Wie, in bid to get healthy, to sit out rest of LPGA season
Michelle Wie, who has battled a number of injuries during her career, said on Friday she will not play competitively for the rest of the year in a bid finally to get back to full health.
The decision marks the latest setback for the 29-year-old Stanford graduate, who has endured a startstop return to competitive golf after wrist surgery last October.
“After doing everything I could to play this year, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off from competitive golf,” Wie posted on her Twitter account.
“My team and I believe that this will give me the best possible chance to finally get healthy.”
Wie, a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour, returned from a twomonth layoff at last week’s Women’s PGA Championship where she was still bothered by her wrist as she shot a 12-over-par 84 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.
The former U.S. Women’s Open champion iced her ailing right wrist between most shots and then broke down into tears when discussing her playing future with reporters.
“It’s just one of those situations where I’m not, you know, I’m not entirely sure how much more I have left in me,” Wie said last week.
Despite the pain, Wie returned for the second round to card an 82 en route to missing the cut for the third time in four events this year, having also withdrawn from the HSBC Women’s World Championship in February during her first round.
LASHLEY SHOOTS 67 TO KEEP ROCKET MORTGAGE >> Nate Lashley shot a 5-under 67 to top the Rocket Mortgage Classic leader board for the second straight day. Lashley had a 14-under 130 total at Detroit Golf Club.
Cameron Champ was a stroke back after a 65. He played the front nine in 8-under 28, matching the lowest nine-hole score on the PGA Tour this season. Charles Howell III (67) was two shots back. J.T. Poston (63) and Ryan Armour (69) were another stroke back.
STRICKER SETS SCORING RECORD TO LEAD SENIOR OPEN >> Steve Stricker shot a 6-under-par 64 to set the 36hole tournament scoring record while taking a two-stroke lead at the U.S. Senior Open Championship in South Bend, Indiana. Stricker shot a bogeyfree round at the Warren Golf Course after he tied the tournament record with a 62 on Thursday.
With a total of 14-under 126, Stricker broke Senior Open records for total strokes and score in relation to par through two rounds.
Stricker birdied his final two holes of the day to lead Jerry Kelly (64-64) by two strokes, with David Toms sitting third at 11 under.
PARK SHOOTS 62 IN FIRST ROUND IN ARKANSAS >> Inbee Park had five straight birdies in a 9-under 62 to take the first-round lead in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Arkansas. Paula Creamer, Carlota Ciganda and Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong were a stroke back. Ariya Jutanugarn, Annie Parkand Maria Torres shot 64.
NBA
COACHES’ CHALLENGES ARE COMING >> The NBA told teams on Friday that coaches may challenge one call per game next season, provided the measure gets expected approval from the board of governors.
According to the memo, coaches will be allowed to challenge a called foul, an out-of-bounds violation, goaltending violation or basket interference violation. A copy of the memo was obtained by The Associated Press. Its contents were first reported by ESPN.
The NBA already has a call-challenge program in place in the G League and tinkered with it at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas last year. It will be part of all three summer leagues this year in Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
NETS MAKE RUSSELL RESTRICTED FREE AGENT >> A person with knowledge of the details said the Brooklyn Nets have extended a qualifying offer to D’Angelo Russell, making the point guard a restricted free agent. The decision allows the Nets to match any offer Russell receives from another team.
LEONARD REPORTEDLY WANTS MAGIC TO BE AT LAKERS MEETING >> Magic Johnson is no longer working for the Los Angeles Lakers, but apparently not everyone is willing to deal with the club without him.
According to an ESPN report, Johnson said he heard that free agent Kawhi Leonard is interested in meeting with him as the NBA Finals MVP prepares to meet with the team, likely in the next few days. However, Johnson, who stepped down from his role as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations on April 9, is not allowed to be part of official team meetings with prospective free agents, according to NBA rules.
Soccer
ARGENTINA TOPS VENEZUELA TO SET UP TITANIC COPA CLASH WITH BRAZIL >> Argentina can look forward to a mouthwatering Copa America semifinal clash with Brazil after delivering a much-improved display to beat Venezuela 2-0 in the quarterfinals in their first game at the Maracana in Rio De Janeiro since losing the 2014 World Cup final.
Striker Lautaro Martinez scored to put Argentina in front in the 10th minute, and substitute Giovani Lo Celso scored Argentina’s second goal in the 74th minute. Brazil and Argentina meet Tuesday.
CHILE BEATS COLOMBIA IN SHOOTOUT >> Chile stayed on track to defend its Copa America title by defeating Colombia 5-4 on penalties in the quarterfinals of the South American competition in Sao Paulo. Alexis Sanchez scored the decisive penalty kick to send the two-time defending champions to the semifinals.
Chile will face either Uruguay or Peru, which meet today in Salvador.
Motor sports
BELL GIVES JOE GIBBS RACING 1 MORE YEAR >> Christopher Bell plans to stay with Joe Gibbs Racing for at least one more year. The 24-year-old Bell has re-signed with JGR for 2020, but he isn’t sure if he will be staying in the NASCAR Xfinity Series or moving up to the Cup Series. Bell is one of NASCAR’s best prospects. He won at Iowa Speedway on June 16 for his fourth Xfinity victory this season and second straight in Newton.
NHL
KNIGHTS CLEAR MORE CAP SPACE >> The Vegas Golden Knights continued freeing up salary-cap space by trading defenseman Colin Miller to the Buffalo Sabres.
The Golden Knights acquired a second-round pick in the 2021 draft and a 2022 fifth-round selection. The second-round pick acquired by Vegas is the one Buffalo landed in trading Ryan O’Reilly to St. Louis a year ago. On Thursday, Vegas traded forward Erik Haula to Carolina. Even with the two moves, the Golden Knights are still projected to be about $1 million over next season’s $81.5 million salary cap.
BLUES RE-SIGN GUNNARSSON >> St. Louis Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson will stay with the Stanley Cup champions after agreeing to a twoyear, $3.5 million contract. He scored one of the biggest goals of his career in Game 2 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. With the game tied in overtime, Gunnarsson slapped a one-timer past the Boston Bruins’ Tuukka Rask to win the contest and even the series.
Baseball
‘MASTERMIND’ IN ORTIZ SHOOTING ARRESTED >> Authorities in the Dominican Republic said they have arrested the mastermind behind the shooting in which former baseball star David Ortiz was shot on June 9. According to the Boston Globe, police arrested Victor Hugo Gomez Vasquez in the Dominican Republic on Friday.