SPORT

Aberdeen defender Jack MacKenzie was left bloodied after being struck by what seemed to be a seat – thrown by one of his own fans – amid a pitch invasion following his side’s Scottish Premiership defeat at Dundee United.

Unused subtitute MacKenzie was on the pitch while the United supporters invaded the playing surface after their side denied Aberdeen fourth place.

And he was felled by a projectile hurled from the area of the ground that housed a travelling support restricted in number after objects were aimed at United manager Jim Goodwin in the last meeting at Tannadice.

Speaking to BBC Scotland after his side sealed a European place on Saturday, Goodwin labelled the incident “a disgrace”.

“I deliberately took myself off the pitch as quickly as I could because we’ve had previous with the Aberdeen supporters in the past,” the former Pittodrie boss said.

“I’m really disappointed to hear young Jack has been hit by an object thrown by his own supporters. He’s inside having stitches now, it’s an absolute disgrace.

“It’s probably taken something as serious as this to happen for the authorities to finally step in and do something about it to identify these idiots who let down a really good club.”

Rather than stew over whether Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson should be admitted, the Baseball Hall of Fame should open a special wing for miscreants. Rose, the Black Sox members who are HOF-worthy, and PED users like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, whose accomplishments before they started using would have earned them plaques, would all be welcome.

Brian Lipson
Beverly Hills

So MLB has reinstated Pete Rose, months after his death. What a major league error to Pete Rose and his family, the fans and the Hall of Fame.

I understand that he violated the rules and bet while a player/manager, but his numbers, which make him a Hall of Famer, had nothing to do with bets. He didn’t cheat, he violated a rule. The Astros cheated and still kept the World Series title.

Russell Morgan
Carson

On the field a great player and fun to watch. Off the field bad news. His character a complete disaster. I hope he does not get in the Hall of Fame.

Phil Schneider
Marina del Rey

Was that a bit of ironic humor from Bill Shaikin saying he checked with bookies to see what the odds are on Pete Rose getting into the Hall of Fame?

Sports betting is now at epidemic levels and appears in various commercials and program commentary throughout sports media as a display of odds changing throughout many games. It’s so out of control that it’s become normalized.

As for Rose, he brazenly and obsessively bet on baseball, including games involving his own team when he was a manager. That has always been considered a cardinal sin in the sport. He lied about it for decades, then came clean half-heartedly to make money on a book, then tried to play the aggrieved victim being denied his rightful place in the Hall. It was a nauseating spectacle that went on for years.

Rose was an exceptional player. But character and certain violations matter, otherwise there’s no point in trying to protect the integrity of the game.

T.R. Jahns
Hemet

I understand the steroid thing with Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, and maybe they too will be honored in the Hall of Fame someday, but this “integrity, sportsmanship and character” purity test is nonsense! Look at Ty Cobb! What matters is what happened on the field. Let the all-time hits leader in ASAP.

Kennedy Gammage
San Diego

Play in the third round of the US PGA Championship has been delayed because of thunder at Quail Hollow.

These scheduled tee times will be affected as a result.

13:15 Max Greyserman (US), Sam Burns (US)

13:25 Rory McIlroy (NI), Xander Schauffele (US)

13:35 Michael Kim (US), Chris Kirk (US)

13:45 David Puig (Spa), Bud Cauley (US)

13:55 Elvis Smylie (Aus), Kevin Yu (Tai)

14:05 Sergio Garcia (Spa), Brian Harman (US)

14:15 Justin Lower (US), Tom Kim (Kor)

14:25 Thorbjorn Olesen (Den), Maverick McNealy (US)

14:35 Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den)

14:45 Nico Echavarria (Col), Harris English (US)

14:55 Brian Campbell (US), Taylor Moore (US)

15:15 Cameron Young (US), Daniel Berger (US)

15:25 Byeong Hun An (Kor), Collin Morikawa (US)

15:35 Harry Hall (Eng), Austin Eckroat (US)

15:45 Corey Conners (Can), Nicolai Hojgaard (Den)

15:55 Beau Hossler (US), Luke Donald (Eng)

16:05 Matt Wallace (Eng), Tom McKibbin (NI)

16:15 Wyndham Clark (US), Rafael Campos (Pur)

16:25 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)

16:35 Marco Penge (Eng), Lucas Glover (US)

16:45 Jon Rahm (Spa), Keegan Bradley (US)

16:55 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

17:15 Adam Scott (Aus), Joe Highsmith (US)

17:25 Eric Cole (US), Cam Davis (Aus)

17:35 Tony Finau (US), Ben Griffin (US)

17:45 Alex Noren (Swe), Ryo Hisatsune (Jpn)

17:55 Richard Bland (Eng), Davis Riley (US)

18:05 Taylor Pendrith (Can), Bryson DeChambeau (US)

18:15 JJ Spaun (US), Aaron Rai (Eng)

18:25 Ryan Gerard (US), Garrick Higgo (SA)

18:35 Sam Stevens (US), Denny McCarthy (US)

18:45 JT Poston (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco)

19:05 Ryan Fox (NZ), Alex Smalley (US)

19:15 Michael Thorbjornsen (US), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA)

19:25 Max Homa (US), Scottie Scheffler (US)

19:35 Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Kim Si-woo (Kor)

19:45 Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Matthieu Pavon (Fra)

It’s a Saturday filled with high school championships for lacrosse, volleyball and track and field.

