Sports Digest: United States sweeps opening session of Presidents Cup

GOLF

The United States swept the opening session of the Presidents Cup on Thursday for the third time behind a feisty Scottie Scheffler, late heroics from Xander Schauffele and plenty of help from a putting-challenged International team.

The Americans are going for a 10th straight win in this lopsided series, and the Internationals didn’t put up much of a fight in fourballs at Royal Montreal.

It was the first time the Americans swept the opening session since 2000, and they went on to win by a record 11 points.

Scheffler and Russell Henley never trailed in their 3-and-2 victory over Sungjae Im and Tom Kim, the spiciest match of an otherwise flat day before a quiet Canadian crowd after Mackenzie Hughes, who sat out the first session, chugged a beer on the opening tee to get them going.

HIGH SCHOOLS

VOLLEYBALL: Annabel Talley had three aces and eight kills as Greely (3-4) defeated the Gray-New Gloucester (1-4) in Cumberland, 25-13, 25-6, 25-10.

Elena McKenzie added six aces and Kylie Greco finished with four aces.

• Ava Civiello had 10 aces, Millicent Keiter had five aces and two kills and Portland (1-6) defeated the Blue Devils (1-6) by scores of 25-16, 18-25, 25-13, 25-22 in Lewiston.

Soleil Alaari, Katharine Weed and Asanti Bendasta finished with had four aces for Portland.

GIRLS’ SOCCER: Gwen Long converted a pass from Finley Van Til in the second half to lift Falmouth (4-1-1) to a 2-1 win over South Portland (1-4-1) in Falmouth.

Hadley Perry put the Navigators ahead in the first half, scoring off a cross from Skylar Bush.

South Portland’s Marina Bassett tied it with a breakaway goal in the second half.

BASKETBALL

NBA: Philadelphia’s mayor has revealed the terms of the deal negotiated with the city’s pro basketball team for a new $1.3 billion arena downtown.

The agreement reached earlier this month calls for the Philadelphia 76ers to finance the entire project, with no city funding involved. There is, however, a provision that would let the NBA team make annual payments in lieu of taxes averaging $6 million per year. The agreement also calls for a $50 million investment in businesses, neighboring communities and the city’s schools to blunt the project’s impact, Mayor Cherelle Parker said during a news conference Wednesday night.

HOCKEY

NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs Coach Craig Berube said he does not think Auston Matthews’ upper-body injury is too serious and expects the captain to be fine.

Matthews returned to practice Thursday after getting a couple of days off the ice for what Berube called maintenance. Matthews was not scheduled to play in Toronto’s home preseason game Thursday night against Montreal.

• Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson is likely to miss the start of the regular season after undergoing an appendectomy.

The 31-year-old Gibson had the emergency surgery Wednesday night. He will be out for three to six weeks, the Ducks announced.

COLLEGES

FOOTBALL: Southern California defensive lineman Bear Alexander has decided to take a redshirt year after having a diminished role on the No. 13 Trojans’ defense over the first three games of this season.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

UFC: The UFC reached another settlement with one of the two class-action litigants, agreeing Thursday to pay the former fighters $375 million after a previous agreement was thrown out by a Nevada district judge.

Judge Richard Boulware in July dismissed a $335 million settlement with two antitrust lawsuits, including one brought by Cung Le. The new agreement by UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings is with Le, who filed his lawsuit in 2014, and the court still must approve the terms.

AUTO RACING

FORMULA ONE: Daniel Ricciardo, one of the most popular and likeable drivers on the Formula 1 grid, was released by Red Bull Racing.

The 35-year-old Ricciardo knew at the Singapore Grand Prix it was likely his final F1 race – essentially confirmed when his RB team called him into the pits ahead of the final lap to give the Australian the opportunity to set the fastest lap of the race.

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