GOLF
Thompson fires 66, leads
Lexi Thompson shot a bogey-free 5-under 66 on Saturday to take the lead into the final round of the U.S. Women's Open for the first time in her career with a one-shot edge over teenager Yuka Saso. Thompson played a nearly flawless round in search of her first U.S. Women's Open title in her 15th try after first competing as a 12-year-old amateur in 2007. She made three birdies on the front nine and two more on the back nine to overcome a four-shot deficit heading into the day and take the lead at 7 under. She was the first player all week to make par or better on every hole in the round. Saso made back-to-back bogeys on the back nine to fall out of the lead before recovering with a birdie at the par-5 17th to get back to 7 under. She missed a 12-foot par putt on 18 and ended the day a stroke back. New Jersey high school amateur Megha Ganne shot a 72 and was tied for third at 3 under with 2019 champion Jeongueun Lee6 of South Korea. Former University of Arkansas golfers Stacy Lewis and Gaby Lopez are among six players tied for 49th at 9-over 222. Lewis shot a 78 on Saturday while Lopez came in with a 77.
Herron up by 4 strokes
Tim Herron shot a 9-under 63 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions' Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa. Trying to win for the first time on the 50-and-over tour, Herron birdied the par-4 18th for a back-nine 30 and 14-under 130 total at Wakonda Club. The 51-year-old from Minnesota, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, birdied three of the first five holes, then birdied Nos. 10-12, 15, 16 and 18 to pull away. Shane Bertsch and Rod Pampling were second after 67s. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot a 70 for the second day in a row and stands at 4-under 140. Glen Day (Little Rock) turned in a 1-under 71 on Saturday and is at even par for the tournament. John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) scored a 2-under 70 on Saturday and is at 1-over 145 after the first two days.
BASKETBALL
Clifford out as Magic's coach
The Orlando Magic's rebuilding project will not include Steve Clifford, with the team and their coach announcing Saturday that his three-year run there is over. Clifford was 96-131 in those three seasons, though that record is a bit misleading given how many injuries the team dealt with this season. Orlando went to the playoffs in 2019 and 2020 under Clifford, its first postseason trips since a run of six in a row ended in 2012. But this season was trying in no shortage of ways. Injuries gutted the Magic, and then the team's core -- All-Star forward Nikola Vucevic, guard Evan Fournier and forward Aaron Gordon -- were all moved at the trade deadline as Orlando went younger and stockpiled draft picks for the rebuild. The team said it was a mutual decision. Orlando was 21-51 this season, and Magic President Jeff Weltman indicated Saturday that Clifford might not have wanted to be part of a long rebuild around young players and draft picks.
MOTOR SPORTS
Allmendinger wins in Ohio
A.J. Allmendinger rallied from a penalty, benefitted from a late caution and used a sweeping three-wide pass for the lead to win the Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Saturday's victory was Allmendinger's second of the season and came on what Kaulig Racing considers its home track. Team owner Matt Kaulig is from Akron, roughly 90 minutes away, and he jumped off the pit wall to hug Allmendinger after the win. Kaulig then sought out Justin Haley and kissed him on the cheek in appreciation of the 1-2 finish for the race team. Allmendinger had to rally after a pit-road penalty dropped him to 19th near the end of the second stage. He had worked his way up to third but still trailed reigning Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric by 13.2 seconds when he got a lucky break with seven laps remaining. Jeb Burton spun and got his car stuck in gravel to bring out a caution and bunch the field back up. Cindric chose to restart on the outside with Ty Gibbs on his inside, and Allmendinger lined up in third one row back. Allmendinger dove inside on the restart with four laps remaining and easily cleared both Cindric and Gibbs in a three-wide pass.
HOCKEY
Tampa takes 3-1 series lead
Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos each had two goals and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4 on Saturday to open a commanding lead in their second-round playoff series. The defending Stanley Cup champions improved to 10-0 in games following a playoff loss over the past two postseasons. They lead the Hurricanes 3-1 in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 5 on Tuesday night at Carolina. Each team scored four goals in the second, with the Lightning turning a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead. Stamkos and Kucherov scored on the power play and Tyler Johnson also beat Petr Mrazek in the final 5:22 of the period. Teuvo Teravainen, Jesper Fast, Dougie Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin scored in the second for the Hurricanes, who hurt themselves by taking bad penalty after bad penalty while giving the Lightning five power-play opportunities in that period alone. Tampa Bay finished 3 of 6 on the power play.
BASEBALL
Rockies place Gray on IL
The Colorado Rockies placed right-hander Jon Gray on the 10-day injured list with a right flexor strain Saturday, a day after he was forced to cut short a start due to injury. Gray came out of his start Friday against Oakland after pitching 2 1-3 innings. He had told team trainers that he felt tightness and soreness around his pitching elbow.