Making his professional debut this week, 17-year-old Akshay Bhatia missed the cut Friday at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Rounds of 70-74 left Bhatia even par for the week, two off the projected cut line of 2 under par.

Bhatia announced earlier this year his intent to forego college and head straight to the play-for-pay ranks.

A member of the victorious U.S. Walker Cup team two weeks ago in his final event as an amateur, Bhatia was in the field this week at the Country Club of Jackson as a sponsor's exemption.

Speaking after his second round, Bhatia said he felt plenty comfortable in his first 36 holes as a pro. His only laments were that he didn't drive the ball better or take advantage of the par 5s.

Asked to grade his performance, he gave himself a "C," but was nonetheless optimistic about his pro prospects.

"Every time you play in a stage bigger than what you're used to, it's going to help you," he said. "I'll talk to my parents and manager and we'll get through it.

"Next week is a new week. I have another opportunity. Like I said, if I do what I need to do and drive it a little better, I can certainly perform out here. I know I can."

Bhatia has sponsor's exemptions into next week's Safeway Open in Napa and the following week's Shriners Hospitals for Children Open outside Las Vegas.

Thereafter, it'll be off to the second stage of Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School in Brooksville, Florida, in November.

"Like I said, I know I can compete out here. I shot under par in my first go-around as a pro," he said. "Just got to do what I need to do and say it with a smile."

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's football federation and Liga MX are set to crack down on the controversial goalkeeper chant that FIFA has ruled anti-gay, with clubs set to play behind closed doors if the chant continues and the FMF fearful of not making Qatar 2022 if it occurs regularly during World Cup qualifying.

The chant used by some fans at Mexico national team and Liga MX games -- as well as in other Latin American countries -- is aimed towards opposition goalkeepers as they are running up to take goal kicks. The Mexican federation has been fined on multiple occasions by FIFA because of it.

- World Cup 2022 qualifying: All you need to know

Liga MX president Enrique Bonilla said in a news conference on Friday that starting from Week 15 of the current 2019 Apertura season, the referee will be able to temporarily stop games if the chant is heard, take players back to the locker room for five to 10 minutes if it continues and force clubs to play their next home game behind closed doors if it doesn't stop.

During Weeks 11 through 14 of the season, there will be a series of informative and educational warnings about what will happen in the future if the goalkeeper chant, or any other discriminatory behavior, is heard inside the stadium.

"We're not in an emergency situation, but if we don't resolve it, we will have problems and we don't want that," Bonilla said. "That's why Liga MX and FMF will work in a proactive way."

The Mexican federation will join Liga MX's efforts to stamp out the chant, starting with the Oct. 15 CONCACAF Nations League match against Panama at Estadio Azteca.

This is the GK chant rule, per press release (sent after conference). This same procedure will be used for both Mexican national team and Liga MX games. For #eltrieng games it'll start to be enforced from the Oct. 15 game vs. Panama. In #ligamxeng from week 15 of the Apertura. pic.twitter.com/Nb7WBuMifI

— Tom Marshall (@mexicoworldcup) September 20, 2019

FIFA's "three-step procedure" will be implemented for national teams from the start of men's World Cup qualifying for Qatar 2022, with the referees able to first stop the match, then suspend it and eventually abandon it if the behavior continues. FIFA informed associations of the anti-discrimination measures on June 7.

"If we don't resolve this problem before the World Cup qualifiers for Qatar 2022, we'd be putting ourselves at risk of being punished by point deductions and in the worst-case scenario missing out on the World Cup," federation president Yon de Luisa said. "But we are convinced, as an industry, that we can't miss out on a competition, especially a World Cup, for something off the field."

The chant was largely stopped at the 2018 World Cup in Russia following an educational campaign by the Mexican federation and players. Fans caught shouting the chant were warned they would have their Fan IDs confiscated, which would have prevented them from entering the stadiums in Russia.

Liga MX's "three-step procedure" differs slightly to that of FIFA. Liga MX isn't going to suspend games but instead will play the subsequent home match for the offending team behind closed doors.

Bonilla stressed that it isn't only the term used in the goalkeeper chant that will need to be curbed, but "any expression against diversity."

FIFA has recommended the Fare network's Global Guide to Discriminatory Practices in Football as a "useful aid to identifying discriminatory behavior." It defines the goalkeeper chant as "a homophobic chant usually directed at the opposition goalkeeper when he is taking a goal kick."

