AP Sports Digest

Here are the AP’s top sports stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan. Sports content can be found at http://newsroom.ap.org/page/APSports.

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UPCOMING

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SOC--WORLD CUP

LT-WCUP-MEXICO DOG MASCOT

DESCRIPTION: As World Cup fever grips Mexico City, an unlikely star has emerged: Osito, an 8-year-old rescue poodle mix who rides through the capital on a cargo bicycle with his owner, Jorge Rangel. Dressed in a Mexico jersey, sunglasses and a cap, Osito went viral after drawing crowds outside Mexico’s opening match and appearing on TV.

UPCOMING: By 06/19/2026 5:00 a.m. EDT, Video, Text, Photo

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SOC--WCUP-AFRICAN EXHIBIT

DESCRIPTION: Ahead of the World Cup, the AfriKin Foundation opened an exhibition exploring Africa’s deep connection to soccer and its role in shaping culture, identity and community. The exhibition is also holding a reception celebrating Cape Verde ahead of its match in Miami. By Alanis Thames. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 06/19/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT

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SOC--WCUP-UNITED STATES-AUSTRALIA

DESCRIPTION: SEATTLE — The United States faces Australia in a Group G game at the World Cup. The U.S. and Australia re both riding high after winning their opening matches. By Andrew Destin. 300 words. Photos.

UPCOMING: By 06/19/2026 5:00 p.m. EDT ___

SOC-WCUP-BRAZIL-HAITI

DESCRIPTION: PHILADELPHIA — Brazil plays Haiti in the World Cup. By Dan Gelston. UPCOMING. Game starts at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

UPCOMING: By 06/19/2026 11:00 p.m. EDT

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GLF--US OPEN

DESCRIPTION: SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Wyndham Clark tried to build on his U.S. Open lead at Shinnecock Hills. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. 800 words, photos. The first round is set to resume at 6:35 a.m. EDT.

UPCOMING: By 06/19/2026 8:15 a.m. EDT, Text

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SOC--PREMIER LEAGUE-SCHEDULE

DESCRIPTION: The schedule for the 2026-27 Premier League season is announced. 300 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 06/19/2026 4:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo

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GLF--LPGA TOUR

DESCRIPTION: BELMONT, Mich. — Yan Liu of China took a one-stroke lead into the second round of the Meijer LPGA Classic. 250 words.

UPCOMING: By 06/19/2026 7:45 p.m. EDT, Text

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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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SOC--WCUP-MEXICO-SOUTH KOREA

Mexico becomes first country to reach knockout stage of World Cup, beating South Korea 1-0

SUMMARY: Mexico took advantage of a defensive blunder by South Korea to win 1-0 and become the first team to advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup. It marks a major triumph for a team that failed to get out of the group stage in 2022 and now has won twice on home soil in front of jubilant crowds. Luis Romo scored in the 50th minute after South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu collided with defender Lee Gi-hyuk and dropped the ball inside the area. Romo easily found the open net after picking up the loose ball. The South Koreans nearly equalized in the 87th minute, but Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel made a superb save.

WORDS: 932 - MOVED: 06/19/2026 1:43 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:31e17a499d793f415c1214610b29ffb5&mediaType=text

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SOC--WCUP-CANADA-QATAR

Jonathan David’s hat trick propels Canada to its first World Cup win, 6-0 over Qatar

SUMMARY: Jonathan David scored three goals and Canada won its first World Cup match while all but securing a spot in the knockout round with a 6-0 victory over Qatar. Qatar was reduced to nine players because of red cards in the chaotic match. Homan Ahmed was sent off in the first half for a challenge on Tajon Buchanan and Assim Madibo was handed a red early in the second half after a tackle on Ismaël Koné, who was stretchered off with a broken left leg. With the outburst of scoring, Canada tripled its overall World Cup goal total.

