Sports
LPGA rookie Akie Iwai jumps to 3-stroke lead in Thailand
May 30, 2024; Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA; Akie Iwai (JAP) hits a tee shot on the fifteenth hole during the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Akie Iwai recorded 10 birdies to take a three-shot lead after the first round on the Honda LPGA Thailand on Thursday.
Iwai tied the 18-hole scoring record at the event, last accomplished by Japanese compatriot Yuka Saso in the final round in 2022.
In second place and three shots back after a round of 65 is Maja Stark of Sweden, with home-nation favorite Moriya Jutanugarn standing at 6-under after shooting 66 at the Siam Country Club Old Course in Pattaya, Chonburi.
Under partly cloudy skies on a day that reached 88 degrees, Iwai recorded a front-nine score of 29 with seven birdies and two pars. She was one of five players without a bogey on Thursday.
A tour rookie, she is playing in Thailand this week on a sponsor’s invitation and was, of course, pleased by her performance. She also played in the event last season.
“Today, my shots and my putting were good,” said Iwai, 22. “I’ve learned where to miss and where not to miss. I am getting to know the golf course very well.”
Stark didn’t play a bogey-free round, but she was prolific on Thursday with six birdies and one bogey to go along with an eagle on the par-5 No. 7 on the way to her 65.
“It was a lot of fun,” Stark said. “Finally got more control of my driver off the tee and then it felt like it was just pretty simple golf. Hit a lot of greens.”
Jutanugarn had her seventh birdie on the par-5 No. 18 to finish her round four back of the leader. Said she was driven by the home crowd in Thailand.
“It’s so nice. You know, like every time coming back here we always had really, really good support from Thai fans,” she said. “Now we even have more like international, like I saw a lot of Japanese, Koreans. … They love LPGA to always (come) back here.”
Another Thai, defending champion Patty Tavatanakit, mixed five birdies and four bogeys to shoot a 71, good for a T33.
Three players fired a 67 to enter the second round five back of Iwai — Jin Young Ko of South Korea, Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen and American Angel Yin.
Yin acknowledged the heat affected her game.
“Kind of disoriented,” she said. “I think I was a little hot. First time walking 18 this week. First time walking 18 other than my tournament rounds in the beginning of the year, so I was a little tired.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
LAFC maintain strong run with rout of Sporting Kansas City
Jul 25, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LAFC forward Son Heung-Min (7) celebrates with forward Denis Bouanga (99) after scoring a goal during the first half against Sporting Kansas City at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Los Angeles FC continued their hot run of form with a 4-0 thumping of visiting Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.
Denis Bouanga tallied a brace and an assist as he and Son Heung-min extended their scoring streaks to three games. LAFC (10-5-3, 33 points) maintained their perfect record since the World Cup break.
Both Kansas City (4-11-2, 14 points) center backs found themselves wanting for pace in the first half. Son opened the scoring just five minutes in when SKC’s Zorhan Bassong inadvertently placed the ball into his path with a heavy tackle in the central midfield. Son beat Wyatt Meyer to the runaway ball and cut it past goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland (one save) with ease.
Bouanga made it 2-0 in the 37th minute off a perfectly weighted ball from Mathieu Choiniere deep in his own third. Bouanga escaped the pursuit of Or Blorian before chipping it over a helpless Cleveland.
SKC were burned once again in transition in added time, with David Martinez on the receiving end of a long switch from Bouanga. Meyer caught up to his man on this occasion, but couldn’t stop him from extending the lead to three with a left-footed shot.
Bouanga nabbed his second goal in the 85th minute from the edge of the box off a slick feed from substitute Tyler Boyd.
SKC striker Dejan Joveljic thought he had extended his own scoring streak when he found the back of the net in the 70th minute but the goal was called off on a clear offside. Zorhan Bassong gave Hugo Lloris his first real test minutes later, forcing the French goalkeeper into a diving save to meet his long-range effort.
Lloris recorded his tenth clean sheet of the season with one save. He has allowed just a single goal in his team’s three matches since returning to play. Los Angeles is undefeated against Kansas City in their last eleven encounters and has won four straight.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Red Sox trading LHP Connelly Early for INF Curtis Mead
Jun 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images The Boston Red Sox are trading rookie left-hander Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.
The Red Sox reportedly are seeking help at shortstop ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline and were looking at Mead’s teammate, All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams. Boston’s Trevor Story, out since May 14, has played only 41 games because of a sports hernia.
Early, 24, hasn’t pitched since June 30, going on the injured list July 1 due to left elbow inflammation. The starting pitcher is expected to return in August.
Boston selected Early in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia.
Early is 7-5 this season with a 3.44 ERA, 34 walks and 93 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings over 17 starts. He appeared in four games (all starts) last season and went 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA over 19 1/3 innings.
Mead, a 25-year-old native of Australia, is batting .254 with a .352 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage after going 0-for-3 with two walks and one run after playing third base in Washington’s 5-3 home win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday. He has 17 home runs and 48 RBIs in 87 games.
Mead, who has played first, second and third base as well as designated hitter this season, is a career .244 hitter with 22 homers and 79 RBIs in 239 games for the Tampa Bay Rays (2023-25), Chicago White Sox (2025) and Nationals (2026).
He signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018 and was traded to the Rays in November 2019 for left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, who was selected to his second All-Star Game this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Felipe Mora goes out with a brace as Timbers edge Real Salt Lake
Jul 25, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Timbers forward Felipe Mora (9) high-fives fans before a game against Real Salt Lake at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Felipe Mora, playing in what was announced as his final match with host Portland, scored twice in the second half as the Timbers defeated 10-man Real Salt Lake 2-1 on Saturday night.
Goalkeeper James Pantemis made three saves for the Timbers (6-8-3, 21 points), who improved to 2-0-1 under interim head coach Jack Cassidy.
Juan Manuel Sanabria tallied for Salt Lake (8-6-2, 26 points) and Rafael Cabral made five saves.
RSL’s Victor Olatunji put the ball in the net from just inside the top of the penalty area in second-half stoppage time but was ruled offside.
Mora got the equalizer in the 56th minute off a corner kick from Ariel Lassiter on the right wing. Lassiter found Mora at the top of the 6-yard box and his header took one bounce off the turf and into the far upper corner of the net.
Mora scored again in the 67th minute off a left-wing corner from Kristoffer Velde. Mora’s glancing header from the top of the 6-yard box reached the far upper corner of the net.
Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy announced Friday this would be the final match for Mora, the third-leading goal scorer in franchise history with 48, but didn’t indicate where the native of Chile would be going.
Reports on Saturday indicated Mora, who scored the tying goal in second-half stoppage time in a 2-2 draw with visiting FC Dallas on Wednesday, would head back to Liga MX.
Mora came off for substitute Alexander Aravena in the 72nd minute to a raucous standing ovation from the crowd at Providence Park, with fans chanting his name for a couple of minutes.
RSL opened the scoring in the 18th minute, Sanabria played a nifty give-and-go with Morgan Guilavogui, getting the ball back at the top left of the penalty area. Sanabria dribbled toward the top of the 6-yard box before putting a low toe punch into the far side netting.
Guilavogui was ejected in the 31st minute for a foul on Jimer Fory after both players tumbled to the ground while battling for the ball along the sideline. Guilavogui seemed to kick Fory in the chest as he rolled over and was originally issued a yellow card by referee Elijio Arreguin, but a video review showed he made contact with Fory’s chin and it was upgraded to a red.
–Field Level Media
LAFC maintain strong run with rout of Sporting Kansas City
Reports: Red Sox trading LHP Connelly Early for INF Curtis Mead