The Southern Section Division 1 boys’ lacrosse final between Loyola and Mater Dei will take place at 7 p.m. at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange.

The City Section Open Division boys’ volleyball final between Venice and El Camino Real is at 6 p.m. at Birmingham.

The Southern Section track and field finals begin at 11 a.m. with field events at Moorpark High.

There’s also the state swimming championships at Clovis West High. …

The City Section will hold a Tuesday semifinal doubleheader in baseball for the Open Division at Cal State Northridge, with El Camino Real playing Birmingham at 3 p.m. and Venice facing Sylmar at 6 p.m.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION 2

Crean Lutheran 6, La Habra 1

West Ranch 4, Palm Desert 3

Sultana 2, Royal 1

Loyola 8, Sierra Canyon 1

Servite 1, Riverside Prep 0

Anaheim Canyon 10, Maranatha 6

Etiwanda 11, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 5

Gahr 10, La Salle 0

Oaks Christian 9, Redlands East Valley 2

Torrance 5, Chino Hills 1

Fountain Valley 4, El Segundo 2

Trabuco Hills 4, Bonita 3

Foothill 6, Millikan 4

San Clemente 8, Westlake 0

Mater Dei 3, South Hills 0

Simi Valley 3, Ventura 0

DIVISION 4

Woodbridge 4, Cerritos Valley Christian 1

Irvine 8, St. Bernard 0

Thousand Oaks 5, La Quinta 1

Claremont 2, Apple Valley 1

Dos Pueblos 5, Katella 3

Valencia 4, Northview 1

Trinity Classical Academy 3, Don Lugo 2

Grand Terrace 4, Chino 3

Saugus 22, Wiseburn Da Vinci 3

Murrieta Mesa 6, Santa Monica 0

Ganesha 2, Burbank Burroughs 0

La Canada 6, Downey 5

South Torrance 2, Culver City 0

Sonora 3, Linfield Christian 2

Monrovia 5, Capistrano Valley Christian 2

Oxnard Pacifica 8, California 0

DIVISION 6

Shadow Hills 2, Arroyo Valley 1

St. Monica 12, Paramount 8

Crossroads 6, Hesperia 3

Rancho Mirage 7, Rancho Verde 2

Estancia 10, Alhambra 8

Foothill Tech 3, South El Monte 1

Orange County Pacifica Christian 6, Quartz Hill 2

Muir 3, Rio Hondo Prep 1

Cerritos 5, Banning 1

Marshall 7, Leuzinger 0

Ridgecrest Burroughs 7, Savanna 6

Sante Fe 4, Windward 1

Tustin 2, Littlerock 0

Heritage Christian 9, Adelanto 2

St. Bonaventure 3, Pasadena 1

Montebello 2, Oakwood 0

DIVISION 8

Colton, bye

University Prep 9, Bolsa Grande 4

New Roads 11, Santa Ana 6

Duarte 7, Dunn 5

Fillmore 7, Santa Maria Valley Christian 2

San Jacinto Valley 6, Lancaster Desert Christian 4

Cate 3, Azusa 2

Westminster La Quinta 2, Rosemead 1

Yeshiva 7, Rancho Alamitos 3

Beverly Hills 10, Pasadena Poly 6

Hesperia Christian 3, Big Bear 2

Pioneer 5, Calvary Baptist 0

Arroyo 7, Edgewood 0

Placentia Valencia 11, Temecula Prep 5

San Bernardino 5, Rolling Hills Prep 4

AB Miller 7, Cal Lutheran 6

DIVISION 9

Nuview Bridge 17, Gorman 0

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION 1

Los Osos at Corona

Norco at Laguna Beach

Villa Park at Aquinas

Vista Murrieta at St. John Bosco

Santa Margarita at Huntington Beach

Orange Lutheran at Los Alamitos

Arcadia at Mira Costa

El Dorado at Crespi

DIVISION 2

Crean Lutheran at West Ranch

Loyola at Sultana

Anaheim Canyon at Servite

Gahr at Etiwanda

Oaks Christian at Torrance

Trabuco Hills at Fountain Valley

Foothill at San Clemente

Mater Dei at Simi Valley

DIVISION 3

San Dimas at Colony

Fullerton at Paraclete

Arrowhead Christian at Warren

Cajon at Beckman

Temecula Valley at Great Oak

Crescenta Valley at Castaic

Costa Mesa at San Juan Hills

Yucaipa at Glendora

DIVISION 4

Irvine at Woodbridge

Thousand Oaks at Claremont

Dos Pueblos at Valencia

Trinity Classical Academy at Grand Terrace

Saugus at Murrieta Mesa

Ganesha at La Canada

South Torrance at Sonora

Monrovia at Oxnard Pacifica

DIVISION 5

Northwood at Laguna Hills

Citrus Hill at Highland

