GOLF
3 Razorbacks earn exemptions
University of Arkansas golfers Ela Anacona, Maria Hoyos and Brooke Matthews received sponsor exemptions on Thursday and will tee it up in the Northwest Arkansas Championship.
The tournament, set to be televised by The Golf Channel, is scheduled for Aug. 24-30 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers.
The three Razorbacks in the field, all making their debuts in the event, will be a school record, just as the five UA players in the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship earlier this month was a record.
"When I got the call that we had been awarded three sponsor exemptions for the 2020 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship ..., my first thought was this was the best news our team has received since the COVID-19 shutdown began back in March," Arkansas Coach Shauna Taylor said in a statement. "Most of the women on our team aspire to play on the LPGA Tour, and this is an amazing opportunity for them to test their games."
Matthews, a junior from Rogers and a round of 32 participant at the U.S. Amateur, had four top-35 finishes in six events in 2019-20. She had a 73.39 stroke average last season.
Anacona had a stroke average of 72.33 as she played in five of six events for the Razorbacks last season.
Hoyos had a 73.11 stroke average as a junior while playing in three events.
-- Tom Murphy
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Surgery for Piggott player
Piggott football player Hunter Midkiff was scheduled to have liver transplant surgery late Thursday night, his father John told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
John Midkiff said that the surgery was set for 11 p.m. Thursday at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, where Hunter Midkiff, 16, has been hospitalized since Monday. Doctors told John Midkiff that the surgery was expected to take 2-4 hours.
A donor liver was available for Hunter late Wednesday night, several hours after doctors had put him on the top of the recipient list.
The donor was of similar age to Hunter, John Midkiff said. He added that the Midkiff family was praying for the donor family.
"They have truly given us a blessing," John Midkiff said.
Hunter Midkiff, a junior at Piggott, suffered heatstroke at practice Monday and was hospitalized at Piggott Community Hospital before being airlifted to Children's Hospital later Monday.
-- Jeremy Muck