WORDS: 717 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 10:43 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ac2e21764948dba88373e5e287f3d0c1&mediaType=text

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SOC--WCUP-CANADA-KONE

Canada’s Koné to undergo surgery after gruesome injury against Qatar

SUMMARY: Canada’s historic first World Cup victory is overshadowed by a gruesome injury to midfielder Ismaël Koné. He injures his left leg after a tackle from Qatar’s Assim Madibo, who is sent off. Koné is stretchered off and taken to a hospital for surgery. Canada coach Jesse Marsch confirms Koné is surrounded by family. The injury occurs in the second half, leaving Qatar with nine players. Nathan Saliba, Koné’s replacement, scores Canada’s fourth goal in the 6-0 win. Striker Jonathan David questions the need for the tackle, emphasizing its recklessness. Details of Koné’s injury remain undisclosed.

WORDS: 372 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 10:17 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:adeb49466729647329289b1153b17330&mediaType=text

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GLF--US OPEN

Wyndham Clark seizes on changing nature of Shinnecock to lead US Open

SUMMARY: The USGA set up a different course at Shinnecock Hills to handle strong wind Thursday. When the wind subsided later, Wyndham Clark seemed to play a different U.S. Open. He took advantage of the gentler conditions, pulling away to reach 6-under par through 16 holes. He left in darkness with a four-shot lead over seven players, including Ryder Cowan and Dustin Johnson. Rory McIlroy thought he did well to shoot 69 in gusts over 30 mph. Scottie Scheffler battled all day, relying on his short game to salvage a 72. Clark will return Friday morning to complete the round.

WORDS: 1104 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 10:01 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7bf63fc873c50f8efb410c88ffc2d884&mediaType=text

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SOC--WCUP-FANS-PHOTO GALLERY

World Cup fans flood stadiums and fan zones with dazzling costumes, facepaint and flags — in photos

WORDS: 42 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 9:57 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1d86f9b4c972d1537f88f906b56d49d3&mediaType=text

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GLF--US OPEN-COWAN

Amateur Ryder Cowan takes the early lead and is tied for second in a strong US Open debut

SUMMARY: Ryder Cowan knew he was playing good golf coming into the U.S. Open. Midway through his round Thursday, the leaderboard showed that the amateur was playing the best golf of anyone at Shinnecock Hills. Cowan, a 21-year-old who will be a senior at Oklahoma, briefly held the lead in his first major championship before finishing with a 2-under 68, matching the lowest round by an amateur at Shinnecock. He was tied for second when the first round was suspended. Cowan was four shots behind Wyndham Clark, in position to be the first amateur to finish a U.S. Open round in the top five since 2015.

WORDS: 513 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 9:47 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:03b8743a2e0e1715786d8bb962460b5b&mediaType=text

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BBO--ANGELS-TROUT

Angels star Mike Trout placed on 10-day injured list with right hamstring strain

SUMMARY: Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is back on the injured list. The team announced before Thursday night’s game against the Athletics that the 11-time All-Star was placed on the 10-day IL due to a right hamstring strain. The Angels recalled infielder Christian Moore from Triple-A Salt Lake among a flurry of moves. The 34-year-old Trout had played in 74 of 75 games this season. He’s batting .234 with a .394 on-base percentage, 17 homers, 36 RBIs and seven steals.

WORDS: 424 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 9:20 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1d812fd8e2c5f560ef747305b9d1c0d1&mediaType=text

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GLF--US OPEN-TALE OF 9S

Keith Mitchell goes from lows to highs in record-setting turnaround at US Open

SUMMARY: Keith Mitchell never imagined getting in the U.S. Open record book. Not after he was 6 over through seven holes at Shinnecock Hills. He shot a 41 on the back nine after starting on No. 10. He was thinking about trying to break 80. And then Mitchell shot 29 on the front nine for an even-par 70. It’s the first time in U.S. Open history someone shot in the 40s on one side and in the 20s on the other side. It’s not unusual for there to be a 12-shot difference over two days. He did it in two hours.

