The San Diego Padres hoped to get injured star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. back in the lineup soon for a push to the postseason.
Those hopes were dashed Friday when Tatis received an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
With the suspension effective immediately, Tatis will not play in the majors this season and will then miss the first 32 games next season.
MLB said Tatis tested positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance.
"I've been informed by Major League Baseball that a test sample I submitted returned a positive result for Clostebol, a banned substance," Tatis said in a statement through the MLBPA.
"It turns out that I inadvertently took a medication to treat ringworm that contained Clostebol. I should have used the resources available to me in order to ensure that no banned substances were in what I took. I failed to do so.
"I want to apologise to Peter, AJ, the entire Padres organisation, my teammates, Major League Baseball, and fans everywhere for my mistake. I have no excuse for my error, and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect the game I love."
Tatis has yet to play this season after breaking his left wrist, reportedly in a December motorcycle accident in the Dominican Republic. He had surgery in mid-March and began a minor league rehabilitation assignment on Aug. 6.
"Obviously, everybody's very disappointed. Somebody that from the organization's standpoint we invested time and money into," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said.
Tatis was an All-Star last season when he hit .282 with a NL-leading 42 home runs and 97 RBIs.
He becomes one of the most prominent players penalized for PEDs, joining the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Robinson Cano and Miguel Tejada.
The Padres entered Friday 63-51 and hold the final of three NL wild-card spots. They recently acquired superstar Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals and hoped to have Tatis join a formidable lineup with Soto and All-Star Manny Machado.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has apologized for the first time to the women who accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions.
Watson's immediate playing future in the NFL is in limbo after the NFL appealed a six-game ban handed by independent arbiter Sue L. Robinson last week for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
The league was seeking a minimum one-year suspension as well as a fine of at least $5million. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has appointed Peter C. Harvey to hear the appeal.
In the meantime, the Browns announced on Wednesday that Watson would play in Friday's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ahead of Friday's game, Watson appeared in an in-house video where he spoke about the situation and apologized for his actions for the first time, having previously said he had "no regrets".
"I want to say that I'm truly sorry to all of the women that I have impacted in this situation," Watson said.
"The decisions that I made in my life that put me in this position, I would definitely like to have back.
"But I want to continue to move forward and grow and learn and show that I am a true person of character and I am going to keep pushing forward."
Watson had been facing 24 civil lawsuits filed by female message therapists alleging sexual misconduct between 2020 and 2021 during his time with the Texans.
The three-time Pro Bowler was not charged by two grand juries and has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. He settled 20 of the lawsuits in June, with a further three settlements reported at the start of August ahead of the verdict of his NFL hearing.
Friday's appearance marked Watson's in an NFL game of any kind since the 2020 season finale, dating back to January 3 2021.
The Houston Texans had held him out of all of their 2021 games while a criminal investigation into the allegations was conducted. He was traded to the Browns in March this year.
"Each and every snap, I want to make sure I cherish that because I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to get out there with those guys," he said.
Watson added that he would work on personal growth during his probable time out of the game.
"I know I have a lot of work to put in, especially on the field to be able to make sure I'm ready to play whenever that time comes whenever I can step back on the field," he said.
"But also, the biggest thing is I want to continue counseling and I want to make sure that I'm growing as a person, as an individual for my decision-making on and off the field.
"I want to make sure that I'm just evolving in the community as much as possible, and that is for the Cleveland community, that is the NFL community and beyond."
J.J. Spaun holds the outright lead at halfway at the FedEx St. Jude Championship while 2022 Open Championship winner Cameron Smith made his move and Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler missed the cut.
Spaun had shared the lead with Kim Si-woo after the opening day at TPC Southwind and backed that up with a three-under-par round of 67 to lead at 11 under after 36 holes. The American maintained his lead with five birdies along with two bogeys in his round.
Kim slid down the leaderboard after a three-over-par round with Sepp Straka, who finished with three straight birdies, and Troy Merritt in joint second at 10 under behind Spaun, with Denny McCarthy one shot behind them.
