GOLF
Michelle Wie West was back on a major championship leaderboard Thursday at the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, California. So was Shanshan Feng in her first tournament in 16 months.
Playing for the second straight week after a 21-month break, Wie West shot a 2-under 70, leaving her four strokes behind leader Patty Tavatanakit after the morning wave.
Feng birdied three of her last five holes for a bogey-free 67. The Chinese star hadn’t played a competitive round since November 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic and a recent visa delay.
Leona Maguire of Ireland matched Feng with a 67 in the afternoon with the temperature in the low 90s. Triple-digit heat is expected the next three days.
Thai sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn were at 68, along with Anna Nordqvist and Megan Khang.
PGA: Camilo Villegas chipped in twice to highlight a nine-birdie round that earned him an 8-under 64 and the first-round lead at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.
Sung Kang, a 33-year-old South Korean, was two shots back along with Cameron Tringale. Jordan Spieth, Seung-Yul Noh and Hideki Matsuyama were three behind.
TENNIS
MIAMI OPEN: Defending champion Ash Barty returned to the final in Miami by beating No. 5 seed, Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-3.
On Saturday, Barty will play the winner of the second semifinal between No. 8 Bianca Andreescu and No. 23 Maria Sakkari.
Hubert Hurkacz of Poland earned his first semifinal berth in a top-level ATP event by rallying past No. 2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
FOOTBALL
NFL: The Atlanta Falcons are set to host a home game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London as part of the NFL’s expanded schedule this fall, though final approval will be based on the status of the coronavirus pandemic.
The October game would be part of an increased focus on games outside the United States when the league goes to a 17-game schedule. The opponent and exact date have yet to be determined.
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