WORDS: 520 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 8:37 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9f802ffe4a84e6e606d6f9c764795fb6&mediaType=text

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SOC--WCUP-SWITZERLAND-BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Switzerland coach uses hydration break to spark late goal barrage in 4-1 World Cup win over Bosnia

SUMMARY: Substitute Johan Manzambi scored is first World Cup goal on an outstanding volley in the 74th minute and Switzerland erupted late for a 4-1 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina to take control of its group. Rubén Vargas scored in the 84th minute for the Swiss shortly after Tarik Muharemovic was sent off for a dangerous tackle, leaving Bosnia with 10 men. Manzambi scored again in the 90th on a pass from Vargas, and captain Granit Xhaka converted from the penalty spot with the final kick of the game. Ermin Mahmic scored in the fourth minute of second-half injury time for Bosnia.

WORDS: 763 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 7:22 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:e5edc7f0e9218d0919cf14610c7443d2&mediaType=text

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GLF--LPGA TOUR

Yan Liu of China shoots 66 in chilly and windy conditions to take LPGA Tour lead

SUMMARY: Yan Liu of China shot a 6-under 66 in chilly and windy conditions Thursday morning to take the first-round lead in the Meijer LPGA Classic. Liu closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th at Blythefield Country Club. The 28-year-old player is winless on the LPGA Tour. American Jessica Porvasnik and Cassie Porter of Australia were a stroke back. Jennifer Kupcho was at 68 with Youmin Hwang, Minji Kang, Nastasia Nadaud, Benedetta Moresco and Daniela Darquea. Amateur star Kiara Romero shot a 72 playing on a sponsor exemption. She’s the No. 1 amateur in the world and was the low amateur at the U.S. Women’s Open, where she tied for sixth.

WORDS: 227 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 7:21 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c74746a1d87d4588f96f321879e0a426&mediaType=text

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US-CONGRESS-COLLEGE-SPORTS-EXPLAINER

The Big Ten and SEC don’t like the college sports bill in Congress. Can they break away?

WORDS: 838 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 6:36 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8af764ad90c634a9bb32c1b7576db793&mediaType=text

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BKN--KNICKS-CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE

New York Knicks revel in their NBA victory parade as joyous fans and celebs fill the streets

SUMMARY: The New York Knicks celebrated their first NBA championship in 53 years with a ticker-tape parade through Manhattan’s “Canyon of Heroes,” drawing thousands of fans dressed in the team’s blue and orange. Finals MVP Jalen Brunson hoisted the trophy toward the crowd so they could touch it, while teammates rode floats through the streets or got off to interact with cheering fans. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a big Knicks fan, and celebrities including Spike Lee and Alicia Keys joined the party Thursday. The parade marks a historic moment for the franchise and city, which did not hold championship parades after the Knicks’ title wins in the 1970s.

WORDS: 1058 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 6:14 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3a701ffd169009d5cfb418334734646b&mediaType=text

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BBO--LABOR

MLB owners propose banning high school signings, adding an international draft

SUMMARY: Baseball owners proposed banning high school players from signing with major league teams, raising the age for international amateurs and slashing the money spent on signing bonuses in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday. The amateur draft for players residing in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico would be cut from 20 rounds to 12 beginning in 2027 under the proposal Major League Baseball made during a bargaining session with the players’ association. An identical 12-round draft would be started for international prospects, a proposal the union has rejected in the past.

WORDS: 897 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 5:53 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7e9d5125306c69eca4b8c7a1dd60db67&mediaType=text

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RAC--PREAKNESS RIGHTS

Maryland exercises its right to match an $85 million offer to keep Preakness branding rights

SUMMARY: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the state will exercise its right of first refusal to match Churchill Downs Incorporated’s $85 million offer for intellectual property of the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. Churchill Downs announced in April that it was buying the branding from 1/ST Racing with the intent of licensing it back to Maryland annually to stage the race. Moore said the state would fund the cost with a tax-exempt revenue bond that would be paid back by money generated by the Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan.

WORDS: 412 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 5:16 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6ffd34c7a2463a1092c9c9517f37e23d&mediaType=text

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US--WORLD CUP-SHOOTINGS-FANS

An Uber carrying Argentina soccer fans was hit in shootings in Kansas City that left 1 man dead

SUMMARY: Police say an Uber driver taking fans of Argentina’s soccer team to a World Cup match was among four people injured in a series of shootings in Kansas City, Missouri, that also left one man dead. A 22-year-old male suspect remained at large Thursday. Police said the five shootings occurred Tuesday evening in a 5-mile stretch of Kansas City, three of them on Interstates 70 and 670. The shootings were 4 miles or further away from where Argentina was playing at Arrowhead Stadium. The man who died was found in his car after an apparent accident. Police said the Uber driver’s injuries were not life-threatening.