Merritt, McCarthy and Smith all carded five-under-par rounds of 65, with the latter moving up the leaderboard with birdies and an eagle on the par-five 16th hole.
The Australian is eight-under-par after two rounds, equal with Brian Harman, Tony Finau and Ryan Palmer.
Kevin Kisner is a further shot back after seven birdies highlighted his round of six-under-par 64, but that was bettered by both Tyler Duncan and Will Zalatoris.
Duncan and Zalatoris carded rounds of 63, with the former going bogey free and draining seven birdies to move into joint ninth.
Zalatoris had shot a first-day 71 but improved with seven birdies across a bogey-free round too, but is six under overall.
McIlroy headlined the list of names to miss the cut, with three bogeys holding him back, including one on the 18th hole, as he shot 69 to fall short by one stroke.
World number one Scottie Scheffler also failed to make the cut, despite an improved second round, not helped by a double bogey on the par-four ninth hole.
The American League-leading Houston Astros announced on Friday that outfielder Michael Brantley has undergone season-ending surgery on his right shoulder.
Brantley originally went on the injury list with shoulder discomfort on June 27, but general manager James Crick announced that the five-time All-Star underwent an arthroscopic labral repair.
The 35-year-old outfielder hit .288 with five home runs and 26 RBI in 64 games this season.
Brantley’s absence has opened up extra playing time for 27-year-old Chas McCormick, who has started 68 games in the outfield this season and hit .269 in July with an .865 OPS.
Brantley began his career with a 10-year stint in Cleveland but has played for Houston since 2019. In 379 games with the Astros, Brantley is batting .306 with an .832 OPS.
The 72-41 Astros hold a commanding 11-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the American League West and recently surpassed the slumping New York Yankees for the top record in the AL.
Even a victory may not be enough for Ian Foster to keep his job when New Zealand lock horns with South Africa once again at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Foster was under massive pressure before the Rugby Championship started and a 26-10 defeat at the hands of the Springboks last weekend ensured the writing would appear to be on the wall for the All Blacks head coach.
That loss in Mbombela pushed New Zealand down to their worst ever world ranking of fifth, and they face another almighty battle against the world champions in Johannesburg.
Australia fought back to start the tournament with a 41-26 victory over Argentina, so the Pumas will be hungry for revenge at Estadio Bicentenario in round two.
Stats Perform preview the matches using Opta data.
SOUTH AFRICA V NEW ZEALAND
FORM
It is now five losses in six Tests for the wounded All Blacks and three defeats in a row. Only once in the past 70 years have they lost more than three games in a row - suffering five consecutive defeats from July to August in 1998.
South Africa have won six of their past seven home games in the Rugby Championship, including four on the bounce. It is the third time they have won four on the spin at home in the competition and they have never managed five straight wins in such fixtures.
The Springboks have won their past two meetings with New Zealand. The last time they won more in succession against the All Blacks was a three-game streak from July to September in 2009.
ONES TO WATCH
The vastly experienced Duane Vermeulen returns at number eight for South Africa after recovering from a knee injury. He replaces Jasper Wiese and will need to hit the ground running.
A standout selection for New Zealand was the inclusion of Richie Mo'unga at fly-half, with Beauden Barrett dropping to the bench a week after he was involved in a nasty collision with Kurt-Lee Arendse. Foster will look to Mo'unga to provide control and set the tempo, provided he gets the ball to enable him to pull the strings.
ARGENTINA V AUSTRALIA
FORM
Australia have lost only one of their past 14 Tests against Argentina, winning 11 and drawing two. The Wallabies have won their last three versus the Pumas; 10 of the wins being decided by margins of at least 10 points.
Argentina are winless in 10 Rugby Championship/Tri Nations game, losing eight and drawing two. They have lost their last seven in the competition and squandered a 19-10 half-time lead last weekend.
It is now five Rugby Championship/Tri Nations victories in a row for Dave Rennie's Australia side, their longest winning run in the competition.
