Sports in Brief for Friday, August 26

GOLF

ATLANTA (AP) — Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is still playing great golf and could easily have made the Tour Championship a runaway on Friday.

Xander Schauffele isn’t willing to let go that easily.

Scheffler had an eight-shot lead over Schauffele on the front nine. He was still six ahead with three holes left at East Lake. And then Schauffele finished birdie-birdie-eagle for a 63. Scheffler had all pars and shot a 66.

Just like that, Scheffler’s lead is down to two shots. Scheffler isn’t worried.

Schauffele isn’t overly excited. Both know there’s a lot of golf left. Jon Rahm was six behind.

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City-owned golf course managed by former President Donald Trump’s business is expected to host a Saudi Arabia-supported women’s tournament in October, city officials said Friday.

The plan to host the Aramco Team Series at the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx comes after New York City’s attempt to cancel Trump’s contract to run the course was thrown out by a judge in April.

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio said shortly after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that he was canceling Trump’s contracts to run the golf course and several Central Park concessions.

Manhattan state court Judge Debra James ruled that city’s claim that the Trump Organization had breached the contracts lacked any legal foundation.

The Aramco Team Series, first played in 2020 as the Saudi Ladies Team International, is financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

MLB

SEATTLE (AP) — Julio Rodríguez and the Seattle Mariners are set on a long-term relationship in the Pacific Northwest, agreeing to a $209.3 million contract starting next season that could be worth $409.3 million over 15 years.

The deal announced Friday for the 21-year-old All-Star outfielder includes seven seasons. a five-year player option, an eight-year club option with award escalators and the possibility the option could extend to 10 years. If Rodríguez earns two MVP awards by 2028 or finishes among the top five in voting four times, the deal could be worth $469.6 million over 17 seasons — — including postseason award bonuses.

If Seattle turns down a one-time team option for 2030-37 — which must be exercised after the 2028 World Series — there is a mutual option that could be exercised after the 2029 Series calling for $168 million from 2030-36. There also is a player option that guarantees $90 million from 2030-34.

NFL

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The attorney for a California teenager who has accused a Buffalo Bills rookie and two of his former college teammates of gang rape last fall said Friday the NFL team has not contacted him for details despite saying it had conducted a “thorough investigation.”

The Bills selected Matt Araiza out of San Diego State in the sixth round of the NFL draft in April, and named him their starting punter this week. A person familiar with the case told the AP the Bills were not aware of the allegations against Araiza in April. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not commented publicly about the allegations.

Dan Gilleon, who represents the California teenager, said he has not heard from team officials since first informing them of the allegations against Araiza in late July, when he says he had a phone conversation with team counsel Kathryn D’Angelo.

Coach Sean McDermott was clearly shaken when he addressed the situation following a 21-0 preseason loss at Carolina.

McDermott said it was his decision to not have Araiza play against the Panthers, saying he felt it was not the right thing to do. While he said Araiza would travel back with the team, McDermott declined to answer a question on Araiza’s status on the roster.

Quarterback Matt Barkley handled the team’s punting duties against Carolina.

— By AP Sports Writer John Wawrow.

WNBA

NEW YORK (AP) — Becky Hammon was named WNBA Coach of the Year on Friday after she led the Las Vegas Aces to the top of the league in her first year.

Hammon guided the Aces to a 26-10 record and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The Aces host the Seattle Storm in Game 1 of a best-of-five semifinal series on Sunday.

Hammon received 27 votes from a national panel of 56 sports media members, the WNBA said. Tanisha Wright of the Atlanta Dream was second (18 votes) and James Wade of the Chicago Sky was third (8).

The Aces averaged a WNBA-high 90.4 points, the third-highest scoring average in league history, and dramatically improved their 3-point shooting. Las Vegas made a league-record 23 3s last week in a playoff win over Phoenix.

COLLEGE ATHLETICS

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn athletic director Allen Greene is stepping down with five months left on his initial five-year deal.

Auburn announced Friday that Greene, the school’s first Black athletic director, had informed President Christopher Roberts of his decision this week, citing professional reasons.

Roberts named the athletic department’s chief operating officer, Marcy Girton, as acting AD.

Greene’s initial five-year deal, worth $625,000 annually, was set to expire Jan. 31, 2023. His biggest hire was luring football coach Bryan Harsin away from Boise State.

AUTO RACING

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jeremy Clements won a crash-filled Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway early Saturday for his second career victory and first since 2017.

This one came after two multicar melees in overtime and gave him an automatic berth in the postseason.

Clements passed sluggish Austin Hill on the final restart thanks to a big push from Sage Karam and cruised to the checkered flag.

Hill looked poised to sweep both Xfinity races at Daytona, but his car seemed to have fuel and electrical issues during the final caution. When the green flag dropped, Hill did, too. Clements and Karam flew by on the outside.

Timmy Hill finished second, followed by points leader AJ Allmendinger, Brandon Brown and Karam.

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — German manufacturer Audi will enter Formula One in 2026 in line with new engine regulations, chairman Markus Duesmann said on Friday.

Audi will manufacture its own power unit in an era when there will be a greater emphasis on sustainable fuels and an increased electrical component in engines.

From 2026, the electric power output for the power units, consisting of an electric motor, battery, control electronics, and a combustion engine, will increase. The electric motor will then be nearly as powerful as the combustion engine and the highly efficient 1.6-liter turbo engines will run on advanced sustainable fuel – which Audi says was a prerequisite for entry into the series.

SOCCER

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA lifted a suspension of India’s soccer federation on Friday that ensured the country can host the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in October.

The move was expected this week after India’s Supreme Court handed back control of the national soccer federation to its administration – restoring management of the body to soccer officials as FIFA wanted.

FIFA suspended the federation from international soccer last week “due to undue influence from third parties.”

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SHARE: