Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Stricker soaks up the hometown support at the U.S. Open
He walked to the 18th green to a rousing ovation and left it as the U.S. Open clubhouse leader, though at five under par Steve Stricker eventually finished 11 strokes behind winner Brooks Koepka. Yet with the current Big Three of the rankings -- Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day -- all making early exits outside the cut line, home-grown veteran Stricker was the uncontested crowd favorite at Erin Hills.
Winds whip up intrigue for final round U.S. Open
After days of being humbled, Erin Hills turned nasty for the U.S. Open's final round on Sunday as heavy winds pummeled the layout, adding an intriguing wrinkle to the year's second major. American Brian Harman starts the final round at the links-style course sitting alone atop a crowded leaderboard one shot clear of Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood. He no doubt will be watching the weather as much as looking over his shoulder as his 2:54 CT (1954 GMT) tee time approaches.
Rising force Kontaveit wins first title in Den Bosch
Estonia's Anett Kontaveit, one of the rising talents of the women's game, won her first tour title in the Wimbledon warm-up tournament at Den Bosch in the Netherlands on Sunday, beating Russian Natalia Vikhlyantseva 6-2 6-3. The 21-year-old Kontaveit, who had already reached one WTA final and beaten world number one Angelique Kerber this season, overcame a dip in concentration at the start of the second set to earn victory in just under an hour and a quarter.
Canadian Henderson tames strong winds for fourth LPGA win
Canadian Brooke Henderson tamed strong winds to break out of a logjam and surge to a two-stroke victory at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Sunday. Henderson displayed a mix of power and precision to card a bogey-free final round of three-under 66 on the Blythfield Country Club course, which played to a par of 69 over the weekend due to flooding on the third hole.
Li last at U.S. Open, but values the experience
Young Chinese Li Haotong wrapped up his first taste of major championship golf with a 12-over-par 84 to stand last early in Sunday's U.S. Open final round, but said he valued the experience. The 21-year-old Li had closed strongly in the second round to post a two-under 70 at Erin Hills and become China's first player to make the cut at a U.S. Open. But he struggled in the final two rounds.
Penguins' Fleury left available for Vegas expansion draft
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, is among the high-profile players left unprotected and available for the Vegas Golden Knights to select in this week's expansion draft. The NHL announced on Sunday the available and protected lists for the 30 teams who will provide players to the Golden Knights.
Pouille beats Lopez in three sets to win Stuttgart title
Big-serving world number 16 Lucas Pouille tuned up for Wimbledon by muscling past Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4 in just over two hours on Sunday to win the Stuttgart Open. The 23-year-old, seeded fourth, fired a total of 29 aces on his way to his second title of the year following his victory in Budapest in April. He also reached the final in Marseille earlier this year.
Fleetwood riding momentum at U.S. Open: McGinley
The shackles are off England's Tommy Fleetwood, riding the momentum of an early season win at Abu Dhabi to contend at the U.S. Open, said former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley. Fleetwood had missed six of seven cuts in his major championship resume, finishing tied for 27th at the 2015 U.S. Open for his best result before this year's Open.
New Zealand pile pressure on USA in America's Cup final
Emirates Team New Zealand ramped up the pressure on defending champions Oracle Team USA with their fourth successive win in the America's Cup final to go 3-0 up after the second day of racing on Sunday. Oracle had entered the series with a one-point advantage from an earlier regatta, which New Zealand wiped out after winning the first race on Saturday.
NFL star Tom Brady 'dreams' of playing football game in China
Five-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady hopes to one day play an American football game in China, he said on Sunday, on a visit aimed at promoting the sport in a huge potential market. Like other U.S. sports leagues, the National Football League is trying to build a fan base among China's 1.4 billion people, where the number of viewers watching games on digital platforms is growing rapidly.