ONES TO WATCH
Former Australia head coach Michael Cheika has turned to Gonzalo Bertranou to start at scrum-half. The pivot must get Argentina ticking and put the Wallabies on the back foot.
Another cruel injury blow for Quade Cooper has opened the door for James O'Connor to start at fly-half for Australia. The number 10 will know he has a great opportunity to put on a show just over a year before the World Cup starts.
Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell announced on Friday that starting quarterback Kirk Cousins has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not travel with the team for Sunday's preseason opener at the Las Vegas Raiders.
Cousins will be required to isolate for at least five days before being allowed to rejoin the team at training camp, provided he tests negative.
The 2021 Pro Bowl selection missed Thursday's practice and was sent home from camp with what the Vikings initially termed an illness.
O'Connell did not reveal who will start under center Sunday, but did say both veteran Sean Mannion and second-year pro Kellen Mond will see extensive action.
"No matter who starts, they'll both play a ton," O'Connell remarked.
Cousins was in the NFL's protocols for unvaccinated players last season and missed the Vikings' Week 17 game at Green Bay on January 2 following a positive diagnosis. Mannion started in his place and threw for 189 yards and a touchdown in a 37-10 Minnesota loss to the Packers.
The NFL has lifted coronavirus protocols for this season, though all players must adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines if they test positive.
When the P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy’s Elite 1 Caribbean Basketball Summer League (E1CBL) tips off at the National Indoor Arena in Kingston on Saturday, August 13, one of the more highly anticipated match-ups, will be the game between Team Horizon (Red) and Team Rivers (Blue) as it will feature the number-one draft pick Nicholai Brown against the talented Dave Black, who are both looking forward to the contest.
Brown believes his team will be ready and expect to win based on what he believes will be the foundation of Team Horizon’s success.
“Going into this league, just the basic things of basketball, playing defence,” he said.
“I am a good defensive player so I am expecting my team to play good defence because from good defence comes great offence. So I am expecting my teammates to play good defence and each player, whether we are playing zone or man so I am expecting good things from them.”
From a personal standpoint, Brown, Team Horizon’s co-captain, said he is eagerly anticipating going up against Black, who is co-captain of Team Rivers.
“The first match is going to be great. We are playing against Dave (Black). He is a great player. I have always wanted to play against him. I have seen what he can do over the week that I have been playing with him,” Brown said.
“I think all my teammates are looking forward to playing against Team Blue. They are as excited as I am. My teammates are all good competitors so it’s going to be a good game.”
Meanwhile, Black said Team Rivers plans to play exciting basketball that will entertain the fans.
“After the first practice, I think we have good chemistry going into Saturday’s game. We just want to get up and down the court fast and play some exciting basketball,” Black said.
“We have a lot of talent on our team and we just want to go out there and compete. We had our first practice yesterday (Wednesday) and this morning (Thursday) and our expectation is to win the tournament.
“I think we have one of the best teams. In our first game, we’ll be trying to get stops, trying to go on the break and playing exciting basketball not only for the coaches but also for the fans. We want everybody to have fun watching some great basketball.”
The Caribbean’s biggest basketball entertainment event of the season is being hosted in collaboration with the Jamaica Basketball Association.
The tournament starts at 5:00 pm with an opening ceremony, followed by competition between the four teams in the league - Elite 1 Rivers, Elite 1 Waves, Elite 1 Horizon, and Elite 1 Storm. Each team comprises top-tier professional players from Jamaica, Barbados, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ghana.
The National Arena in Kingston comes alive this Saturday, August 13th with the first games of P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy’s Elite 1 Caribbean Basketball Summer League (E1CBL)- the Caribbean’s biggest basketball entertainment event of the season, which is hosted in collaboration with the Jamaica Basketball Association.
The event starts at 5:00 PM with an opening ceremony, followed by heated competition among the four teams in the league; Elite 1 Rivers, Elite 1 Waves, Elite 1 Horizon, and Elite 1 Storm. Each team comprises of top-tier professional players from Jamaica, Barbados, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ghana.