The governing body "urges" all associations, leagues, clubs and disciplinary bodies to adopt its Anti-Discrimination Monitoring system, according to what a FIFA spokesperson told ESPN last June.

Kansas is expected to receive a notice of allegations from the NCAA regarding alleged recruiting violations that surfaced during a federal criminal trial last year, according to the Kansas City Star.

The latest development was expected after NCAA executive vice president Stan Wilcox said earlier this summer that at least six schools would receive notices of allegations, which are expected to include Level I allegations -- the most serious under NCAA rules.

It is unclear whether Jayhawks coach Bill Self will be charged with a coach control violation, which could result in his suspension for as long as one season.

Self, 56, has guided Kansas to at least a share of 14 consecutive Big 12 regular-season titles, three NCAA Final Four appearances and the 2008 NCAA championship. He was president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 2017-18.

Earlier this month, former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola was sentenced to probation and fined for his role in pay-for-play schemes to steer recruits to Kansas and other Adidas-sponsored schools.

During closing arguments in a federal criminal case in New York in October, an attorney for former Adidas executive James Gatto told a jury that his client approved a $20,000 payment to current Kansas player Silvio De Sousa's guardian only after Self and Jayhawks assistant Kurtis Townsend requested the payment through Gassnola.

"The evidence, I submit, shows that Kansas' head coach knew of and asked for a payment to be made to Silvio De Sousa's handler," attorney Michael Schachter told the jury. "More than that, Coach Self requested just the kind of help that Mr. Gassnola arranged as a condition for Coach Self to permit Adidas to continue their sponsorship agreement with the University of Kansas."

Gatto, former Adidas consultant Merl Code and aspiring business manager Christian Dawkins were found guilty on felony charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Gatto, Code and Dawkins were accused of paying money from Adidas to the families of recruits to ensure they signed with Adidas-sponsored schools, and then with the sneaker company and certain financial planners and agents once they turned pro.

Gatto was accused of working with Gassnola to facilitate $90,000 from Adidas to former Jayhawks recruit Billy Preston's mother and agreeing to pay $20,000 to Fenny Falmagne, De Sousa's guardian, to help him "get out from under" a pay-for-play scheme to attend Maryland, which is sponsored by Under Armour.

On Sept. 19, 2017, three days before Kansas announced a 14-year, $196 million contract extension with Adidas, Gassnola texted Self and thanked him for helping the sponsorship deal get done.

Self responded: "I'm happy with Adidas. Just got to get a couple real guys."

Gassnola replied: "In my mind, it's KU, bill self. Everyone else fall into line. Too [expletive] bad. That's what's right for Adidas basketball. And I know I am RIGHT. The more you win, have lottery pics [sic] and you happy. That's how it should work in my mind." Self responded: "That's how ur works. At UNC and Duke." Gassnola replied at Kentucky as well.

"I promise you I got this," Gassnola wrote. "I have never let you down. Except Dyondre lol. We will get it right."

When Schachter asked Gassnola if "Dyondre" was a reference to former Arizona player Deandre Ayton, Gassnola replied, "It is."

Gassnola, a former youth basketball director from Springfield, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in April 2018 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in the alleged pay-for-play schemes. He testified during the October trial as part of his cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors.

During testimony at the trial, text messages between Gassnola, Self and Townsend presented by defense attorneys indicated the coaches were at least aware of Gassnola's involvement in the Jayhawks' recruitment of De Sousa, a native of Angola.

On Aug. 9, 2017, Townsend texted Gassnola and wrote, "Coach Self just talked to Fenny let me know how it goes."

A few hours later, Gassnola texted Self: "Hall of Fame. When you have 5 minutes and your [sic] alone call me."

Later that night, after Self hadn't responded, Gassnola texted him again: "I talked with Fenny."

"We good?" Self asked.

"Always," Gassnola replied. "That's [sic] was light work. Ball is in his court now."

According to cellphone records introduced into evidence, Gassnola and Self had a 5-minute, 6-second phone call later that night. Gassnola testified that he didn't recall what the men talked about. His phone was not being monitored via FBI wiretaps at the time.

"Coach Self and Coach Townsend asked for Adidas' help in making this payment to Fenny," Schachter told the jury in October. "And then Coach Self wanted to know if Adidas told Fenny that the payment would be made, and then the ball is in his court."

