Sports
Amanda Doherty, Jin Young Ko share midway lead at Queen City
Aug 21, 2025; Mississauga, Ontario, CAN; Jin Young Ko plays her tee shot during first round play at the CPKC Women’s Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Amanda Doherty and South Korea’s Jin Young Ko fired matching 4-under-par 66s on Friday to share the lead at the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.
Ko went bogey-free with four birdies, including three over four holes late, while Doherty balanced five birdies against a solitary bogey to keep pace at 7-under 133 through two rounds.
Ko opened on the back nine and carded one birdie before the turn, on the par-5 14th. After seven straight pars, her game warmed up on No. 4 with a birdie, her first of two straight. She added another at the par-5 seventh hole.
A 15-time winner on the LPGA tour, Ko is seeking her first victory since 2023. Her best finish this season has been a tie for 27th at the Aramco Championship in early April.
“I got married two months ago and my husband was there last week, and after the game he told me, ‘Why (are) you so nervous before you hitting the ball?'” Ko said. “And he didn’t like say that before, like last five years, but he said that.
“And then after I heard (that) I tried to think about how did I play like the last two or three years, and I think I had some scared … play because I want to be better than better. I would say I’m perfection person. That’s why I don’t want make (a) mistake on the course.
“But after I heard that, I’m being a human so I can make mistakes on the course and (it’s) just acceptable. Just trying having fun like (when I was 10 years old).”
Doherty, on the other hand, is seeking her first career win following her debut in 2022.
“I think I’ve just been working on the right stuff and everything is kind of going the right direction,” Doherty said.
The pair overtook Ina Yoon and Chella Choi of South Korea and Japan’s Rio Takeda, all of whom had shared the lead at 4 under following the opening round on Thursday.
Choi and Takeda battled for par to remain in contention at 4 under (tied for fifth), while Yoon shot a 1-over 71 to fall into a tie for 10th with five other golfers.
England’s Lottie Woad might have had the round of the tournament with a 6-under 64. Woad collected six birdies over her first 10 holes, endured one bogey (No. 6) and finished her day with one more birdie at No. 8.
That effort left her alone in third place at 6 under.
“I think I hit maybe 15 greens today, so my bogey was a three-putt which was annoying,” Wood said. “Today I hit more fairways and just hit really good approaches.”
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko continued to show consistency on Friday, following her first-day 68 with a 3-under 67. She did make two bogeys, but she rallied with five birdies to remain in contention in fourth place at 5 under.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda and No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand are tied with Choi and Takeda at 4 under after their matching 67s. Jennifer Kupcho is right there with them at 4 under after carding a 4-under 66.
Korda is pursuing a third straight tournament win after winning the Chevron Championship and the Riviera Maya Open. Perhaps more impressive, she has failed to finish lower than second in 2026.
Tied with Yoon are Sophia Schubert (second-round 68), South Korea’s Haeran Ryu (66), England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff (66), China’s Ruoning Yin (67) and Australia’s Cassie Porter (68).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Hugo Cuypers piling up goals as Fire face Montreal
May 13, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Fire forward Hugo Cuypers (9) takes control of the ball in the first half against DC United at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images MLS Golden Boot leader Hugo Cuypers will try to help the Chicago Fire to a second away win in four days in Saturday’s visit to a CF Montreal side that is resurgent under interim manager Philippe Eullaffroy.
Cuypers scored his 12th goal on Wednesday night as the Fire (6-4-2, 20 points) rallied from behind to a 3-1 victory at D.C. United.
The Belgian international has now scored in nine consecutive league matches and enters the weekend one ahead of Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Dallas’ Petar Musa for the MLS scoring lead.
“For me, the Golden Boot has always been a consequence of the work I put in,” Cuypers said. “Of course I want to win the Golden Boot, that’s out of the question. But it’s not a focus because I know what I have to put in to get there. For me, it’s a reward and a consequence, not a goal, if that makes sense.”
Chicago’s three goals after halftime helped halt a three-match losing skid in all competitions, with all of those defeats coming at home.
A win or draw at Montreal (4-7-1, 13 points) could extend the Fire’s away unbeaten run to six matches in all competitions and five in the league.
But the Canadian side has posted a 3-1-1 record since Eullaffroy took over for the fired Marco Donadel and implemented a slight tactical shift into a 4-3-3 shape.
“I would say the mindset, the atmosphere, the joy — I know I’m repeating myself a little, but those were the things that were crucial to bring back,” Eullaffroy said in French. “And then, secondly, it’s the fact that we managed to change the team’s identity quite rapidly — even if we are still far from where I’d like us to end up.”
