GOLF
DeChambeau wins Memorial
Bryson DeChambeau finally got it right on his third try at the 18th hole and won the Memorial in a playoff on Sunday. DeChambeau three-putted for bogey on the 18th for a 1-under 71 to get into a three-way playoff at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. He missed the green from the fairway on the 18th on the first extra hole and had to scramble for par. On his third try, he hit his approach to 12 feet behind the hole and made it for birdie to beat Byeong Hun An and win for the second time on the PGA Tour. Tiger Woods was never a serious factor. Starting five shots behind, Woods pulled to within three shots with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifth hole. But his chances effectively ended when he missed a 3-foot par putt on No. 10, and he put his tee shot into a backyard for the second time this week. He closed with a 72 and ended one of his best ball-striking weeks in a six-way tie for 23rd. Patrick Cantlay narrowly missed a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole, shot 71 and finished fourth. Peter Uihlein (66) was alone in fifth. Joaquin Niemann, the 19-year-old from Chile, birdied the 18th hole to tie for sixth. Justin Thomas shot 68 and tied for eighth. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) ... Andrew Landry (Razorbacks) ...
BASEBALL
Rays' Snell ties record
Tampa Bay lefty Blake Snell tied the American League record with seven consecutive strikeouts to start a game against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. Snell matched the mark set by Joe Cowley of the White Sox on May 28, 1986, and also reached by Carlos Rodon for the White Sox on Sept. 30, 2016. The major league record is eight straight strikeouts to start a game, set by Jim Deshaies for Houston in 1986 and matched by Jacob deGrom of the Mets in 2014. Snell also tied a club record for most consecutive strikeouts at any point during a game. Snell struck out the side in the first two innings on swinging strikes, and tied the record with a called strike three on Guillermo Heridia to open the third. Denard Span, the Mariners' eighth batter, worked the count full before grounding out to second to end Snell's strikeout streak. Snell struck out Mike Zunino to end the third inning for his eighth strikeout of the game.
Help on way for Mets
Reinforcements are coming for the New York Mets, including two of their primary offseason additions. Third baseman Todd Frazier (left hamstring strain) and reliever Anthony Swarzak (left oblique strain) are expected to be activated from the disabled list Tuesday. Frazier returned to New York on Sunday after a stint with Class AAA Las Vegas, and Swarzak's appearance for Las Vegas on Sunday was scheduled to be his last. It can't come soon enough for the Mets, who are lacking in the lineup and bullpen departments as they've slipped below .500. Frazier has been out since May 8 -- the day the Mets traded Matt Harvey to the Reds -- and he initially expected to miss only the minimum 10 days. He went 4-for-9 with two walks and no strikeouts in three minor-league games. Callaway said the Mets will likely send down a reliever when activating Frazier. Swarzak has been out for two months.
MOTOR SPORTS
Hunter-Reay wins at Belle Isle
Ryan Hunter-Reay won his first IndyCar race since 2015, prevailing at Belle Isle near Detroit after teammate Alexander Rossi slid off the track at a turn with about seven laps to go. Rossi, the pole winner, was struggling to hold off Hunter-Reay before the mishap at a right turn on lap 64 of 70. From there, it was smooth sailing for Hunter-Reay on the 2.35-mile street course. He finished more than 11 seconds ahead of second-place Will Power. Ed Jones finished third, followed by Scott Dixon. Rossi fell to 12th and dropped out of the series points lead. Power, the Indianapolis 500 champion, returned to the top of the season standings. He'd fallen from first to third after Saturday's race, in which Dixon outlasted Hunter-Reay for the victory. The second half of Belle Isle's Indy Car doubleheader was Sunday, and Hunter-Reay earned his 17th career victory. It was the 59th for Andretti Autosport. The race Sunday was delayed over a half-hour because the pace car crashed during a pace lap. There was another caution right after the start when Spencer Pigot spun. After that, the race was caution-free the rest of the way. Hunter-Reay's last victory was at Pocono in 2015. He's now finished in the top five six times in eight races in 2018.
FOOTBALL
Matthews busts nose
Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews said he needs surgery on his nose after getting hit in the face with a line drive during a charity softball game. Matthews was pitching during Saturday's game when offensive lineman Lucas Patrick hit the ball directly into Matthews' face, knocking him to the ground. The Green Bay Press Gazette reported that Matthews got up, covered his face with his glove, then walked to the dugout. He did not return to the game. Matthews tweeted later that he busted his nose and would have surgery after the swelling subsides. He thanked fans for their well-wishes and expressed gratitude that his injury wasn't more serious.
GOLF
Jutanugarn prevails in Women’s Open playoff
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ariya Jutanugarn lost a seven-shot lead on the back nine and then prevailed on the fourth hole of a playoff to win the U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday at Shoal Creek.
Jutanugarn, a 22-year-old from Thailand, made a clutch bunker shot to within a foot of the hole to save par, beating South Korea’s Hyo-Joo Kim, who shot a 5-under 67 in the final round to force the playoff.
Jutanugarn started the day with a four-shot lead over Australia’s Sarah Jane Smith and looked like she might win easily after opening with a 4 under on the front nine to stretch her lead to seven strokes.
But a triple bogey on No. 10 cut the lead to four and seemed to shake her confidence. She still had a two-shot lead with two holes remaining, but closed with back-to-back bogeys to fall into a playoff after shooting 73.
In the end, the excruciating collapse set up an emotional victory and her second major championship. She also won the Women’s British Open in 2016.
The format for the playoff was a two-hole aggregate on 14 and 18, but the players were still tied after the two holes. The format then switched to sudden death, alternating between the same holes.
Kim looked like she might win the two-hole aggregate after making a long birdie putt on 14 while Jutanugarn settled for par. But Kim made bogey — her first of the day — on 18 while Jutanugarn made par again to send the format to sudden death.
On the fourth playoff hole at 18, both players went into greenside bunkers. Kim’s shot out of the bunker was decent, but Jutanugarn’s was phenomenal, rolling to within a foot of the hole and setting up an easy par putt.
Kim missed her putt for par and Jutanugarn tapped in for the win, turning toward her caddie and family for a happy, tearful embrace.
Sports on 06/04/2018