WORDS: 451 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 5:02 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9c08b5a67608e3c7c043890016ba0dfc&mediaType=text

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GLF--US OPEN-AGE GAP

Well done, young man: 17-year-old Russell’s US Open debut impresses 54-year-old partner Harrington

SUMMARY: As Miles Russell’s putt neared the hole on the ninth green, Padraig Harrington crouched down for a closer look at the way the ball broke. Even one of golf’s elder statesmen and a three-time major champion could learn something from the way the 17-year-old played Thursday in the first round of the U.S. Open. Russell rarely looked like a rookie while shooting a 2-over 72 that left him five shots ahead of his 54-year-old playing partner. Russell is a Florida State-bound amateur who was making his U.S. Open debut. Harrington won all three of his majors before Russell was born in 2008.

WORDS: 633 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 4:47 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d5b45a1268ca95dfec86052335780f66&mediaType=text

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US--CONGRESS-COLLEGE SPORTS

College sports bill clears a key Senate hurdle despite SEC, Big Ten opposition

SUMMARY: A bipartisan bill top lawmakers and athletic leaders have described as the best chance to stabilize college sports has cleared a major hurdle in the Senate. The Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 to advance the bill on Thursday. The Protect College Sports Act would regulate athlete payments, limit players to one unrestricted transfer and stop coaches from changing jobs during a season. The bill has support from several athletic conferences and the NFL, the NFL Players Association and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. But the SEC and the Big Ten have not endorsed it. Support and opposition for the bill crosses party lines.

WORDS: 866 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 3:45 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9e6407070cf271bcc34babd1886eca0a&mediaType=text

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BKN--MAGIC-SWEENEY

Sean Sweeney takes over in Orlando, and says Magic wound up convincing him that the fit was right

SUMMARY: Sean Sweeney landed interviews for more than a few NBA head coaching vacancies over the last few years, and many of them seemed the same. Talking to Orlando, he said, was different. Sweeney was introduced Thursday as the new coach of the Magic, which was the obvious proof that he won them over by his answers during the interview process. Turns out, the Magic won him over with their questions as well.

WORDS: 753 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 2:45 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:2a6ab95d290a60eff4217a23f2206a85&mediaType=text

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FBC--SORSBY-GAMBLING-SUIT DISMISSED

Brendan Sorsby drops lawsuit against NCAA after getting an injunction to play despite gambling

SUMMARY: Brendan Sorsby has dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA. That will make the quarterback ineligible again and end his college career because of gambling. The expected motion for dismissal of the suit was filed Thursday by the 99th District Court in Lubbock County. That was three days after Texas Tech said he wouldn’t play this fall, and exactly a month after Sorsby filed his lawsuit that set off a legal saga that rattled college sports. A temporary injunction June 8 made the transfer quarterback eligible to play even after admitting that he placed bets on his own team while at Indiana as a freshman four years ago.

WORDS: 414 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 2:38 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:fc4ad8a7e19a86b3764320e5a11d5db5&mediaType=text

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SOC--WCUP-KITS

Inside the colorful, compelling and controversial jersey designs at the World Cup

SUMMARY: The kits at the World Cup are mishmash of verve and color featuring elements of the competing nations’ culture and history. Almost all of the designs have compelling, even controversial backstories. Cape Verde’s jerseys have a geometric, triangular print representing the network of flight paths that connect the 10 volcanic islands in the African country. Belgium’s multicolored away jersey is a nod to the European nation’s surrealist heritage and a master of this movement, René Magritte. Haiti’s original jersey included a depiction of a battle in the Haitian War of Independence in 1803 but was rejected on the grounds of it being too political and therefore requiring a redraft.

WORDS: 1084 - MOVED: 06/18/2026 2:30 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:20867a8fd9a705a892e9a2dc303376c4&mediaType=text