Spectators will also be treated to entertaining half time shows headlined by some of Jamaica’s most popular artistes.
The exciting competition continues August 14 starting at 6:00 PM, and on August 17 at 4:00 PM. It will culminate with a celebrity game, third place playoff and the championship game on August 20th which will start at 4:00 PM.
CEO and Founder of P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy Wayne Dawkins, says the E1CBL is the consummate family event, and is inviting people to come out and witness basketball like they have never seen it before in Jamaica.
“We are going be bringing them a professional basketball atmosphere that a lot of people only see on TV. We will have high flying basketball players, dancers, music and entertainment topped off by an energetic crowd. It’s the ultimate family entertainment event,” he said.
Tickets for the event are available at Emkay Sports at 11 Oxford Terrace in Kingston, and cost $200 for students, $500 for bleachers, and $1000 for VIP. Persons can also reach out to the E1CBL via Instagram @e1caribbeanbasketballleague to purchase tickets.
The E1CBL is sponsored by the Jamaica Basketball Association, Elite 1 Recruiting Platform, Ribbiz, TurboStats, Global Pipeline Agency, KFC, Phoenix Health Complex and Vision Centre, Athletic Fusion, Suretime Medical, Habliborange, Herbs, Facey Pharmaceuticals, and Confectionery and Snacks Jamaica.
P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy was founded by Jamaican Canadian and former basketball player, Wayne Dawkins. For the past 25 years, P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy have been organizing and hosting basketball leagues and tournaments in Canada and the US and Africa. These events have contributed substantially to the growth of the youth sports industry.
P.H.A.S.E.1 Academies are located in Canada, Jamaica, the United States, and Africa. Our student-athletes have access to expert staff, elite training methods, top competition, and exposure to greater opportunities. Over the years, we have assisted in the development of more than 500 athletes in receiving scholarships to study and play post-secondary sports and move on to become professional athletes.
Sunshine Girl Romelda Aiken George is now a mom after giving birth to a daughter Gianna earlier this week. Gianna is the first child of the naturalized Australian and her husband Dan, who has three other children from a previous relationship.
She shared the news on social media early on Friday.
“Welcome to this crazy world our beautiful baby Gianna George. We’re so in love with you,” she posted on Instagram.
The post drew reactions from a number of former players including now retired Jamaican player Vangelee Williams, who posted “She’s adorable Diddy. Congratulations to you both.”
Australian player Nat Medhurst, herself a mother said, “A massive congratulations Diddy and Dan. Welcome to the world, Gianna. Lots of love to you all.”
England player Helen Housby was also among those who offered congratulatory messages to the new mom. “Congratulations guys. She’s gorgeous!”
Romelda and Dan, a former basketball player turned businessman, were married in September 2021 at the conclusion of the Suncorp Super Netball Season and have now started to build a family.
Aiken has been playing professional netball in Australia since 2008 when she was signed by the Queensland Firebirds and has won three titles with them. She became an Australian citizen in January 2020.
Tyson Fury has conducted another U-turn on his boxing future, announcing his retirement on social media just three days after appearing to confirm plans for a return to the ring.
On Tuesday, Fury revealed he had appointed a new trainer and urged Derek Chisora to accept an offer for a trilogy fight during a series of Instagram posts.
But on his 34th birthday, the WBC heavyweight champion announced plans to exit the sport.
"Massive thanks to everyone who had an input in my career over the years," he wrote on Instagram on Friday.
"After long, hard conversations I've finally decided to walk away and on my 34th birthday I say bon voyage."
Fury originally announced he would leave the sport following a sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in April, and has won 32 of his 33 professional bouts, registering one draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018.
Tyson Fury has conducted another U-turn on his boxing future, announcing his retirement on social media just two days after appearing to confirm plans for a return to the ring.
On Tuesday, Fury revealed he had appointed a new trainer and urged Derek Chisora to accept an offer for a trilogy fight during a series of Instagram posts.
But on his 34th birthday, the WBC heavyweight champion announced plans to exit the sport.