Jurupa Hills at St. Anthony

Kennedy at Hillcrest

Liberty at La Serna

Bishop Montgomery at Elsinore

Camarillo at Moreno Valley

Riverside Poly vs. Long Beach Poly at Long Beach City College

DIVISION 6

Shadow Hills at St. Monica

Rancho Mirage at Crossroads

Foothill Tech at Estancia

Muir at Orange County Pacifica Christian

Cerritos at Marshall

Santa Fe at Ridgecrest Burroughs

Tustin at Heritage Christian

Montebello at St. Bonaventure

DIVISION 7

Channel Islands at Chaffey

Western Christian at Norwalk

Mary Star of the Sea at Lancaster

Milken Community at Garden Grove

Silverado at Grace

Flintridge Prep at Don Bosco Tech

Granite Hills at Riverside Notre Dame

DIVISION 8

University Prep at Colton, Monday

Duarte at New Roads

Fillmore at San Jacinto Valley

Cate at Westminster La Quinta

Yeshiva at Beverly Hills

Pioneer at Hesperia Christian

Arroyo at Placentia Valencia

AB Miller at San Bernardino

DIVISION 9

Coast Union at Loma Linda Academy, Monday at 4 p.m.

Coast Christian at Saddleback

Mountain View at Shalhevet

Pomona at Academy of Careers & Exploration

Twentynine Palms at Cobalt

Academy for Academic Excellence at Garden Grove Santiago

Santa Rosa Academy at St. Lestonnac

Nuview Bridge at Ojai Valley

Note: Quarterfinals in all divisions May 23; Semifinals in all divisions May 27; Finals in all divisions May 30-31.

Olympic triathlon double bronze medallist Beth Potter returned to action with second place in the World Triathlon Championship Series in Yokohama.

Potter, who was 14th for Great Britain over 10km in last month’s European Road Running Championships, finished four seconds behind Luxembourg’s Jeanne Lehair with Germany’s Lisa Tertsch in third, two seconds back.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Cassandre Beaugrand of France crashed out on lap six of the bike leg.

Therese Feuersinger of Austria held a narrow lead over Tertsch and Lehair after the swim, with Potter and Beaugrand 14 seconds behind.

Weather conditions resulted in a changed bike course and Potter and the chasing group caught up with the leaders by lap three.

Lehair went clear in the run and held on for victory, despite the Briton running the fastest run leg in the race.

In the Para races, Tokyo gold medallist and Paris bronze medallist Lauren Steadman was a comfortable winner of the women’s PT5 category, with Michael Taylor taking silver in the men’s PT4 behind French star Alexis Hanquinquant.

CITY SECTION BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

FINALS

At Birmingham

DIVISION I

#1 Taft d. #2 Carson, 25-10, 25-20, 25-17

DIVISION III

#1 East Valley d. #7 Maywood CES, 3-0

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

FINALS

At Birmingham

OPEN DIVISION

#3 El Camino Real vs. #1 Venice, 6 p.m.

DIVISION II

#1 Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences vs. #2 Mendez, 3:15 p.m.

DIVISION IV

#10 Port of Los Angeles vs. #8 Hamilton, 12:30 p.m.

DIVISION V

#3 Harbor Teacher vs. #1 Wilson, 10 a.m.

On Thursday, some players at Quail Hollow – including world number one Scottie Scheffler – complained about mud balls, where golf balls get covered in mud and dirt during bad weather.

Preferred lies – a rule sometimes used during periods of adverse weather that permits players to lift, clean and place their ball within a specified distance of its original position on closely-mown areas – were not sanctioned for use by the PGA of America.

Lowry’s tee shot on the eighth hole pitched on the fairway and bounced sideways into a divot left by another player, which meant he was not allowed the relief for an embedded ball that would have applied had it been in his own pitch mark.

“You hit a lovely tee shot, you’re not expecting that,” said world number 10 Lowry.