Under Eullaffroy, Montreal has been less possession oriented, having the majority of the ball only once in those five matches. A home-heavy schedule has also helped, with Montreal hosting six of eight before MLS breaks for the World Cup from late May through early July.
Striker Daniel Rios has scored his first two goals since his offseason move from Vancouver in Montreal’s last two games, a 2-0 home win over Orlando last Saturday and a 2-2 draw with Portland on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Canadiens return home to raucous arena with chance to eliminate Sabres
May 14, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) watches as Montréal Canadiens center Joe Veleno (90) takes a shot on goal during the first period in game five of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images The task facing the Buffalo Sabres is not easy, but it is straightforward.
The Sabres must drum up a win when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday or their season is over.
The Canadiens lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series 3-2 with a chance to close it out in front of their frenzied home faithful. The Sabres head to Montreal with a chance to spoil that party and then have the same opportunity in their arena on Monday.
“What is there, five teams left? To be sitting here talking to you guys, I think that it’s a wonderful place to be, and I’ll tell the team the same thing,” coach Lindy Ruff said on Friday. “We get to go to Montreal in Game 6 in the middle of May to move on to a Game 7.”
The series winner will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final. Carolina swept its opponents in each of the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs and has been off since Sunday.
To prolong their series, the Sabres must regroup from a deflating 6-3 home loss on Thursday. Buffalo held a 3-2 lead after the first period, but surrendered four unanswered goals.
This would be a perfect time for a couple of struggling first-liners to find their form. Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs have failed to net a single point in the first five games of this series. Tuch netted four goals and three assists while Krebs had six points (two goals, four assists) in the six-game series victory over the Boston Bruins to open the playoffs.
“I can’t play the way I’m playing right now,” Tuch said. “Just going to be will and determination, but I’ve got to move past it, I’ve got to move on to the next game, and I’ve got to be better for the guys in this room.”
The Canadiens return home to a city and arena that will be filled with excitement.
The young squad had high hopes for the season and going into the playoffs. Reaching the third round may have exceeded anybody’s expectation back in October, but now is a reality they can all envision.
“Saturday night at the Bell Centre, I don’t think you can write it any better to close out a series,” forward Joe Veleno said on Friday. “I think the boys know that, and we’re all ready for it.”
It’s the same situation they had in their opening-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Montreal failed to beat the Lightning in that Game 6 on the road, although it was as much due to a great goaltending performance by Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy as anything else.
Still, there was a lesson learned about the difficulty of closing out a series.
“I think it’s the hardest game,” defenseman Alexandre Carrier said. “Any time a team’s got its back against the wall, that’s when they’re desperate, that’s when they play their best most of the time. We’ve just got to stick to our game plan and really do what we do best.”
Though there will be a euphoric atmosphere in Montreal, the Canadiens’ track record this postseason has shown they will likely not be overwhelmed.
“I think we’re just focused on each and every day,” coach Martin St. Louis said. “We’re not worried about the day before. We’re not worried about what’s ahead. Let’s just take care of today. I think when you just take care of today, usually you don’t get anxious or too ecited. I feel like you just stay present where your feet are.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers LHP Blake Snell (elbow) scratched from start, placed on IL
May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (7) throws to the plate during the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell was scratched from his Friday start hours before the opener of the Freeway Series against the Angels in Anaheim and placed on the 15-day injured list.
The Dodgers said the 33-year-old Snell was scratched due to loose bodies in his left elbow.
The IL move is retroactive to Tuesday.
The Dodgers are now listing right-hander Will Klein (1-2, 2.76 ERA) to be the first pitcher in what will be a bullpen game.
The contest was slated to be Snell’s second appearance of the season. His season got off to a late start due to shoulder issues and he made his season debut last Saturday against the Atlanta Braves.
Snell struggled against the Braves as he allowed five runs (four earned) and six hits while throwing 77 pitches in just three innings. He struck out five and walked two while taking the loss.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner was limited to 11 starts last season due to a shoulder injury and went 5-4 with a 2.35 ERA in his first season with the Dodgers. In the postseason, he went 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA in six appearances (five starts) to help the Dodgers win the World Series.
Snell is 81-63 with a 3.17 ERA in 223 career starts over 11 major league seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays (2016-20), San Diego Padres (2021-23), San Francisco Giants (2024) and Dodgers.
Snell won the American League Cy Young with the Rays in 2018 and took National League honors in 2023 for the Padres.
Los Angeles recalled left-hander Charlie Barnes in a corresponding move. Barnes, 30, hasn’t appeared in a game for the Dodgers since being claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs last Saturday. He gave up four runs (three earned) in three innings in his one outing for the Cubs.
–Field Level Media
Hugo Cuypers piling up goals as Fire face Montreal
Canadiens return home to raucous arena with chance to eliminate Sabres
