Gabi Ruffels, the reigning U.S. Women's Amateur champion, is one of five amateurs invited to compete in the LPGA's first major of the season, the ANA Inspiration.

Ruffels, a junior at the University of Southern California, is also the North and South Amateur champion. She is joined in the field by:

*Rose Zhang, the No. 1-ranked player on the Rolex AJGA rankings and winner of the 2018 ANA Junior Inspiration.

*Kaitlyn Papp, a junior at the University of Texas and ranked 14th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

*Olivia Meheffey, a three-time All-American senior at Arizona State.

*Angela Ye, a Stanford freshman who won the 2019 U.S. Girls' Junior and is a member of the Chinese national golf team.

The final amateur spot will go to the winner of this year's ANA Junior Inspiration, a 54-hole, AJGA-sanctioned event that takes place the week prior to the ANA. The LPGA's first of five major championships contested this year will take place April 2-5 at Mission Hills Country Club in Racho Mirage, California.

Past amateur invites to this event include Michelle Wie, Georgia Hall, Lydia Ko, Angel Yin, Minjee Lee, Brooke Henderson, Su Oh and Nelly Korda.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are finalizing a deal for the leading rebounder in the league, Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons, sources tell ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Drummond is a two-time All-Star but has an opt-out for next season in his contract. The Pistons had been shopping him believing he would become a free agent and they would lose him.

Drummond, 26, is averaging a career-best 17.8 points to go with his 15.8 rebounds per game. He has led the league in rebounding three previous seasons.

He was the ninth overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Pistons.

The Golden State Warriors have agreed to trade D'Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal that includes Andrew Wiggins, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Warriors also get a 2021 protected first-round draft pick and a 2021 second-round pick and will send Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman to the Timberwolves.

The 2021 pick is top-three protected. If it falls in the top three, it conveys to 2022 and is unprotected.

The Wolves have been looking for a point guard to pair with Karl-Anthony Towns, and they get Russell, who was taken second in the 2015 draft, right behind Towns.

Russell is averaging a career-high 23.6 points per game in his first season in Golden State after he was acquired from Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant deal last July.

Wiggins has spent his entire six-year career in Minnesota. He was the first overall pick of the Cavaliers in 2014 but was part of a blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland.

Wiggins is averaging 22.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

Russell, 23, has three years left on the $117 million max contract he signed as part of the sign-and-trade between Brooklyn and Golden State.

Wiggins, 24, is in the second year of a five-year, $14.8 million contract.

Minnesota has been busy leading up to Thursday's NBA trade deadline. The Timberwolves were part of the four-team, 12-player deal that saw them ship Robert Covington to Houston. They received a first-round pick, Atlanta's Evan Turner and Denver's Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and Juan Hernangomez, sources told ESPN.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred says talks have ended over the proposed sale of a controlling share of the New York Mets from the families of Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz to hedge fund manager Steven Cohen.

The Mets said on Dec. 4 that the contemplated deal between Sterling Partners and Cohen would allow 83-year-old Fred Wilpon to remain as controlling owner and chief executive officer for five years.

"There is not going to be a transaction," Manfred said at the end of an owners meeting. "I can tell you, and it's based on conversations with the buyer and the seller on an ongoing basis, the assertion that the transaction fell apart because of something the Wilpons did is completely and utterly unfair."

Cohen bought an 8% limited partnership stake in 2012 for $40 million. The deal under discussion would have seen him acquire an 80% controlling share in a transaction that values the team at $2.6 billion.

Wilpon repeatedly declined comment at the MLB meetings this week.

Cohen, 63, first bought into the Mets in 2012 when the team sought $20 million minority investment stakes following the collapse of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme, which cost the Wilpons and their companies large amounts of money.

Cohen is CEO and president of Point72 Asset Management.

Cohen controlled SAC Capital Advisors, which in 2013 pleaded guilty to criminal fraud charges. SAC agreed to pay a $900 million fine and forfeit another $900 million to the federal government, though $616 million that SAC companies had already agreed to pay to settle parallel actions by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was to be deducted from the $1.8 billion.

Doubleday & Co., a publisher, bought the Mets in 1980 from the family of founding owner Joan Payson for $21.1 million, with the company owning 95% of the team and Wilpon controlling 5%.

When Doubleday & Co. was sold to the media company Bertelsmann AG in 1986, the publisher sold its shares of the team for $80.75 million to Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday, who became 50-50 owners.

Wilpon led a buyout of Doubleday's shares in August 2002 and became chairman and sole controlling owner. Saul Katz, the owner's brother-in-law and partner in the real estate firm Sterling Equities Inc., became team president, and Jeff Wilpon, Fred's son, became COO.

PHOENIX -- The Minnesota Twins beat pitcher Jose Berrios in salary arbitration, giving teams a 2-0 record in hearings this year.

