Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women’s golf, shot 6-under-par 66 at Lake Nona on Friday to take a one-shot lead over Gaby Lopez and Danielle Kang at the midway point of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando. Through two rounds, Korda is at 10-under 134. Her older sister and the defending champion, Jessica Korda, is two shots back. Nelly Korda birded all four of the par 5s and finished with seven birdies, rolling in a 15-footer at No. 18 for the lead. Lopez, who led after 18 holes, overcame two late bogeys with a closing birdie of her own, chipping in at the par-4 18th for a 68. Kang posted a bogey-free 67, including a 7-iron from 155 yards that she holed for eagle at the par-4 seventh. Jessica Korda also shot a bogey-free 67.
Patrick Cantlay breaks out in front at PGA
Patrick Cantlay shot 4-under 68 at La Quinta (Calif.) Country Club to reach 14-under 130 and take a one-shot lead into the weekend at The American Express. Tom Hoge was second after a 66. Joseph Bramlett, playing in the last group off the 10th tee, bogeyed the final two holes in strong wind for a 67 to drop into a five-man tie for third at 12 under along with Will Zalatoris (61), Cameron Young (68), Lanto Griffin (65), and Greyson Sigg (67) … Rory McIlroy rolled in a 6-foot birdie putt at the last and was set to join Collin Morikawa in making the cut on the number in a brutal second round at the Abu Dhabi Championship. Gusts of up to 40 miles per hour off the coastline of the Persian Gulf caused havoc at Yas Links, with just five of the 93 players who completed the round, which will be completed Saturday, shooting under par. Scott Jamieson ended the day where he started it — in the lead — despite a 2-over-par 74 that was 11 shots worse than he hit Thursday. Viktor Hovland (74) remained second, still a stroke off the lead … Ernie Els was on his way to a big lead until a double bogey slowed his momentum and he wound up with a 4-under 68 and was part of a three-way tie for the lead in the PGA Tour Champions season opener at Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii. Vijay Singh had a late birdie on the par-3 17th for a 67, while Stephen Ames birdied the last hole to join Els at the top in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
SOCCER
US reveals roster for men’s World Cup qualifiers
Jordan Morris, Tim Weah, Sergiño Dest, and Gyasi Zardes returned from injuries to make the United States men’s soccer roster ahead of the next three World Cup qualifiers, while Gio Reyna, Gianluca Busio, and Aaron Long missed out. US coach Gregg Berhalter announced a 28-man group that will report to Columbus, Ohio, ahead of the Jan. 27 match against El Salvador, including 13 who have been training in Phoenix. The Americans play Canada on Jan. 30 at Hamilton, Ontario, and host Honduras three days later at St. Paul. The crowd for the game against Canada will be limited to 12,000 at Tim Hortons Field, half of capacity. The Canadian Soccer Association will cancel tickets issued last month and hold a new sale. Goalkeeper Matt Turner and midfielder Sebastian Lletget of the New England Revolution are also on the roster … American forward Josh Sargent scored his first two English Premier League goals to help Norwich to a 3-0 win at Watford.
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WINTER SPORTS
Mikaela Shiffrin headlines US Olympic Alpine ski team
Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin leads the 17-member list for the US Alpine skiing team nominated for the Beijing Winter Games. There are nine first-time Olympians on the roster, which still awaits confirmation from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Shiffrin heads to her third Olympics. She already owns three medals, including a gold in slalom in 2014 and in giant slalom in 2018. Other returnees are Breezy Johnson, Tricia Mangan, Jackie Wiles, Bryce Bennett, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Tommy Ford, and Travis Ganong. The first-timers are Keely Cashman, Katie Hensien, AJ Hurt, Mo Lebel, Paula Moltzan, Nina O’Brien, Bella Wright, River Radamus, and Luke Winters. Ganong finished seventh in a downhill that was won by Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde in Kitzbühel, Austria. Johnson, one of the top American medal contenders, will miss a second straight World Cup downhill after her second crash in two weeks. Johnson fell during the second training session in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and was removed from the start list for Saturday’s race … Shaun White (halfpipe) was one of four defending gold medalists named to the US snowboarding team, along with Chloe Kim, Jamie Anderson, and Red Gerard. Kim won the gold in women’s halfpipe in 2018, while Anderson and Gerard won in slopestyle. Lindsey Jacobellis, the 2006 silver medalist, made her fifth Olympics in snowboardcross and Alex Diebold, the 2014 bronze medalist, is also back.
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COLLEGES
Providence athletic director Bob Driscoll retiring
Providence athletic director Bob Driscoll is retiring after 21 years at the school. The retirement is effective in June and ends a two-decade run that included the Friars winning their first national title in a men’s sport when the hockey team won in 2015. Driscoll also hired current coach Ed Cooley, who became the men’s basketball program’s first Black head coach in 2011 … In men’s hockey, Anthony Del Gaizo’s goal at 16:29 of the second period was the winning goal for No. 14 UMass (11-6-2, 8-2-2 Hockey East) in a 3-2 home win over Northeastern (16-6-1, 8-4-1) … Nick Poisson (two goals) and Jaxson Stauber (29 saves) led No. 18 Providence (16-9-1, 7-7-0 Hockey East) in a 7-0 win at BC (10-10-3, 5-7-2) … Alex Laferriere had two goals for No. 20 Harvard (9-5-1, 7-3-1 ECAC) in a 4-1 win over visiting St. Lawrence (5-12-4, 3-6-2) … William Lemay’s goal at 2:30 of overtime gave Vermont (4-14-2, 3-7-2 Hockey East) at 2-1 win at BU (10-10-3, 6-6-3) … In women’s hockey, No. 3 Northeastern (21-2-1, 16-2-1 Hockey East) got two goals and an assist from Maddie Mills in a 6-3 home win over visiting BU (9-9-4, 8-6-3) … Brook Jovanovich’s second-period goal stood up for No. 9 Harvard (13-5, 10-3 ECAC) in a 1-0 win at Princeton (8-8-3, 6-5-1) … Host Boston College (11-11-0, 9-8-0 Hockey East) skated to a 4-1 win over Holy Cross (3-19-0, 1-16-0) behind a goal and an assist from Alexie Guay.
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MISCELLANY
Clark Gillies, 4-time Stanley Cup winner, dies at 67
Clark Gillies, who won four straight Stanley Cup titles with the New York Islanders in the early 1980s, died at 67, the club announced, without providing a cause of death. The fourth overall pick in 1974, Gillies totaled 319 goals and 378 assists in a 14-year with the Islanders and Sabres … Anaheim Ducks coach Dallas Eakins was not behind the bench Friday night against the Lightning after testing positive for COVID-19, with assistant Mike Stothers running the show. Eakins is the third member of Anaheim’s coaching staff in the NHL’s health and safety protocols, joining assistants Geoff Ward and Joe Piscotty. The Ducks also have four players in protocols — defensemen Cam Fowler and Josh Manson, right wing Troy Terry, and backup goaltender Anthony Stolarz … The American Hockey League suspended San Jose Barracuda forward Krystof Hrabik for 30 games for making a racial gesture toward Tucson Roadrunners forward Boko Imama during a Jan. 12 game in San Jose … The Denver Nuggets signed four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to a 10-day contract to back up Nikola Jokic. The 6-foot-10-inch Cousins is eligible to play starting Friday night against Memphis. He was released by Milwaukee earlier this month.
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