On Aug. 26, 2017, Townsend forwarded Gassnola a text message that he said he'd received from Falmagne: "Coach has been on the phone with Angola. We are good to go. We will commit tomorrow."

De Sousa, who attended IMG Academy, committed to Kansas four days later. Self called Gatto the next day, but their conversation wasn't recorded by FBI wiretaps because of a technical issue, according to federal prosecutors.

The NCAA suspended De Sousa for two seasons; he won an appeal and is eligible to play in 2019-20.

Also during the October trial, one of Code's attorneys, Mark Moore, attempted to introduce wiretap recordings, in which Code and Townsend discussed what it would take for top recruit Zion Williamson to sign with the Jayhawks. Williamson played one season at Duke and was the No. 1 pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in June's NBA draft.

According to a transcript of the call, which Moore read in court, Townsend told Code, "Hey, but between me and you, you know, [Williamson's stepfather Lee Anderson] asked about some stuff. You know? And I said, 'Well, we'll talk about that after you decide.'

"And then Mr. Code says: 'I know what he's asking for,'" Moore continued. "... 'He's asking for opportunities from an occupational prospective. He's asking for money in the pocket. And he's asking for housing for him and the family.'

"And they go on to talk. And Mr. Townsend says: 'So I've got to just try to work and figure out a way. Because if that's what it takes to get him for 10 months, we're going to have to do it some way.'"

Kansas would be the second school to receive an NCAA notice of allegations in the wake of the federal government's investigation into bribes and other corruption in college basketball. In July, the NCAA charged NC State with two Level I violations, including a failure-to-monitor charge against former coach Mark Gottfried, who has since been hired at Cal State Northridge.

Former Wolfpack assistant Orlando Early also is accused of helping facilitate a $40,000 payment from Gassnola to former NC State star player Dennis Smith Jr.'s family in October 2015.

Sources have told ESPN that the NCAA is actively investigating Arizona, Auburn, Creighton, Louisville, LSU and USC.

Vince Carter, the NBA's oldest player, will return for a record 22nd season, the Atlanta Hawks announced on Friday.

The Hawks are bringing the 42-year-old, eight-time All-Star back for a second season. Last season, he averaged 7.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 76 games and 17 minutes per game for the rebuilding Hawks.

If Carter sticks with the team through the new year, he will be the first player in NBA history to appear in a game in four different decades, according to Elias Sports Bureau research.

Carter announced in August that 2019-2020 will be his final season.

The Hawks are Carter's eighth team. The one-time Rookie of the Year and 2000 Slam Dunk champ has scored 25,430 total points over seasons with the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings.

Over 1,481 games, Carter has career averages of 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.7 minutes.

STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. – Stafford Speedway has named long time car owner and retired competitor Eric Sanderson as the Grand Marshal of the 47th annual NAPA Fall Final.

The NAPA Fall Final is set for Sept. 28-29 and Sanderson will close out the Stafford Speedway season with the command to fire engines for the 150 lap event for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

Sanderson’s racing roots date back to the days of the All-American Sportsman division at Stafford in the early 1970’s.  Sanderson got started as a car owner for Warren Bren’s No. 66 car before taking the wheel himself in the No. 89 car for the 1972 and 1973 seasons.  Sanderson then moved up to Stafford’s modified division behind the wheel of the #43 owned by Ken DePeau in 1974 before stepping down as a driver and becoming a crew member with Everett Manning.

“I got started at Stafford as a car owner for Warren Bren in the All-American Sportsman 6-cylinder division before I drove for a couple of years,” said Sanderson.  “I drove a modified for one season in 1974 and I remember the first time I got behind the wheel of the modified I thought, ‘wow, this car is pretty fast’, and then Bugsy Stevens blew by me like I was standing still.  Everett Manning was my crew chief for the modified and after I stopped driving I started helping him.  We built a Sportsman car for him that became a modified and Everett went on to drive in the SK Modified division.  I had a lot of fun working together with Everett.  It’s is a huge honor for me to be the Grand Marshal of the Fall Final and it caught me by surprise when Mark Arute asked me.  It’s the first time I’ve ever been asked to give the command and I’m really looking forward to it.”

In 1995 Sanderson debuted the No. 16 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour car with Chris Kopec behind the wheel. The No. 16 has since been a staple of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour for over 24 years.  Sanderson is a two-time championship winning car owner, taking the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship with Mike Stefanik in 2006 and Ryan Preece in 2013.