Berrios will be paid $4,025,000 rather than his request for $4.4 million. The decision was made Thursday by Fredric Horowitz, Andrew Strongin and Margaret Brogan, who heard the case a day earlier.

Berrios, 25, made $620,000 last year and was eligible for arbitration for the first time. The right-hander was 14-8 with a 3.68 ERA in 32 starts last year for the AL Central champions, striking out 195 and walking 51. He started the division series opener against the New York Yankees and did not get a decision, allowing three runs -- one earned -- in four innings.

Atlanta Braves reliever Shane Greene lost Wednesday and will be paid $6.25 million instead of his request for $6.75 million.

Stars head for Cincinatti
By ELLIE MAWSON – Squash Mad Correspondent

USA’s World No.8 Amanda Sobhy and England’s World No.7 Sarah-Jane Perry have been drawn to meet each other in the final of the Gaynor Cup after the main draw for the PSA World Tour Bronze event was released today.

The event, which is now in its fourth edition and has seen total prize money grow to $51,250, will take place between February 20-24 in Cincinnati with Sobhy headlining the draw on home turf.

The top eight seeds all receive a bye into the second round, where the American No.1 will face either Canada’s Nicole Bunyan or Latvia’s Ineta Mackevica.

Seeded in the top half of the draw along with Sobhy are Egypt’s World No.10 and last season’s champion Hania El Hammamy, Belgium’s World No.18 Nele Gilis and Egypt’s World No.20 Rowan Elaraby.

At the opposite end of the draw is English No.1 Perry, who will come up against either Egypt’s Mayar Hany or Australia’s Sarah Cardwell in round two.

Standing in her way to the final are Egypt’s World No.13 Salma Hany, USA’s World No.17 Olivia Blatchford Clyne and Belgium’s World No.21 Tinne Gilis.

Blatchford Clyne is the other home player in action and she also receives a bye into the second round, where she will face either Egypt’s Salma Youssef or Malaysia’s Low Wee Wern for a place in the quarter finals.

PSA Bronze $51,250 Gaynor Cup, Cincinnati Country Club, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, February 20-24.

First Round Draw:
[1] Amanda Sobhy (USA) [Bye]
Nicole Bunyan (CAN) v Ineta Mackevica (LAT)
Menna Nasser (EGY) v Jessica Turnbull (AUS)
[6] Nele Gilis (BEL) [Bye]
[7] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) [Bye]
Sunayna Kuruvilla (IND) v Nada Abbas (EGY)
Emilia Soini (FIN) v [WC] Weenee Low (MAS)
[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) [Bye]
[4] Salma Hany (EGY) [Bye]
Nikki Todd (CAN) v Jasmine Hutton (ENG)
Enora Villard (FRA) v Cindy Merlo (SUI)
[8] Tinne Gilis (BEL) [Bye]
[5] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA) [Bye]
Salma Youssef (EGY) v Low Wee Wern (MAS)
Mayar Hany (EGY) v Sarah Cardwell (AUS)
[2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [Bye]  

Picture courtesy of PSA

INDIANAPOLIS – McLaren Racing has announced that Automation Anywhere has extended its partnership to include the NTT IndyCar Series with the Arrow McLaren SP team.

As part of the partnership, Automation Anywhere, a leader in intelligent automation, will work closely with Arrow McLaren SP to drive performance at the race track through workflow and analysis of racing data, to improve race strategy and team operations.

In December, McLaren Racing and Automation Anywhere, announced a Formula One partnership that will integrate artificially intelligent software robots into the team’s race operations.

“We are delighted to welcome Automation Anywhere to the team and to start our technology partnership from this season,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. As a current partner of the McLaren Racing Formula One team, we are already aware of Automation Anywhere’ s innovative spirit and ability to help drive performance. We look forward to continuing to see this partnership grow with implementation into Arrow McLaren SP as we take on the 2020 season and beyond.”

“This partnership is an exciting step for the Arrow McLaren SP team,” said Sam Schmidt, co-owner of Arrow McLaren SP. “Automation Anywhere and Arrow McLaren SP are both driven by technology and performance making this partnership a natural fit. We are eager to get started and look forward to working together from the 2020 season.”

Fantasy recently became reality as NTT IndyCar Series star Alexander Rossi, action sports legend Travis Pastrana and freestyle motocross rider Gregg Duffy got the keys to the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and turned the facility into a winter wonderland of speed, ground and high-velocity aerial tricks.

In the video, 2016 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Rossi, X Games and American motocross and rally legend Pastrana and Nitro Circus freestyle motocross star Duffy contact “their guy” for the keys to IMS so they can play for hours inside the facility on a frigid winter day. The only limit is their imagination.

Once through the gates at the hallowed Racing Capital of the World, the trio lets it rip on snow and ice around the facility. Rossi gets sideways on asphalt in his Andretti Autosport NTT IndyCar Series car, Pastrana drifts on pavement and on The Dirt Track at IMS in his rally car, while Duffy slides and carves his dirt bike through many unexpected locations around the property, including the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course.

