GOLF
Rory McIlroy is set to give up European Tour membership in 2019 to focus on the U.S. PGA Tour.
Just for the year, for now.
McIlroy said on Tuesday at the World Tour Championship he intends to play only two full-field European Tour events in the first half of 2019 because of changes in the tournament schedule.
The three-time Race to Dubai champion said he’ll be spending most of his time in the U.S. because the Players’ Championship and the U.S. PGA Championship have been brought forward to March and May respectively. That has pushed the European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, to September.
SOCCER
U.S. WOMEN’S TEAM: Alex Morgan scored late in the first half and the U.S. national team wrapped up the year with a 1-0 victory Tuesday over Scotland in Glasgow.
The U.S. team is undefeated this year with 19 wins and two ties. The Americans have an unbeaten streak of 28 games (25 wins, three ties) dating to a 1-0 loss to Australia in the Tournament of Nations last year. It was also the team’s 12th shutout of the year.
The U.S. team is the defending World Cup and currently the top-ranked team in the world, while Scotland is No. 19 and has qualified for its first World Cup.
MLS: Gerardo “Tata” Martino was voted coach of the year in his last season with Atlanta United.
Backed by record crowds, Atlanta United won a playoff series for the first time by beating New York City FC in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Atlanta will play the New York Red Bulls in the first leg of the conference final Nov. 25.
Martino reportedly is headed to Mexico’s national team after the MLS season.
PREMIER LEAGUE: The league hired broadcasting executive Susanna Dinnage as chief executive, making her the most powerful female executive in global sports.
Dinnage will leave her role as global president of Discovery’s Animal Planet in early 2019.
SPANISH LEAGUE: Real Madrid gave Coach Santiago Solari a permanent contract until June 2021.
Solari was appointed as the interim coach two weeks ago to replace the fired Julen Lopetegui and has led the team to four straight victories.
TENNIS
ATP FINALS: Roger Federer produced an improved performance to get his campaign for a seventh ATP Finals title back on track with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Dominic Thiem on Tuesday.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion was still not his fluent best, but dropped just six points on serve and took advantage of a wayward display from Thiem to break twice in both sets.
Having lost his opening match to Kei Nishikori, Federer will likely need to defeat Kevin Anderson on Thursday to reach the semifinals.
Anderson thrashed Nishikori 6-0, 6-1 earlier to move to 2-0 earlier, with the lopsided scoreline all but assuring the South African’s place in the last four.
The 32-year-old Anderson, who lost just eight points on serve, was on the verge of just the second whitewash in the event’s history until Nishikori won the penultimate game.
BASKETBALL
WNBA: Minnesota Lynx assistant James Wade has been hired to coach the Chicago Sky.
Wade replaces Amber Stocks, who was let go after compiling a 25-43 record in two seasons with Chicago. The Sky didn’t make the playoffs either year.
The 43-year-old Wade was an assistant with the San Antonio Stars from 2012-16 before joining the Lynx.
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