“I was helping Chris Kopec out at Riverside with tires and that’s how we came up with the name Flamingo Motorsports,” said Sanderson.  “Chris asked me what I wanted to put on the side of the car and I told him let’s make it Flamingo Motorsports out of Orlando, Fla.  We had a lot of fun with that, people actually thought we raced flamingos in Orlando.  We ran part time on the Tour in 1995 and we’ve been full-time on the Tour since 1996,” said Sanderson.  “We’ve had Chris, Rob Summers, Mike Stefanik, Ryan Preece, and now Timmy Solomito driving the car.  My best memory in racing was winning our first race with Chris at Holland Speedway in 1999 and then winning our first championship with Mike in 2006.  We also won the last Modified Tour race that was held at Martinsville in 2009 with Mike driving the car and I still have that grandfather clock in my office.  People have often asked me when I’m going to move up to another division but I love the modifieds and that’s where I want to race.”

In addition to serving as the Grand Marshal of the NAPA Fall Final, Sanderson will be looking to take home his fourth career NAPA Fall Final trophy as a car owner.  Sanderson won the Fall Final in 2007 and 2008 with Stefanik as well as the 2014 Fall Final with Ryan Preece.

“Having Timmy [Solomito] win the race would be the icing on the cake and make the day for me,” said Sanderson.  “We’ve won the Fall Final 3 times before with Mike and Ryan and we’d love to make it four wins with Timmy.”

Sanderson is the owner of Sanderson-MacLeod and Flamingo Motorsports, both located in Palmer, Mass.  Sanderson-MacLeod designs, manufactures, and supplies twisted wire brushes while Flamingo Motorsports is your one-stop shop for Motorcycles, ATVs, Side x Sides, Snowmobiles, Dirt Bikes and Jet Skis.

“My father started Sanderson-MacLeod in 1957 and I bought the business after he passed away in 1985,” said Sanderson.  “We make all kinds of brushes.  Mascara applicators are number one for us but we also do a lot of brushes for medical device cleaners and internal medicine and we also make gun brushes.  We started Flamingo Motorsports as Flamingo Racing just to go racing with Chris Kopec and we sold speed parts.  We decided we wanted to start to do something for winter so we began to sell snowmobiles and now we’re a full-line dealer selling Kawasaki, Can-Am, Ski-Doo, and Sea-Doo.”

BARRE, Vt. – The 57th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank is rapidly drawing closer on the racing calendar.

Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl’s season finale on Sept. 28-29 will be the biggest stock car racing weekend of the year in Vermont, with drivers coming from far and wide to try and land the guaranteed $10,000 top prize and a date with the famed Milk Bowl beauty queen.

This year’s entry list already spans from Quebec to Iowa with even more names expected to be added by race day. However, a large local contingent will also be on hand, and the Thunder Road regulars are feeling optimistic about their chances against both the American-Canadian Tour and national invaders.

“The Milk Bowl is certainly one of the toughest challenges we get to face,” said competitor Kyle Pembroke. “Luckily, we’ve had a lot of chances to work on the car and get it ready here at Thunder Road – more so than some of the guests. I definitely feel that being a local is a pretty strong advantage for this race. We’ve done our fair share of 50-lappers, so it’s just about turning a fast lap (in time trials) and then seeing where the cards fall.”

In recent years, the Vermont Milk Bowl has definitively favored the locals. Seven of the last eight overall winners hail from the state of Vermont. Six of those drivers raced weekly at Thunder Road in the season they won the Milk Bowl. The combination of more laps on the track and more time with short-distance racing has clearly given them the edge for the event’s inventive format of three 50-lap segments.

“Just having the experience of racing (at Thunder Road) all year long is a big deal,” said Vermont native Tyler Cahoon. “Anybody that can put a lot of laps in at one track is bound to be good at that particular track when the outsiders come in. That being said, there are a lot of good outsiders, too, and they can figure out what their car needs on any given day and any type of track conditions. But I think experience plays the upper hand when it comes to Thunder Road…the 50-lap sprints definitely make for some tough, hard racing, but that’s what the Milk Bowl is all about.”

The top Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model racers who made Thunder Road their home this past summer have already entered the 57th Vermont Milk Bowl. This includes the top four in the track point standings heading into this Sunday’s Barre Granite Ass’n Championship Day: two-time defending Milk Bowl winner Jason Corliss, former Vermont Governor’s Cup winner Trampas Demers, reigning King of the Road Scott Dragon and Midseason Championship winner Pembroke.

