GOLF
Darkness halts McIlroy-Casey match
Rory McIlroy had his own fight to worry about Saturday in Match Play Championship. It was such a tense battle with Paul Casey that both had chances to win, and they had to return today to see who gets to keep playing. McIlroy has gone 17 holes without the lead, though the world’s No. 1 player had his chances. With the match all square when Casey took three putts from the fringe on the 17th, McIlroy missed a 12-foot birdie putt for the win on the 18th. Casey left his winning birdie putt one turn short on the second extra hole. Given another chance, McIlroy hit the lip on a 6-foot birdie putt on the third extra hole. Even by then, it was too dark. They will resume at 6:45 a.m. on the par-5 opening hole for the right to play Jim Furyk, who reached his first semifinal with a 4-and-2 victory over Louis Oosthuizen. Gary Woodland got up big early against John Senden and coasted to a 5-and-3 victory, fueled by memories of a bad loss last year that the powerful Kansan is determined to not let happen again. He will face Danny Willett of England, who beat his third straight countryman with a 4-and-3 win over Tommy Fleetwood.
TRACK & FIELD
Americans defeat Jamaica, Bolt
The United States, anchored by Ryan Bailey, won the 4x100 relay, defeating Usain Bolt’s Jamaica at the IAAF World Relays meet on Saturday. The Americans, with Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay (Arkansas Razorbacks) and Mike Rodgers also running, clocked 37.38 seconds with Jamaica finishing in 37.68. Jamaica set the world record of 36.84 three years ago at the London Olympics. In other finals, the American men easily won the 4x800, clocking 7:04.84.
FOOTBALL
Auburn dismisses defensive end
Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn has dismissed defensive end Elijah Daniel from the team, three days after the player’s arrest. Malzahn announced the decision Saturday in a brief statement. Auburn police arrested Daniel, 21, and two other men on theft and burglary charges Wednesday night after an investigation into items missing from dormitory rooms following spring break. Lee County jail records show the junior from Indianapolis was charged with four counts of theft and four more counts of burglary. Six of the charges are felonies. The most serious case against Daniel is first-degree theft, which involves property worth at least $2,500 or anything taken from another person. Daniel played in 13 games last season and started twice.
m Cornell Green, a perennial Pro Bowler in his 13-year career as a defensive back for the Dallas Cowboys and an NFL scout for nearly four decades, is retiring from the Denver Broncos scouting department. Green, 75, was honored by Denver General Manager John Elway after the NFL Draft on Saturday. Green, who began his scouting career in Dallas even before his playing career was over, was presented with a jersey, the No. 28 representing the years he worked for the Broncos. Green played in Dallas from 1962-74 and was a three-time All-Pro.
GOLF
Thompson, Park share LPGA lead
Lexi Thompson finished her 3-under 68 round with a birdie after a fortunate ricochet Saturday to share the third-round lead with Inbee Park in the LPGA Tour’s North Texas Shootout. The approach by the long-hitting Thompson at the par-5 18th was a screamer well left of the hole. But the ball struck the front facing of a temporary grandstand and ricocheted onto the green, skimming just over the top of a bunker. That set up a long two-putt birdie to get to 9-under 204. Park, the 2013 North Texas winner, had a more conventional closing birdie, hitting her approach inside a foot for a round of 69. Brooke Henderson, the 17-year-old Canadian who had the second-round lead, shot an even-par 71 to drop into a tie for third at 8 under with Karrie Webb (64) and Angela Stanford (67). Cristie Kerr, who missed a short birdie try on her final hole, shot 69 and was tied for sixth with Hee Young Park (70) at 7 under. Defending champion Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 66 to move into a tie for eighth place at 5 under, after starting the weekend even and tied for 47th. Lewis and Juli Inkster (73) were in a group of eight players five strokes off the lead.
m Michael Allen birdied the final two holes for a 4-under 68 and a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Champions Tour’s Insperity Invitational in The Woodlands, Texas. Allen, 56, had a 10-under 134 total at The Woodlands Country Club. He has seven victories on the 50-and-over tour, winning twice last season. Joe Durant is second after a 68. He had a double bogey in the par-4 17th and rebounded with a birdie on the par-4 18th. Last week, he teamed with Billy Andrade to win the Legends of Golf in Missouri for his first Champions Tour title. Scott Dunlap, Woody Austin and Tom Lehman were 8 under. Dunlap had a 65, the best round of the day. Austin and Lehman shot 66.
TENNIS
Federer, Cuevas in Istanbul finals
Top-seeded Roger Federer rallied past Diego Schwarzman 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 to reach the Istanbul Open final after a near two-hour match Saturday. Federer recovered from a sloppy start against the eighth-seeded Argentine to remain on course for an 85th title and third this year. The 17-time Grand Slam winner will face third-seeded Pablo Cuevas in the final after the Uruguayan upset second-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-4 at the clay-court tournament. Cuevas, who is bidding for a fourth career title, converted five of his six break points against Dimitrov. He is unbeaten in finals, and will meet Federer for the first time.
m Top-seeded Andy Murray will face two-time former champion Philipp Kohlschreiber in the BMW Open final in Munich after both players won two matches Saturday. Murray fired nine aces and saved five of six break points to defeat Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 6-4, 6-4, while Kohlschreiber needed 1 hour, 37 minutes to beat Gerald Melzer of Austria 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the other semifinal. It will be Murray’s first final on clay, and the first under Jonas Bjorkman, a nine-time winner of Grand Slam doubles titles. Murray is aiming for his 32nd tour-level title. Kohlschreiber is aiming for his third Munich title after victories in 2007 and 2012. The German lost the 2013 final to compatriot Tommy Haas.
m Fifth-seeded Richard Gasquet will face Australian Nick Kyrgios in the final of the Estoril Open after both came from behind to win Saturday semifinals. Gasquet of France rallied to beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (1) for a place in today’s final. Gasquet converted three of six break points to see Garcia-Lopez off in 2 hours, 16 minutes. The seventh-seeded Kyrgios, 20, moved on earlier after he fought back for a 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-3 victory over Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
HORSE RACING
Mandella earns 2,000th victory
Catch a Flight split horses turning for home and went on to win the $100,750 Precisionist Stakes by three-quarters of a length Saturday at Santa Anita, giving Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella his 2,000th career victory. Ridden by Flavien Plat, Catch a Flight ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.22 and paid $4.80, $3.20 and $2.40 as the 7-5 favorite. Prat, a Frenchman, earned his first North American graded stakes victory. Sammy Mandeville rallied from last to finish second and returned $7.80 and $4.60. Motown Men was another 1 ¼ lengths back in third and paid $3.20 to show. The victory, worth $60,000, increased Catch a Flight’s career earnings to $273,239, with eight wins in 14 starts.
m Tonalist toyed with three rivals Saturday to win the $142,500 Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park. Joe Bravo rode Tonalist and two other stakes winners on the card. The Belmont Stakes winner, Tonalist is 4 for 4 at the track after beating Confrontation by 3 3/4 lengths in his season debut. The 4-year-old trained by Christophe Clement ran the mile 1:34.07 on the fast track. Tonalist improved to 5 for 10, paying $3.80 and $2.10 as the 4-5 favorite. Confrontation returned $2.50.