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TROON, Scotland (AP) — Daniel Brown delivered the biggest surprise of them all at the British Open. The wind changed direction at Royal Troon and seemed to fool everyone except Shane Lowry. He played the links a few weeks ago and knew how to handle the wind from the opposite direction. Lowry had a 66 for his best start ever in a major. And then came Brown, a 29-year-old from England. Playing in the second-to-last group, he birdied two of the last three holes for a 65 to lead in his major championship debut. Tiger Woods had a 79. Rory McIlroy shot 78.
TROON, Scotland (AP) — Tiger Woods had another disappointing round at a major championship. Woods' 8-over 79 on Thursday at Royal Troon left him in danger of missing the cut for a third straight time at the British Open. Woods says "I need to shoot something in the mid-60s tomorrow to get something going on the weekend.” Woods now has 14 consecutive rounds in the majors without breaking par dating to a 69 in the second round of the 2022 PGA Championship. It’s his highest score to start a major since an 80 in the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.
UNDATED (AP) — EA Sports College Football 25, among the most highly anticipated sports video games of all time, has flooded the market. The game officially launched Friday, with EA Sports increasing its server capacity during early access to handle the crush of players. EA Sports has said its goal for the game was “to feel like a love letter to college football and its fans.” Gamers waited more than a decade for the franchise’s next installment after it was halted in 2013 amid questions about compensating athletes depicted in the game.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers have sent Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade deal for point guard Kris Dunn. ESPN reports that the Jazz are expected to buy out the former NBA MVP’s contract so Westbrook can sign with the Denver Nuggets. Utah also got the right to swap second-round draft picks in 2030, the draft rights to center Balsa Koprivica and cash. Westbrook is a nine-time All-Star and the 2017 MVP with Oklahoma City. He was traded for the fifth time in his career.
LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Utah State has fired coach Blake Anderson for “significant violations of his contractual obligations.” Thursday's move came 16 days after the school informed Anderson that he would be dismissed following an external review that found he failed to comply with Title IX policies regarding the reporting of sexual misconduct cases. Nate Dreiling, who had been Utah State’s defensive coordinator, was elevated on July 2 to interim coach for the upcoming season. Anderson was given two weeks to respond to the university’s decision. Anderson’s attorney says all legal remedies will be pursued on his behalf.
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Rodgers knows all eyes are on him. That’s nothing new for the four-time NFL MVP. The 40-year-old New York Jets quarterback enters his 20th season with plenty to prove after missing all but four snaps last year because of a torn Achilles tendon. He certainly isn’t alone in the spotlight as training camps open. Pittsburgh’s Russell Wilson, San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey, Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley are among a handful out to prove themselves either because of injuries, mediocre play or needing to justify big contracts.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A key city council vote is paving the way to give the Tampa Bay Rays a new 30,000-seat ballpark as part of a $6.5 billion redevelopment project in St. Petersburg, Florida. The new park would guarantee the team stays for at least 30 years. Supporters say the overall project would transform an 86-acre tract in the city’s downtown to include a Black history museum, affordable housing, a hotel, green space, entertainment venues, and office and retail space. The site, where the Rays’ domed Tropicana Field now sits, was once a thriving Black community driven out by construction of the ballpark and an interstate highway. The plan still requires approval from the Pinellas County Commission.