PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark played bogey-free Saturday for a 6-under 66 and shared the lead with PGA Tour rookie Sam Stevens in the Corales Puntacana Championship.

Stevens twice had the lead down the stretch on the Corales course until a wobbly finish, making bogey on the 16th, answering with a birdie on the par-3 17th and then missing the 18th green for a closing bogey and a 68.

They were at 14-under 202, one shot ahead of a large group that included 36-hole leader Matt Wallace of England, Thomas Detry of Belgium and Tyler Duncan, who won his only Tour title at Sea Island in 2019.

“Sixteen, I kind of misjudged the wind and sliced it and made a bogey there. Then 18, I just hit a bad iron shot,” Stevens said. “That was my worst swing of the day. I felt pretty good about everything else.”

All of them had to deal with a relentless wind, which was particularly strong during the closing holes that likely will decide the tournament on Sunday.

Hojgaard, the 22-year-old twin of Rasmus Hojgaard, is a two-time winner on the DP World Tour who is playing on a sponsor exemption. The more it blows, the better he feels.

“In Denmark, it’s quite windy all the time, so I’m used to wind, but it’s still more windy here than it is normally,” he said. “Feeling comfortable. As soon as you hit a couple shots where the ball does exactly what you want it to do and then you just go from there. It’s about using the wind as your friend instead of fighting it all the time.”

Hojgaard missed only one green.

Detry, who had a 65, appears to have an affinity for resort ocean courses. He nearly won in Bermuda last fall, finishing one shot behind Seamus Power.

Detry is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 82, though a victory would not be enough for him to crack the top 50 and get into the Masters. And because Punta Cana is an opposite-field event, winning will not get him to Augusta National.

“I’ve been in this position a couple times and I’m not really thinking about the win,” Detry said. “I’m just going to try and enjoy tomorrow, play like I did today really. Then you never know what can happen. I don’t really have any expectations, I’m just going to try to enjoy tomorrow and play like I’ve been playing the last three days.”

For Hojgaard, a win would gain him a two-year exemption on the Tour. He currently is No. 28 in the Race to Dubai points list in Europe. The leading 10 players not already exempt have access to PGA Tour membership this year.

Wyndham Clark had a 69 and joined the group at 13-under 203. Wallace had a double bogey on his third hole and recovered to salvage a 70, leaving him in good shape going to Sunday.

AUSTIN, Texas – As swansongs go, this is about as fitting as anyone with the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play could have hoped for.

With two of the top four seeded players, Jon Rahm and Patrick Cantlay, headed home before the quarterfinals and a finicky format, the final Match Play could have been a real dud.

Consider that this event gave the golf world Jeff Maggert, Andrew Magee, John Huston and Steve Pate for the final four in its first edition in 1999. With a monsoon of respect for all four players, they were the 24^th, 50^th, 27^th and 61^st seeded players that week, respectively, at La Costa Resort in southern California.

By comparison, Sunday’s dance card at Austin Country Club is filthy with potential with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 3 Rory McIlroy headlining the semifinal bouts.

McIlroy’s play has been particularly inspiring this week thanks to a high-profile switch to a shorter shaft in his driver, which produced the week’s most-talked-about shot when he hit his drive to 4 feet on the par-4 18^th hole Thursday for a walk-off victory. But if his driver is responsible for an avalanche of social media buzz, it was his putter that delivered his spot in the final four.

In a match against Xander Schauffele that included nine lead changes, McIlroy rolled in clutch putts of 8 feet (par) at No. 11, 20 feet (birdie) at No. 15 and 12 feet (birdie) at No. 18 to close out the match.

“If you would have told me that I’d make 17 birdies [in two matches] today and still get to the 18^th hole twice I’m not sure I would have believed you,” McIlroy smiled.

It’s a testament to the level of play he faced that both of McIlroy’s knockout matches went the distance. In the morning bout it was Lucas Herbert, who was 6 under par and pushed the Northern Irishman with birdies at two of his final three holes. Schauffele was also 6 under and held the lead late into the match.

“It was a great match,” Schauffele said. “I felt like I definitely had the better of him. I had looks where he didn't and he made putts when I was just kind of waiting around. He played well. Made a lot of those pressure 5- to 8-footers that he needed to all day.”

Scheffler, this week’s defending champion, was just as dynamic on Saturday. He closed his morning match against J.T. Poston early with birdies at three of his final four holes and went five (birdies) of six to close out his matinée against Jason Day, 2 and 1, and advance to the semifinals for the third time in four starts at the Match Play.

“I had a really good back nine. When you get 3 down, that's what you've got to do. Very proud of that effort there on the back nine and my finish,” Scheffler said.

Scheffler, the runaway crowd favorite after having played his college golf at the University of Texas, will face Sam Burns in the final four. Although the world No. 1 should have the advantage, the last time the two went head-to-head in Texas it didn’t go Scheffler’s way.