“I was obviously very annoyed with that because I felt like I had quite a bit of momentum going in the round, and standing there with 40 or 50 yards to the pin off the fairway it’s an easy pitch shot for me – and I walk away making bogey.”

Lowry was particularly unhappy with the unsolicited input of an on-course reporter, adding: “The ESPN guy was a bit too involved when he wasn’t asked to be and that’s what annoyed me a lot.

“He came straight over and said: ‘That’s not your pitch mark.’ That’s not for you to talk about, it’s for me to call a rules official and decide what happens.

“I wasn’t arguing that it was my pitch mark, I was trying to be 100% sure because imagine if I come in [after the round] and all of a sudden somebody told me that was my pitch mark.

“They told Brooks [Koepka] his ball was OK yesterday and it was on the driving range, so you need to be careful about what you’re doing because there’s so much at stake.”

SOUTHERN SECTION LACROSSE PLAYOFFS

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

At Fred Kelly Stadium

GIRLS FINALS

DIVISION 1

Foothill 12, Mira Costa 7

DIVISION 2

St. Margaret’s 11, El Segundo 8

DIVISION 3

Oaks Christian 15, Trabuco Hills 9

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

At Fred Kelly Stadium

BOYS FINALS

DIVISION 1

Loyola (20-3) vs. Mater Dei (15-3), 7 p.m.

DIVISION 2

Dos Pueblos (21-0) vs. San Clemente (14-6), 4:30 p.m.

DIVISION 3

Riverside King (12-9) vs. Agoura (8-10), 2:30 p.m.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery said “we will see” about Emiliano Martinez’s future after the goalkeeper’s tears at the end of their win over Tottenham.

The 32-year-old looked emotional at full-time after Champions League-chasing Villa’s 2-0 win in their last home game of the season.

Martinez, a two-time winner of the Best Fifa Men’s Goalkeeper award, has played 211 times for Villa since a 2020 move from Arsenal.

Asked about Martinez’s future, Emery was non-committal, saying: “We will see.

“Of course, it is the last match here [this season], and I don’t know.

“We will see about the team, the players, but of course, they are responding on the field.”

Aston Villa moved into the top five with the win over Spurs, but with Manchester City having a game in hand they most likely need to beat Manchester United next Sunday and hope for other results to go their way to secure back-to-back seasons in the Champions League.

“Of course, then we will see about everything, how we are going to try to get better for the next season,” Emery said.

With UCLA’s bats quiet early, Kaitlyn Terry stepped into the batter’s box looking to ignite a two-out rally — and with one swing she brought the Bruins to life.

Terry, a right fielder and left-handed pitcher, hit a three-run home run in the second inning to jump-start UCLA’s 9-1 win over UC Santa Barbara in six innings in the opening round of the Los Angeles Regional on Friday.

The No. 9 Bruins (50–10) advanced to Game 3 of the regional, where they’ll face the winner of Arizona State and San Diego State at 2 p.m. PDT Saturday.

Before the season, coach Kelly Inouye-Perez stressed that a UCLA championship push had to start with securing a regional at Easton Stadium — and taking care of business once there.

UCLA is chasing its ninth Women’s College World Series berth in the past decade, but early on Friday, the path looked shaky. Instead of a confident march into the postseason opener, it felt like déjà vu for a moment — a flashback to the haunting 2023 regional, when the Bruins dropped their first game and ultimately fell short of a trip to Oklahoma City.

The Bruins squandered early opportunities uncharacteristic of the nation’s No. 2 run-scoring lineup.

Trailing in the second inning, Alexis Ramirez reached base on a hit up the middle, then stole second. After advancing on a groundout, she was caught in a rundown between third and home. Still, UCLA had a chance to even the score with runners on first and second, but Terry flied out to end the inning.

UCLA pitcher Taylor Tinsley delivers against UC Santa Barbara in the Los Angeles Regional on Friday.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Terry found herself in a similar situation two innings later, and she delivered.

With two outs in the fourth, Kaniya Bragg reached first on a hit-by-pitch. Batting for the first time this season, Taylor Stephens followed with a slow roller into right field — just soft enough for Bragg to beat the tag at third while Stephens stepped onto second.

On the next pitch, Terry crushed a home run to center field.

Taylor Tinsley, an All-Big Ten first team selection, gave up three hits and one walk while striking out one. Her only blemish came in the second inning, when she gave up a run on an RBI single by UCSB catcher Delaina Ma’ae.