Other locals who will roll into the pits next Saturday include former Memorial Day Classic winner Cahoon, Thunder Road track record holder Marcel J. Gravel, multi-time winner Jim Morris, and ACT Late Model Tour regular Christopher Pelkey. All of them are aiming to add their name to a winner’s roll that includes Robbie Crouch, Harold Hanaford, Butch Lindley, Jean-Paul Cabana, Randy LaJoie, and other legends of Northeast and national stock car racing.

“This event is definitely number one on my list,” Pembroke said. “I’ve been watching it since I can remember – my cousin (Dave Pembroke), Phil Scott, Patrick Laperle, and some of these big names that have been going after it for years. Just to be even interviewed for this race is special. This is something I’ve thought a lot about and have really been pulling for ever since I got into this sport.”

“To win the Milk Bowl and have my name up amongst the greats would be awesome,” Cahoon added. “But I think you never truly know what it means until you actually win one – especially your first one, for those who have been successful enough to win multiple Milk Bowls. We’ll see what happens. I’m sure I’ll be able to explain it great if I win.”

The locals will have to contend with a who’s-who of late model racing. Former Milk Bowl winners Patrick Laperle, Joey Polewarczyk Jr., John Donahue, and Brent Dragon have entered the field, as have ACT Late Model Tour stars Scott Payea, Jimmy Hebert, and Stephen Donahue. Super Late Model star Bubba Pollard is making his first trip to Thunder Road from Senoia, Ga., while former ARCA Racing Series Champion Mason Mitchell of West Des Moines, Iowa, will make his second Milk Bowl attempt. Brooks Clark, Alexendre Tardif, Joel Hodgdon, and many others from around the region have also submitted their entries.

Vermont Milk Bowl Weekend begins on Sept. 28 at 3 p.m. with Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day. The afternoon features time trials and 50-lap qualifying races for the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models to help set the Milk Bowl starting field along with the Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models. The 57th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank is set for Sunday, September 29 with the Last Chance B Feature at 12:15 p.m. and opening ceremonies at 1 p.m.

The weekend also includes Mini Milk Bowls for the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors, and 7-Eleven Dwarf Cars.

VIRGINIA WATER, England – Earlier this week, Rory McIlroy admitted it was a struggle to get off the sofa following his FedExCup winning performance three weeks ago at the Tour Championship. That there would be a metaphorical hangover shouldn’t be a surprise.

After struggling on Day 1 at the BMW PGA Championship with a 76, the Northern Irishman spent much of Friday scrambling to make the cut in the European Tour’s flagship event. 

McIlroy moved just inside the cut line with a birdie at No. 16 and scrambled for pars at Nos. 17 and 18, both par 5s, to secure his spot this weekend at Wentworth.

“I haven't really done much for the last couple weeks, and then my alignment got off a little bit and the more my alignment gets off, then the more the club drops underneath the plane for me, and then the bigger the misses are each way,” said McIlroy, who shot a second-round 69 and was tied for 57th.

McIlroy said he spent about two hours on the range after his round Thursday and added an extended warm up to his routine on Day 2 in an attempt to turn his game around.

“I worked a good bit on that yesterday and felt like I made some good strides, but it's obviously different trying to do it on the range than trying to do it on the golf course,” said McIlroy, who won this event in 2014. “A little bit of work to be done over the weekend, but I'm just glad that I'm here for it.”

Nelly Korda built a big lead lead Friday at the Lacoste Ladies French Open in a bid to win her first LET title.

The American went low in the second round, posting a 7-under-par 64 at Golf du Medoc near Bourdeaux. She is at 10 under overall, six shots ahead of Spain’s Azahara Munoz (72), England’s Charlotte Thompson (70) and France’s Joanna Klatten (70).

France’s Celine Boutier (69) is among four players who are seven shots back.

Korda, 21, was undefeated in her matches at the Solheim Cup in Scotland last week, going 3-0-1 in the American loss to Europe. She’s a two-time LPGA winner and the highest ranked player in the world in the Ladies French Open at No. 10 in the Rolex rankings. 

“There’s still a lot of golf to be played, but I played really well today,” Korda said. “I started off hot on the front nine . . . I ended with a nice eagle.”