"Massive thanks to everyone who had an input in my career over the years," he wrote on Instagram on Friday.
"After long, hard conversations I've finally decided to walk away and on my 34th birthday I say bon voyage."
Fury originally announced he would leave the sport following a sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in April, and has won 32 of his 33 professional bouts, registering one draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018.
The Philadelphia Phillies will be sweating on the availability of All-Star slugger Kyle Schwarber after he was forced out of Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Miami Marlins due to a mild right calf strain.
The 2021 and 2022 All-Star, who leads the National League (NL) with 34 home runs this season, was pulled out after earning a walk in the fifth inning having experienced tightness throughout the game.
The injury concern comes ahead of the Phillies' series against the NL East-leading New York Mets which begins on Friday.
"I probably won't play [on Friday]," Schwarber told reporters. "I will do as much work as possible and try to get back as quickly as possible.
"I want to be quick as I can but also don't want to do anything that's outrageous to hurt the team and be down an extended amount of time, too.
"It’s something I've been managing. It wasn't anything serious. Today it just got tighter and tighter and tighter, and I just felt like if there was a ball that fell on the field, I wouldn’t be able to serve."
The Phillies currently occupy the second NL Wild Card spot, having won 12 of their past 14 games.
Philadelphia holds a 62-49 record, behind the Atlanta Braves (66-46) in the NL Wild Card race, with the San Diego Padres (63-51) and the Milwaukee Brewers (60-50) next behind them.
Coco Gauff will reach the highest ranking of her career after the 18-year-old defeated world number six Aryna Sabalenka 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-4) in the third round of the Canadian Open on Thursday.
Gauff, who has never been ranked higher than her current spot of 11th, will overtake Emma Raducanu and likely Daria Kasatkina to move up to ninth when the next rankings are released after prevailing in an exceptionally tight match against her Belarussian opponent.
Incredibly, both Gauff and Sabalenka won exactly 131 points each, posting identical success rates on service points (77-of-131) and return points (54-of-131).
Gauff will be considered one of the favourites in the tournament after world number one Iga Swiatek was sensationally eliminated by Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia. Swiatek was sloppy, committing nine double faults to just one from her opponent.
Two-time grand slam winner Simona Halep defeated rising Swiss talent Jil Teichmann 6-2 7-5, utilising her dominant first serve to get the job done. Halep converted 82 per cent (32-of-39) of her accurate first serves into points, compared to just 59 per cent (29-of-49) for Teichmann.
World number seven Jessica Pegula had to save a match point on her way to a comeback 3-6 6-0 7-5 win against reigning Canadian Open champion Camila Giorgi, booking her quarter-final clash against Yulia Putintseva after the Kazakhstani beat Alison Riske 6-3 7-5.
Third seed Maria Sakkari went down 1-6 7-6 (11-9) 3-6 against 14th seed Karolina Pliskova, and the Czech will take on China's Qinweng Zheng after she eliminated Canada's last remaining contender Bianca Andreescu 7-5 5-7 6-2.
In the final match of the night, Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic was incredibly impressive against world number eight Garbine Muguruza, prevailing 6-1 6-3.
Framber Valdez threw seven shutout innings as the Houston Astros moved a half-game ahead of the New York Yankees in the race for top seed in the American League (AL) with a 7-3 win over the Texas Rangers.
Martin Maldonado and Alex Bregman both homered for the Astros as manager Dusty Baker returned to the dugout after missing five games due to COVID-19.
Valdez had eight strikeouts across seven innings, allowing only four singles and a walk, earning his third win.
The result improved the Astros to 72-41, sitting ahead of the slumping Yankees who did not play on Thursday and possess a 71-41 record.
"It was outstanding to be back, especially when you come back with the win and come back with Framber throwing the game that he threw," Baker said.
"He pitched an outstanding game. He's very serious about his work and was very composed."
Surging Orioles slip in Wild Card race
The in-form Baltimore Orioles missed a chance to surge into the AL Wild Card spots after going down 4-3 to the Boston Red Sox.