1

2

3

1. UCLA’s Jordan Woolery fields the ball at third base against UC Santa Barbara on Friday. 2. UCLA infielder Kaniya Bragg fields the ball. 3. UCLA’s Megan Grant celebrates after hitting a game-ending home run in the sixth inning. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

A pair of home runs in the sixth inning ended the game via the mercy rule. Jessica Clements hit a three-run home run. That was followed by a walk and steal from Savannah Pola, who was driven in by Jordan Woolery’s RBI single. Megan Grant ended the game with a two-run blast to left-center field.

UCLA, which finished its first season in the Big Ten tied for second with Nebraska, has won 26 games by mercy rule this season.

Chelsea have Champions League qualification in their own hands and Aston Villa moved into the top five as both teams won in the Premier League on Friday.

The Blues looked as if they were going to drop to sixth before Marc Cucurella’s 71st-minute header earned a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

Aston Villa, who would have had their fate in their hands had Cucurella not scored, beat Tottenham 2-0.

Unai Emery’s side are up to fifth, but sixth-placed Manchester City, one point below them, play Bournemouth on Tuesday (20:00 BST) in their game in hand.

Chelsea know a win at Nottingham Forest on the final day would seal a Champions League spot, but seventh-placed Forest are still in the hunt themselves.

Cucurella said: “Step by step we are creating something special and now only two games left to achieve something special.

“The most important thing is it depends on us, so we have to play the game on Sunday [25 May] and then we are thinking about the [Conference League] final [against Real Betis].”

Aston Villa will probably have to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford and hope rivals drop points.

“We can get Champions League, fantastic,” said Villa boss Emery.

“We are wishing to continue in the season we are doing. We are now in a good moment.”

England will have six teams in next season’s Champions League – the top five in the Premier League and the winners of the Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham.

The bonus fifth spot through the league came as a result of English teams’ good performances in Europe this season – with Spain also gaining one.

Arsenal host Newcastle on Sunday (16:30 BST) in a game that could go a long way to deciding another place or two.

The Gunners would seal their spot with a win, while a draw would practically make it safe because of their superior goal difference.

Newcastle would go up to second with a win and take them close to sealing a Champions League place.

If Arsenal lose that game, they could yet finish outside the Champions League places, despite having seemingly had second place sewn up for months.

However, they do play rock bottom Southampton on the final day.

FA Cup finalists Manchester City have to get at least a point on Tuesday against Bournemouth to go back into the top five.

While six sides wrestle over the remaining up-for-grab spots, Liverpool have long been guaranteed Champions League football and have already won the Premier League.

Forest’s chances are now quite slim and they visit West Ham this Sunday (14:15) knowing a defeat would end their hopes. They sit four points off the top five.

The prize of a place in the Champions League has added spice to Wednesday’s Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham in Bilbao.

Both have endured wretched Premier League seasons and sit 16th and 17th respectively in the competition, but a highly lucrative crack at Europe’s elite is nonetheless within touching distance.

Quentin Young of Oaks Christian is in his final days of high school baseball, giving pro scouts one final chance to evaluate his immense skills.

Fans have already decided his entertainment value is off the charts. He hit his 14th home run on Friday in the opening round of the Southern Section Division 2 playoffs — a three-run blast — that helped send the Lions to a 9-2 victory over Redlands East Valley.

Young finished with two hits and four RBIs. Joshua Brown and James Latshaw also hit home runs. Ty Hanley threw a complete game.

San Clemente 8, Westlake 0: Stanford commit Mike Erspamer threw a one-hit shutout with seven strikeouts and one walk. Kaden Raymond had a two-run home run.

Servite 1, Riverside Prep 0: Toby Kwon gave up two hits and no walks in the complete game.

Mater Dei 3, South Hills 0: Brandon Thomas struck out seven, walked none and gave up four hits in a Division 2 playoff opener. Ezekiel Lara had two RBIs.

West Ranch 4, Palm Desert 3: Hunter Manning had three hits and three RBIs and also threw six innings with six strikeouts to lead West Ranch to a road victory in Division 2. Mikey Murr got the save with a scoreless seventh.

Simi Valley 3, Ventura 0: Kyle Casey struck out four and walked none in a complete game for No. 2-seeded Simi Valley in Division 2.

Crean Lutheran 6, La Habra 1: Ben Keller had three hits and three RBIs as Crean Lutheran toppled top-seeded La Habra in Division 2.

Etiwanda 11, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 5: Angel Mejia and LJ Roellig hit home runs for Etiwanda, which had a six-run fifth inning.

Gahr 10, La Salle 0: Andres Gonzalez and Adrien Ramirez each had three RBIs and Jake Ourique struck out eight in six innings.

Trabuco Hills 4, Bonita 3: Ryan Luce had two doubles for Trabuco Hills.

Fountain Valley 4, El Segundo 2: A three-run fifth inning helped Fountain Valley come back from a 2-1 deficit.

