top public health officer as well as the top health officers of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Toronto worked closely with the NHL to approve the plan.
June 20, 2020 4:09 am
(AP)- Clemson said 23 football players have tested positive for the coronavirus since the athletes returned to campus this month. There have been 28 positive tests for COVID-19 at the school, including two football staffers and three athletes from other sports. None of those contracting the virus have been hospitalized. Those testing positive are isolated for at least 10 days. The uptick at Clemson is similar to one in the state of South Carolina, which reported a single-day high of 1,081 cases on Friday.
June 20, 2020 4:07 am
(AP) – A person familiar with the decision says Major League Baseball is closing all of its spring training sites over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The person spoke Friday night on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement. Earlier in the day, the Philadelphia Phillies said five players tested positive for COVID-19 this week at the team’s spring complex. At least four teams in Florida and Arizona had already closed their camps. The moves came while MLB owners and players try to negotiate a deal to start the season. They had hoped to begin a second round of spring training by next weekend.