The O's were off to a 7-1 start in August and looked to preserve that with a three-run sixth-inning to square up the game, before Eric Hosmer's decisive go-ahead RBI double.
With the win, the Red Sox snap a four-game losing streak, while it leaves the O's at 58-53, behind the Tampa Bay Rays (58-52) for the third AL Wild Card spot.
Goldschmidt and Arenado fire but Cards beaten
The battle for top spot in the National League (NL) Central division rages on after the St Louis Cardinals were toppled 8-6 by the Colorado Rockies.
The Rockies piled on six runs in the seventh inning, headlined by back-to-back home runs from Brendan Rodgers and Ryan McMahon, while Paul Goldschmidt had three hits including his 27th home run of the season.
Nolan Arenado also homered for the Cards, who hold a 61-50 record, marginally ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers at 60-50 in the NL Central. The Cards have won eight of their past 10.
The Baltimore Ravens extended the NFL record for longest preseason winning streak with their 21st consecutive victory Thursday night, 23-10 over the visiting Tennessee Titans.
No team has ever been better in the preseason than the Ravens. What exactly that means in the grand scheme of things is open to debate.
Backup Tyler Huntley was 16-for-18 with a touchdown pass and Justin Tucker kicked three field goals for Baltimore, which last season eclipsed the Vince Lombardi-coached Green Bay Packers, who won 19 straight preseason games from 1959-1962. The Ravens last loss an exhibition game on September 3, 2015.
Baltimore’s streak is in no danger of being matched anytime soon, with the Buffalo Bills owning the second-longest active preseason winning streak at eight in a row.
With starter Ryan Tannehill getting the night off for the Titans, rookie quarterback Malik Willis played the entire first half and went 6-of-11 for 107 yards while rushing five times for 38 yards and a touchdown.
The third-round draft pick out of Liberty scored on seven-yard run early in the second quarter. After running towards the right side on a designed sprint-out concept, Willis felt pressure and spun away from danger, slipping between two defenders before reaching the end zone.
Australia's Nick Kyrgios has now won 15 of his past 16 matches after defeating compatriot Alex de Minaur 6-2 6-3 in the third round of the Canadian Open – with his only loss coming in the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic.
Fresh off his first singles title since 2019 when he won last week's Washington Open, Kyrgios collected his ninth consecutive victory in impressive fashion, showing no difficulty in navigating his first-ever matchup against his fellow countryman.
He won the first four games of the match, and snatched a break in the first game of the second set to book his quarter-final against Poland's Hubert Hurkacz.
Hurkacz, the eighth seed, had to come back from a set down to defeat Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 7-6 (7-3). He struggled with his serve early, with four double faults in the opening frame, but cleaned it up as the match went on, double-faulting only once in the last two sets.
England's top hope Cameron Norrie suffered a disappointing 6-3 6-4 defeat at the hands of world number nine Felix Auger-Aliassime, but Daniel Evans and Jack Draper made it through to fly the flag.
Evans pulled off an upset win to beat 10th seed Taylor Fritz 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 7-5, and 20-year-old Draper was up a set when 17th seed Gael Monfils retired with an injury at 6-2 0-2.
American Tommy Paul claimed another scalp with his 6-4 6-2 victory against 13th seed Marin Cilic, giving him back-to-back wins against top-15 opponents after emerging triumphant against Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round.
In the final match of the day, Pablo Carreno-Busta beat his third top-30 opponent of the week with a 6-2 6-4 result against Italy's Jannik Sinner, following strong successes against Matteo Berrettini and Holger Rune.
South Korea's Kim Si-woo and American J.J. Spaun are the co-leaders at eight under after one round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind.
Being the first round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the field is made up of the top-125 from this season's FedEx Cup standings, minus LIV Golf signees Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford, who failed to have their exclusions overturned by a judge earlier this week.
Spaun shot a bogey-free 62 with eight birdies, while Kim posted seven birdies, an eagle and a solitary bogey on the par-three fourth hole.
Speaking on the broadcast after his round, Spaun said he hopes his performance during the playoffs will book his place at The Masters next year.