Anaheim Canyon 10, Maranatha 6: Cooper Stevenson had a two-run double in the first inning to ignite the Comanches. Camden Goetz had a home run.

Foothill 6, Long Beach Millikan 4: Gavin Lauridsen threw 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven.

Torrance 5, Chino Hills 1: Hector Chavez hit a two-run home run for Torrance.

Murrieta Mesa 6, Santa Monica 0: Tanner Blackmon struck out seven and gave up three hits in the Division 4 victory.

Valencia 4, Northview 1: Lincoln Hunt had three hits for the Vikings.

Saugus 22, Wise Da Vinci 3: Zach Seeley hit two home runs and finished with nine RBIs.

McIlroy entered his second round with ground to make up after shooting a three-over 74 on Thursday.

He hit only four of 14 fairways in his first round and, according to PGA Championship Radio Sirius XM, he had been unable to use his usual driver because it was deemed to be non-conforming during testing by the United States Golf Association earlier this week.

The radio station reported that the decision did not mean McIlroy was at fault or even aware of the issue. They also said the USGA said testing results were kept confidential unless the player wanted to make it public.

The early signs in round two were better, a 15-footer dropping for birdie on the second hole, while three more shots were gained around the turn as McIlroy improved to one under par.

However, all of the breathing room he had earned ended up being required during a testing back nine.

An excellent par save on the 13th stopped the rot after two straight bogeys, before birdies on the next two holes restored a gap to the cut line – which was hovering between one and two over par during the latter stages of the second round.

There was some late drama as, heading down the 18th at level par, McIlroy pulled his tee shot left and his ball ricocheted off a hospitality tent before landing close to the water hazard.

But he recovered to make a bogey five, confirming his spot in the final two rounds.

Schauffele had found himself in trouble following two bogeys on the front nine but fought back sufficiently to extend his stay in North Carolina.

CITY SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION II

#17 Orthopaedic at #16 Torres

#20 Bernstein at #13 Bell

#19 Mendez at #14 Maywood Academy

#18 Roybal at #15 Wilson

DIVISION III

#17 Contreras at #16 Sun Valley Magnet

#20 Middle College at #13 Sotomayor

#19 Maywood CES at #14 Diego Rivera

#18 Animo Venice at LA Leadership Academy

DIVISION IV

#17 Stella at #16 Animo Bunche

#20 Valley Oaks CES at #13 Jordan

#19 Crenshaw at #14 Manual Arts

#18 Animo Robinson at #15 Valor Academy

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION I

#16 Cleveland at #1 Port of Los Angeles

#9 Palisades at #8 Verdugo Hills

#12 South Gate at #5 Eagle Rock

#13 Roosevelt at #4 Chavez

#14 Marshall at #3 Garfield

#11 Poly at #6 Chatsworth

#10 San Fernando at #7 Bravo

#15 Arleta at #2 Legacy

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION II

#17 Orthopaedic or #16 Torres at #1 Marquez

#9 Hamilton at #8 Harbor Teacher

#12 Sylmar at #5 Franklin

#20 Bernstein or #13 Bell at #4 Northridge Academy

#19 Mendez or #14 Maywood Academy at #3 SOCES

#11 Fremont at #6 Taft

#10 King/Drew at #7 Triumph Charter

#18 Roybal or #15 Wilson at #2 Narbonne

DIVISION III

#17 Contreras or #16 Sun Valley Magnet at #1 Lincoln

#9 USC-MAE at #8 University

#12 Alliance Bloomfield at #5 North Hollywood

#20 Middle College or #13 Sotomayor at South East

#19 Maywood CES or #14 Maywood CES at #3 Jefferson

#11 Huntington Park at #6 CALS Early College

#10 University Prep Value at #7 Community Charter

#18 Animo Venice or #15 LA Leadership Academy at #2 Rancho Dominguez

DIVISION IV

#17 Stella or #16 Animo Bunche at #1 Westchester

#9 East Valley at #8 Lakeview Charter

#12 Fulton at #5 Washington

#20 Valley Oaks CES or #13 Jordan at #4 Reseda

#19 Crenshaw or #14 Manual Arts at #3 Animo De La Hoya

#11 Vaughn at #6 Monroe

#10 Discovery at #7 LACES

#18 Animo Robinson or #15 Valor Academy at #2 Van Nuys

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

OPEN DIVISION

QUARTERFINALS

#8 Banning at #1 Granada Hills

#5 El Camino Real at #4 Venice

#6 Birmingham at #3 Carson

#7 Kennedy at #2 San Pedro

Note: Divisions I-IV Quarterfinals Fri., May 23 at 3 p.m. at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Wed., May 28 at higher seeds; Finals May 30-31 at Birmingham (Divisions II-IV) and TBD (Open-Division II).

