Off the wire | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (2024)

GOLF

Meechai in front at LPGA

Wichanee Meechai became the latest surprise in a U.S. Women's Open filled with them. She started Friday with four consecutive birdies and matched the low score of the week with a 3-under 67 for a two-shot lead going into a weekend that won't include Nelly Korda. Meechai is a 31-year-old Thai whose only victory recognized by the women's world ranking was nine years ago on the Taiwan LPGA. She had never finished in the top 10 in her 20 previous appearances in the majors. She went from five shots ahead of Andrea Lee to two shots behind in a span of five holes. Meechai steadied herself with two birdies over the last six holes to finish at 4-under 136, two shots in front of Lee with only two other players under par. A pair of former Women's Open champions, Minjee Lee (69) and Yuka Saso (71) were three shots back at Lancaster Country Club. "I feel like I might not be making a lot of birdies on the easier courses. I'm not that person," Meechai said in trying to explain her 36-hole lead in a major. "I like when you need to think a lot, when you need to land it shorter and be patient." That worked to perfection on her opening four holes, all birdie putts inside 6 feet. Former University of Arkansas golfer Gaby Lopez posted a 72 on Friday and is at 7-over 147. Alana Uriell (Razorbacks) also shot a 72 on Friday and is at 8-over 148.

Two share Canadian lead

Ryan Fox closed with a 14-foot birdie putt late Friday afternoon for a 6-under 64 and a share of the second-round lead with Robert MacIntyre in the RBC Canadian Open in Hamilton, Ontario. Finishing on the front nine at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, Fox birdied the par-5 fourth and par-4 fifth, then rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 sixth with the birdie on the par-4 ninth. The 37-year-old New Zealander is winless in 47 career PGA Tour starts. MacIntyre had a 66 in the morning for his second consecutive bogey-free round. The 27-year-old Scottish left-hander is winless in 44 career PGA Tour starts. The leaders were at 10-under 130 on the traditional layout. Austin Cook (Jonesboro, Arkansas Razorbacks) posted a 68 on Friday but missed the cut at 2-over 142. Nico Echavarria (Razorbacks) finished at 13-over 153.

Canter up by three shots

English golfer Laurie Canter shot a bogey-free, 7-under 66 to move into a three-stroke lead in the second round of the European Open on Friday. Canter, who also plays on the LIV Golf breakaway circuit and is ranked No. 224, made five birdies as well as an eagle at the par-5 15th hole, where he hit his second shot from 234 yards to 6 feet. He was on 12 under for the European tour event. Jannik De Bruyn of Germany led by four strokes after 11 birdies in a first-round 64 but could shoot only even par on Friday. De Bruyn was tied for second place with Denmark's Niklas Norgaard, who shot 68.

BASEBALL

School closes; team loses

Birmingham-Southern rallied before losing its opening game in the Division III World Series 7-5 on Friday, the same day the private liberal art school's doors officially closed after more than 160 years. The Panthers fell behind 7-0 in the fifth inning to Salve Regina but fought back in style befitting this odds-defying season. They scored four runs in the seventh to pull within two and threatened in the eighth and ninth innings but couldn't come up with the clutch hit. "Proud of our guys," Manager Jay Weisberg said. "The message in the locker room was I'm not upset. We got off to a little bit of a rocky start, but the way we played the last five innings is who we are let's just keep moving on." The loss in the double-elimination tournament means Birmingham-Southern must win Saturday to keep its inspiring season going. The Panthers (32-15) will face either Wisconsin-Whitewater or Randolph-Macon.

GYMNASTICS

Biles surges to early lead

Simone Biles put herself in position to win a ninth national gymnastics title, stringing together four occasionally brilliant rotations to take a massive lead Friday night at the U.S. Championships in Fort Worth. The 27-year-old, eyeing a third Olympic trip this summer, had an all-around total of 60.450, the highest in the world since the beginning of 2022. It also was more than three points clear of Skye Blakely in second at 57.050 and Kayla DiCello in third at 56.850. Two months out from Paris, Biles looks perhaps as good as ever. The seven-time Olympic medalist and six-time world champion began her night with her Yurchenko Double Pike vault, clasping her hands to her knees as somersaulted backward -- twice -- before landing with so much force her momentum carried her back a step. No matter, her score of 15.8 included a 9.4 for execution, a massive number for a vault so difficult no woman other than Biles has ever attempted in a major competition and only a select number of men have even tried it.

FOOTBALL

Ex-wrestler signs with Bills

Olympic gold medal wrestler Gable Steveson is seeking to trade the mat for the gridiron by signing a standard undrafted rookie free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills on Friday. The Bills list the 24-year-old Steveson as a defensive lineman in hopes his leverage techniques and agility can translate to football. Listed at 5-11 and 266 pounds, Steveson, at 21, became the youngest freestyle wrestler to win gold as a super heavyweight at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He then went on to win two college national titles at Minnesota in 2021 and '22, and twice was named the Dan Hodge Trophy winner as the nation's best college wrestler. After his second college championship, Steveson left his shoes in the center of the mat, symbolizing his retirement from amateur wrestling.