"It will be nice to punch another ticket there and be able to plan it out and get down Sunday, maybe even Saturday the week before, take my time and enjoy all the little things that come along with that great tradition," he said. "Hopefully keep playing well this week and the next couple weeks, and I'll be there."
In outright third place is Sahith Theegala at seven under, while one further shot back tied for fourth are Austria's Sepp Straka, South Korea's Lee Kyoung-hoon, American J.T. Poston and the red-hot Tony Finau, fresh off back-to-back PGA Tour wins for the first time in his career. Finau has shot no worse than 68 from his past 10 rounds.
The logjam in a tie for eighth at five under includes England's Tyrrell Hatton, Australia's former world number one Jason Day, and Rickie Fowler, who barely squeezed into the final field. Last week's 20-year-old first-time winner Joo-hyung 'Tom' Kim highlights the group at four under, along with Adam Scott.
Many of the serious contenders are at three under, including Cam Smith, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and reigning FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay, and they are one stroke ahead of major winners Matt Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry at two under.
Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy shot even-par 70s, and the pair of Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris have plenty of work to do after finishing at one over.
Scheffler was responsible for arguably the round's most viral moment as he caught a side-eye from playing partner Smith when he walked right in front of the Australian while he was lining up a putt, with many speculating it was an intentional slight due to reports Smith has signed on with LIV Golf for next season.
James O'Connor will start at fly-half, while Rory Arnold and Lalakai Foketi have also been included in the Australia side to face Argentina in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.
O'Connor gets the nod to don the number 10 shirt in the absence of Quade Cooper, who suffered an Achilles injury in the 41-26 win over the Pumas last weekend.
Arnold has recovered from a calf injury and the lock will make his first Wallabies start of the year at Estadio Bicentenario.
Centre Lalakai Foketi has been handed a maiden start by Dave Rennie, partnering Len Ikitau, and prop Taniela Tupo is back in the team in San Juan after Allan Alaalatoa returned home for personal reasons.
Pone Fa'amausili is set to make his debut off the bench, while Irae Simone is also among the replacements.
Australia head coach Rennie said: "After a tough, physical game last week it's great to be able to call on the experience of guys like James and Rory and also see the team's excitement for La and Irae who get to wear the Wallaby gold again on Saturday.
"It's going to be a proud occasion for Pone and his family and it's a testament to him for the hard work and obstacles he's had to overcome to earn his first Test cap."
Australia team: Tom Wright, Jordan Petaia, Len Ikitau, Lalakai Foketi, Marika Koroibete, James O'Connor, Nic White; James Slipper (captain), Folau Fainga’a, Taniela Tupou, Rory Arnold, Darcy Swain, Jed Holloway, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini.
Replacements: Lachlan Lonergan, Matt Gibbon, Pone Fa'amausili, Nick Frost, Pete Samu, Tate McDermott, Irae Simone, Reece Hodge.
Michigan State and Tom Izzo have agreed to a new five-year, $31 million contract, giving the Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach an annual raise of about $2 million.
The university announced the contract extension on Thursday, pending board approval.
"We greatly appreciate Coach Izzo's commitment to our outstanding university and his competitive drive to keep Spartan basketball as a national powerhouse," university president Samuel Stanley said in a statement.
The MSU Athletics account on Twitter announced Izzo’s new deal using the phrase "Spartan For Life."
"Twelve years ago, Tom Izzo said he would be a Spartan for Life, and today's announcement further demonstrates and renews this commitment," AD Alan Haller said in a statement. "We have worked collaboratively to come up with a contract which benefits the university, coach Izzo and his family."
A 2016 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Izzo is entering his 28th year at the helm of Spartan men’s basketball with a career record of 666-267.
Izzo has led Michigan State to eight Final Four appearances, including the 2000 national championship.
The Spartans have participated in NCAA Tournament in a Big Ten-record 24 straight seasons.
"Michigan State has been a home to me and my family for 40 years and I'm ecstatic to sign this contract," Izzo said in the statement.
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