A game between Angel City and the Utah Royals should not have continued after Savy King collapsed on the field and had to be hospitalized, the National Women’s Soccer League said Friday.

The league said it came to the conclusion after reviewing its protocols and listening to feedback from stakeholders. There were persistent questions this week about the league’s procedures.

A league statement expressed regret for allowing last Friday’s match in Los Angeles to go on after the 20-year-old Angel City defender was carted off the field while shaken players and fans looked on.

“The health and well being of the entire NWSL community remains our top priority, and in any similar situation going forward the game should and would be abandoned,” said the statement.

King underwent surgery Tuesday after doctors discovered a heart abnormality. The team announced she is recovering and her prognosis is good.

The NWSL Players Assn. was among those that said the match should have been suspended after King’s collapse in the 74th minute. The players’ union issued a statement Friday saying it was grateful the league listened to the concerns.

“The league’s acknowledgment that the game should have ended — and its commitment to adopting this protocol for the future, should it ever be needed — represents a meaningful step forward,” the NWSLPA said. “It’s a change made possible by the strength and unity of our players. Player safety is not a slogan. It is a practice.”

The NWSL said earlier this week that it was reviewing its protocols. The league ultimately makes the decision when it comes to suspending, canceling or postponing games.

NWSL rules for 2025 state that the league “recognizes that emergencies may arise which make the start or progression of a Game inadvisable or dangerous for participants and spectators. Certain event categories automatically trigger the League Office into an evaluation of whether delay or postponement is necessary.”

Angel City interim coach Sam Laity said Friday it had been a challenging week for the team, but he was grateful for the medical professionals who treated King and all those from around the league who reached out in support.

“I think everybody’s very relieved to hear that Savy’s surgery was successful and the outlook for the future is very positive,” he said. “And in terms of the game continuing, I agree with the statements that the league recently made, and they’re working to ensure that this type of situation is dealt with in a different fashion moving forward.”

King was the second-overall pick in the 2024 NWSL draft by expansion Bay FC and played 18 games for the club. She was traded to Angel City in February and had started in all eight games for the team this season.

Peterson writes for the Associated Press.

Liverpool are competing with Spanish giants for Adam Wharton, but could lose Harvey Elliott to Wolves, while Real Madrid forward Rodrygo’s agents have held talks with a trio of Premier League clubs…

Liverpool are set to rival Real Madrid and Barcelona for £60m-rated Crystal Palace and England midfielder Adam Wharton, 21. (Daily Mail – subscription required, external)

A move for Chelsea’s French striker Christopher Nkunku, 27, could also be part of Liverpool’s summer plans. (Footmercato – in French, external)

Wolves are stepping up their efforts to sign Liverpool’s English midfielder Harvey Elliott, 22. (GiveMesport, external)

Premier League trio Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal have already held talks with the agents of Real Madrid’s 24-year-old Brazilian forward Rodrygo, who has fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabeu. (Fichajes – in Spanish, external)

Aston Villa are hoping to turn Axel Disasi’s loan move from Chelsea permanent in the summer, with the club already starting negotiations with the 27-year-old French defender. (Footmercato – in French, external)

Chelsea, meanwhile, have a shortlist of potential centre-back signings, including 22-year-old Englishman Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton, and England international Marc Guehi, 24, at Crystal Palace. (Sky Sports, external)

Aston Villa could bring Barcelona’s 25-year-old Spanish striker Ferran Torres back to the Premier League for a fee in the region of £42m during the summer transfer window. (Birmingham Mail, external)

Southampton are interested in Sturm Graz right-back Max Johnston, 21, with the Scotland international reportedly available for £3m. (Sky Sports, external)

Wrexham are considering a move for 26-year-old Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien – currently on loan at Swansea City – following their promotion to the Championship. (Football League World, external)

Last year could have been a storybook ending.

Had Clayton Kershaw been healthy, he likely would have been part of the Dodgers’ postseason rotation. He would have given them badly needed innings during their run to a World Series championship. And, in Year 17 of his future Hall of Fame career, he could have ridden off into the sunset, having little else to prove after playing an integral role on two championship teams.

“Yeah, if I was able to be a part of last year’s run and win a World Series and get to go out like that, that would have been really cool,” Kershaw said recently, contemplating what might have been if only he was available to pitch last October. “But I wasn’t. And it was still really fun to be part of. But it made it easier to want to come back, for sure.”

Back again, Kershaw is set to make his season debut for the Dodgers on Saturday after spending the first two months of the campaign recovering from offseason surgeries to address toe and knee injuries that sidelined him for the team’s title-winning trek through the playoffs last year.

