Sports briefs
In golf
American player Marissa Steen scored 1-under 72 to take a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the ISPS Handa World Invitational on the LPGA Tour on Friday.
Steen started what was a very gusty day at 2 under, made two bogeys and three birdies for her round of 72, and moved to the top of the leaderboard with a total of 3 under, ahead of Germany’s Esther Henseleit who shot a 71 at Castlerock.
Ryann O’Toole of the United States, Gabriella Cowley of England, Olivia Cowan of Germany, Kim Metraux of Switzerland were tied for third place at 1 under.
Sweden’s Maja Stark won the women’s title last year but was not in the field this week.
In the men’s competition, England’s Dan Brown has a six-shot lead at 11 under after his round of 66.
The parkland Galgorm Castle Golf Club and the links at Castlerock Golf Club are staging the tournament. Every men’s and women’s player plays one round at each venue over the first two days, before all the action takes place at Galgorm once the cut falls after 36 holes.
In basketball
A fast start was all that USA Basketball needed to remain unbeaten as it keeps moving closer to the World Cup.
Anthony Edwards scored 21 points, Cam Johnson added 13 and the U.S. never trailed Friday in a 108-86 win over Greece in a World Cup tune-up game for both teams.
Austin Reaves and Jaren Jackson Jr. each had 11 for the U.S., which improved to 4-0 in its five-game exhibition season before flying to the Philippines next week to start World Cup play. The Americans had all 12 players score, and Mikal Bridges and Bobby Portis each finished with 10 points.
Greece is playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA MVP for Milwaukee who is sidelined this summer while recovering from offseason knee surgery. Panagiotis Kalaitzakis and Nikos Rogkavopoulos each scored 12 for Greece. Thomas Walkup and Georgios Papagiannis added 11 apiece.
In tennis
Caty McNally, a runner-up in women’s doubles at the last two U.S. Opens, withdrew from the tournament Friday because of an elbow injury.
Roberto Bautista Agut also pulled out, the tournament announced.
McNally, from Cincinnati, missed her hometown Western & Southern Open this week because of her injury. She lost in the women’s doubles title match in Flushing Meadows in 2021 with Coco Gauff, then last year with Taylor Townsend.
Her withdrawal moved fellow American Madison Brengle into the main draw and left Townsend as the first player out.
Yosuke Watanuki of Japan took Bautista Agut’s spot in the main draw, which begins Aug. 28.
In soccer
Harry Kane said he had “a few butterflies” before his Bundesliga debut. They didn’t show.
The England captain scored one goal and set up another as Bayern Munich routed Werder Bremen 4-0 away in the opening game of the season on Friday.
Kane, who finally completed his protracted transfer from Tottenham last weekend, showed straight away why Bayern reportedly paid more than 100 million euros ($110 million) for the forward.
“There was a bit of nervous excitement to play the game,” Kane said. “New surroundings for me, extremely excited to get the season started with my new club and a massive club. So for sure there was a few butterflies. But as always, I feel once I get on the pitch, you know, instinct takes over and I just play my normal game.”
Kane needed only three minutes to set Leroy Sané free for the opener, before he finally beat Bremen’s Jirí Pavlenka with a low shot in the 74th. A Bremen defender’s studs deflected the shot slightly inside the left post.