Manchester United are facing disappointment in their attempts to join the race for Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez, sources have told ESPN, with the 22-year-old striker making it clear that he favours a summer move to Barcelona.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who failed to persuade Erling Haaland to reject Borussia Dortmund for Old Trafford following his exit from FC Salzburg last month, wants to add at least one striker to his squad during the summer window, with Argentina forward Martinez emerging as a top target.

The 22-year-old striker, who established himself in the Argentina squad alongside Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero, has become one of the most sought after young strikers in Europe since arriving at Inter from Racing Club for £20 million in 2018.

United's scouting team believe he fits the profile of being able to develop and realise his potential at Old Trafford. But Solskjaer's side face serious competition for Martinez, nicknamed 'The Bull,' with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City all monitoring the player, who has a €111m release clause in his Inter contract.

United have been told that Barcelona are favourites to land Martinez at the end of the season due to the forward's preference for a move to the Camp Nou in order to play alongside international teammate Messi at club level.

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United are already preparing to take Alexis Sanchez back to Old Trafford this summer following his season-long loan at Inter.

And they could yet complete a permanent deal for Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo following his six-month loan switch from Chinese club Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.

In a major change to the existing policy governing participation in T20 and other leagues across the world, Pakistan's cricketers will now be allowed to play four leagues, including the PSL, in a year. Permission to play in other leagues is contingent on a number of factors, including taking part in the national one-day cup and the T20 cup.

The earlier policy, which was introduced in 2018, had restricted player participation in several leagues, but the PCB has undertaken a review of the policy for the first time. The PCB took the board of governors into confidence to approve the new NOC guidelines for all national and domestic cricketers, in a move that is likely to prove beneficial to players who had otherwise suffered major financial blows in the last two years due to the inconsistency of the policy for featuring in foreign leagues.

Pakistan's players are already among the lowest-paid professionals in world cricket, and aren't allowed to take part in the IPL. The old policy had added to the uncertainty, with players often given NOCs for an entire tournament, only to be pulled out by the PCB midway to return home and either join national camps or undergo fitness tests. That sparked frustration and discontent among the leading white-ball cricketers and emboldened them to revolt against PCB's restrictive participation policy on foreign leagues.

A meeting of several high profile players with PCB chief executive Wasim Khan averted the threat of a players' revolt last year when PCB had revoked NOCs for the T10 league in Abu Dhabi. Khan, however, promised to review the policy and arrive at a lasting amicable solution.

ESPNcricinfo understands that henceforth, the policy to issue an NOC will be more thorough than before, and will be based on the player's prospects for national selection, fitness and fulfilling the domestic commitments. Once NOC is handed out, it won't be revoked. The aim is to maintain a balance between players taking part in national tournaments and their workload, while also ensuring that players don't face financial losses during a period when they are not playing any domestic cricket, particularly for the white-ball specialists.

"The Board of Governors approved the No Objection Certificate guidelines for cricketers," PCB said after its first-ever meeting in Peshawar this week. "Amongst other guidelines, the policy allows centrally contracted players to seek clearance for up to a maximum of three ICC-approved foreign leagues, excluding the HBL Pakistan Super League, as long they don't coincide with the PCB-organised events and player workloads and fitness regimes are properly managed. The CEO shall have a final approval right. Further details on the NOC policy will be announced in due course."

When Mickey Arthur was the Pakistan coach, a number of centrally contracted players featured in the world's major T20 leagues, apart from the IPL. This meant the national coaches and selectors raised concerns about fitness and the risk of injuries due to the added workload. Those concerns came to a head in 2018 with Arthur pushing for higher fitness standards across the board. The worry was that players hadn't maintained fitness standards while travelling around the world, and they had also missed their domestic tournaments. That led to the PCB formulating a strict policy. However, the policy had lacked clarity since its inception.

This time around, Misbah-ul-Haq - who took over from Arthur as head coach and also holds the additional role of chief selectors - will have a major role in the process of issuing NOCs. While Khan has the final right of approval, the entire process will depend on Misbah's planning for each player. He is also working on forming a national selection policy with the help of selection committee convener Nadeem Khan and all the head coaches of the six provincial teams - who are acting as national selectors. Misbah had presented his plan and briefed the Board of Governors since he took over the reins of the national team, and informed the Board about his future plans and selection criteria.

"The interaction with the board of governors was a wide-ranging one, which I found positive and supportive. They asked all the relevant questions and provided some constructive advice," Misbah said. "I am satisfied with the progress the team is making, though I acknowledge a lot of work still needs to be done. Having said that, we are now a different group as compared to what we were when we started.

"In the past five months, we have significantly improved our fitness levels and the players are also gaining confidence as they are now performing consistently at the international level."