Unlike previous offseasons, when the now 37-year-old Kershaw seemed to give retirement more serious thought, the three-time Cy Young Award winner made his mind up quickly last fall. Even before the Dodgers won their second championship in the last five years, he knew he wanted to pitch in 2025. After making just seven starts in 2024 with a 4.50 ERA, and missing the stretch run of the season when his long bothersome toe injury finally became too much, he didn’t want his career to end with him as a spectator, able only to cheer from the dugout as the Dodgers went on to win the World Series without him.

“For me, just getting back out on the mound is a big first step,” Kershaw said, ahead of what will be his first big-league outing since Aug. 30 of last year. “And then it’s the rest of the season, obviously. But just making it through Saturday and getting back out there is what I’ve thought about so far.”

To get to this point, the 18-year veteran had to endure a grueling offseason.

Days after the Dodgers’ World Series parade, Kershaw had two surgical operations: One on his left knee, where he had suffered a torn meniscus; and another on his left foot to address arthritis, a bone spur on his big toe and, most seriously, a ruptured plantar plate.

“If someone asked me, ‘What all did they do to your foot?’ I don’t know if I can answer all the way, but I know it’s not been fun,” Kershaw said, underscoring the complicated nature of a foot surgery, in particular, that he noted “only one or two baseball players” have had before.

“This one was painful,” he added, contrasting it to the relatively straightforward shoulder procedure he had the previous offseason. “It was like, ‘Oh, this is what people talk about when they talk about bad surgeries.’”

The worst part was the recovery, with Kershaw spending the better part of the next two months on crutches or in a walking boot.

“Trying to be on crutches and have four kids, it’s not easy,” he said. “Your offseason is supposed to be like, where you’re around and get to help more. And those first six weeks, I wasn’t much help. So it’s kind of a helpless feeling. And I don’t sit still well in general. So it was a hard process.”

Still, Kershaw’s commitment to come back never wavered. He was into a throwing program by the start of spring training. He began a minor-league rehab stint in the middle of April. And he posted a 2.57 ERA in five rehab starts, feeling he’d “turned the corner” with his foot over the last couple outings.

“Those last few rehab starts, I was more concerned about throwing well and getting guys out than I was [about] how my foot felt or anything like that,” he said. “So I think that was a good sign for me physically. And now, it’s just a process of figuring out how to get guys out consistently again and perform. That’s a much better place to be than seeing if you’re hurt.”

Exactly how Kershaw will fare back in the big leagues is an unknown. During his rehab stint, his fastball sat in the upper-80 mph range, a few ticks down from the already diminished velocity he’d had in recent seasons. He struck out only 16 batters in 21 innings, relying more on command and an ability to induce soft contact to navigate his way through starts.

On the other hand, Kershaw’s arm is as healthy as it’s been in years, now 17 months removed from his 2023 shoulder surgery. Even without eye-popping stuff last year, he proved to be competitive, owning a 3.72 ERA before leaving his Aug. 30 start early when his toe flared up. And simply having him back in the rotation will come as a boon for the Dodgers, who have been shorthanded recently with fellow starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki all nursing shoulder injuries.

“It’s a big shot in the arm,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Clayton has worked really hard to get healthy, and the bar is high for him, you know. He doesn’t want to just come back to be active. He wants to come back and help us win baseball games and be good. And so I know he’s excited to contribute.”

In a break from his typically stoic facade, that excitement was evident from Kershaw all week. Except when reflecting upon the departure of teammate and close friend Austin Barnes, Kershaw was smiling almost everywhere he went around the ballpark in recent days. “Is that unusual?” he deadpanned when a reporter noted the observation Thursday. He also downplayed his pursuit of 3,000 career strikeouts — he is just 32 Ks away from becoming the 20th member of the illustrious statistical club — in favor of amplifying the gratitude he felt about simply pitching in the majors once again.

“I think when you haven’t done something for a long time, and you realize that you miss it — you miss competing, you miss being a part of the team and contributing — there’s a lot of gratitude and gratefulness to get back to that point,” Kershaw said. “I definitely feel that. Now, if I go out there and don’t pitch good, it’s gonna go away real fast. So there’s a performance aspect of it, too. But I think for now, sitting on the other side of it, just super excited and grateful to get to go back out there again.”

When asked if he ever planned on hanging it up, Kershaw then laughed.

“Somebody will tell me to retire at some point, I’m sure,” he said.

But, after finishing last season injured and grinding through a long rehab this winter, that point is not now, not yet.

Eighteen years later, Kershaw still feels he has more to give.

“At the end of the day, you just want to be a contributing factor to the Dodgers,” he said. “You don’t want to just be on the sidelines. So I’m excited to get back to that.”