GOLF

Eli Spaulding of Freeport shot a 6-over 76 on Monday in the first round of the U.S. Amateur on Monday at Hazeltine National Golf Course in Chaska, Minnesota.

Paul Chang has a two-shot lead after shooting a 6-under 64. Spaulding did have four birdies, but those were erased by an 8 on the par-4 14th hole.

The second of two stroke play rounds is Tuesday where the 311-player field will be cut to 64 competitors for match play, which begins Wednesday. A playoff, if necessary, will be conducted to get the draw to exactly 64 golfers.

BASEBALL

EASTERN LEAGUE: Kristian Campbell of the Portland Sea Dogs has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of Aug.5-11.

The 22-year-old infielder, who opened the 2024 season with High-A Greenville before earning a promotion to Double-A Portland on June 4, hit .444 (8-for-18) in five games last week with three home runs, five RBI, six walks and five stolen bases. He also homered in three consecutive games.

Campbell currently has a nine-game hit streak and a 26-game on-base streak, the longest in the Eastern League this season. In 49 games with the Sea Dogs, Campbell is hitting .380 with 16 doubles, seven home runs, 32 RBI, and 17 stolen bases.

It’s the second Player of the Week honor for Campbell, and the fifth this season for a Sea Dogs player.

HOCKEY

ECHL: The Maine Mariners have signed forward Nick Jermain, who returns to Maine after spending parts of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with the organization.

Jermain started last season in the ECHL with the Trois-Rivieres Lions. After 20 games with the Lions, he went overseas to play in France for Anglet of Ligue Magnus.

TENNIS

NATIONAL BANK OPEN: Jessica Pegula, the No. 3 seed and the sixth-ranked WTA Tour player, defended her National Bank Open title by defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 Monday in Toronto.

Pegula improved her all-time record at the Canadian tennis championship to 17-2.

COLLEGES

FOOTBALL: Georgia is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason college football poll for the second straight year as the superconference era begins with the SEC and Big Ten dominating the top 10.

The Bulldogs received 46 first-place votes and 1,532 points in the Top 25 released Monday and the SEC powerhouse finished comfortably ahead of No. 2 Ohio State (15 first-place votes and 1,490 points) of the Big Ten. New Big Ten member Oregon is No. 3, receiving one first-place vote. Texas, which joins Georgia in the Southeastern Conference this season, is fourth.

Alabama, in its first season without Coach Nick Saban since 2006, starts No. 5. No. 6 Mississippi gives the SEC half the top preseason top six. Independent Notre Dame is the highest ranked team from outside the SEC and Big Ten at No. 7, and are followed by No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Michigan and No. 10 Florida State.

WOMEN’S SOCCER: After 45 years, a very relaxing recent vacation and 21 national titles, Anson Dorrance’s decided it was time to leave his position as the women’s soccer coach at North Carolina.

For much of his time with the Tar Heels, there was little change. He directed teams to a Division I record of 21 NCAA championships as a coach, compiling two unbeaten streaks of more than 100 games. North Carolina posted a 934-88-53 record under Dorrance, who began in the 1979 season.

BASKETBALL

WNBA: Los Angeles Sparks All-Star Dearica Hamby sued the WNBA and her former team in federal court Monday regarding her treatment from the Las Vegas Aces while pregnant.

Hamby’s lawsuit alleged the Aces discriminated and retaliated against her, leading to her January 2023 trade to the Sparks.

The Aces did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but the club and coach Becky Hammon previously refuted the allegations. Hammon said in May 2023 that Hamby was traded for strategic reasons, namely putting the club in position to sign likely future Hall of Famer Candace Parker.

CYCLING

WOMEN’S TOUR DE FRANCE: Dutch rider Charlotte Kool won a mass sprint on home soil in the opening stage of the women’s Tour de France on Monday at The Hague, Netherlands.

Kool will start Tuesday’s second stage in the leader’s yellow jersey after completing the 123 kilometers (76-mile) stage in two hours, 47 minutes and 40 seconds.

“It’s very special that everything fell into place,” she told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “This is the day I was hoping for.”

Anniina Ahtosalo of Finland was second and Elisa Balsamo of Italy finished third.

SOCCER

ALVAREZ LEAVES MAN CITY: Argentina striker Julian Alvarez joined Atletico Madrid from Manchester City in a deal reportedly worth more than $103 million on Monday, ending his trophy-laden two-year spell at the English champions.

City Manager Pep Guardiola said last week that Alvarez told him he wanted to leave for a new challenge. Alvarez left Argentine team River Plate in 2022 for $17.8 million and helped City win the Premier League in both seasons he was in England, as well as the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Club World Cup.