At last year’s Charles Schwab Challenge, Burns began the final round seven shots off the lead but closed with a 65 and beat Scheffler on the first playoff hole. The two promptly attended the same wedding after that showdown and are regular practice round partners. They’re also wildly competitive both on and off the course.

“I've been taking him on my team in pickleball recently. Usually when he gets on the other team I'll beat him pretty handy in that one, so pickleball for me is not much of a challenge,” Scheffler laughed. “The match tomorrow is going to be a lot harder than me beating him in pickleball.”

McIlroy will play Cameron Young in the other semifinal, and given the randomness of match play a Rory vs. Scottie final is far from preordained. The idea that the top-seeded players are destined to play each other is very much a misnomer – much like Lake Austin, which is, in fact, not a lake at all, it’s the Colorado River.

But after five rounds the stars are clearly aligned and McIlroy, the 2015 Match Play champion, understands the significance at the final WGC-Match Play.

“Winning the Match Play is always a massive accomplishment because of what you have to go through,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, maybe a higher sense of satisfaction when you get through on Sunday night and you're able to win. I feel like it's maybe just more of an achievement mentally to do it rather than just winning a four-round stroke-play event.”

AUSTIN, Texas – Jason Day was 3 up through seven holes in his match against Scottie Scheffler on Saturday at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play when he told Golf Channel on-course analyst Notah Begay he was struggling with allergies.

Although he lost the match, 2 and 1, the Australian said afterward that he was feeling “fine” and instead focused on the positives of another solid week.

The Match Play is Day’s seventh consecutive top-20 finish to start the year and another encouraging sign as he prepares for next month’s Masters.

“It was a great step in the right direction. It opens my eyes to the fact that I have a few things I need to work on, short game-wise, putting-wise,” Day said.

Bogeys at Nos. 8 and 14 allowed Scheffler to pull away, but Day answered with birdies at Nos. 15, 16 and 17 and he was pleased with his ball-striking, finishing the week seventh in the field in strokes gained: off the tee.

“It was a couple of old swings, old patterns that came in, like 14 today, that wedge that went left, that’s just an old pattern,” Day said. “The swing overall is coming along nice. The overall game is really starting to narrow in now.”

Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele were deadlocked in their quarterfinal match Saturday afternoon at Austin Country Club when both players yanked their tee balls at the par-4 finishing hole.

The closest ball had found the left rough, just 74 yards from the hole but with a large tree blocking a straightforward wedge shot.

McIlroy was pretty sure that ball was his.  

“I was walking up there expecting it to be a TaylorMade ball and I saw a Callaway on it, and I was as surprised as anyone, because mine was further left than Xander's off the tee,” McIlroy said. “Look, you need a little bit of fortune in these things, and that was a bit of luck for me today.”

McIlroy’s tee ball had trundle farther down the hill, about 30 yards away. Schauffele, meanwhile, was forced to punch his second shot under and to the left of the tree. He missed the birdie chip, leaving McIlroy, who had pitched to 12 feet, a chance to win a match on No. 18 for the second time in one day.

And McIlroy buried it to advance to the semifinals of the final WGC-Dell Match Play.

“It’s sort of been friendly to me all week,” McIlroy said of the last hole, which he’s now played in 4 under in three trips this week. He eagled after driving the green with a 375-yard shot in Thursday’s group-stage win over Denny McCarthy.

“Yeah, hopefully if I can play a little bit better, I don't need to play 18 tomorrow. But we shall see.”

McIlroy was certainly joking. His closing birdie against Schauffele marked his 17^th of the day. He carded nine of those in a 2-up victory over Lucas Herbert in the Round of 16.

“Both ends of the bag are working pretty well,” McIlroy said, “and the stuff in the middle is not too bad, either.”

McIlroy has seemed to get everyone’s best shot so far, and that figures to continue in his semifinal bout opposite Cameron Young on Sunday morning.

Young played 32 holes in 12 under on Saturday.

Sofiane Boufal and Abdelhamid Sabiri scored to give Morocco a 2-1 victory in an friendly match against Brazil in Tangier on Saturday, earning their first victory ever against the five-time world champions.

World Cup semifinalists Morocco did not hold back and delivered a statement win against soccer powerhouse Brazil in their first home game after an outstanding Qatar 2022 campaign.

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Cheered on by 65,000 fans in a sold-out Ibn Batouta stadium in Tangier, Morocco tried to make an early run but a steady Brazil held strong and the match almost turned into an ill-tempered affair, with the Brazilian players complaining bitterly to the referee after a series of bad tackles by the home defenders.

Brazil were more aggressive and controlled possession while Morocco were always dangerous in the counter-attacks.

Palmeiras winger Rony, who was making his debut in his first call with the Brazilian team, missed a sitter from close range in the 13th minute.

Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou almost gifted Brazil a goal in the 22th minute with a comical mistake while trying to put the ball in play with his feet, but Rony's shot to an empty goal was blocked by a defender and Bounou managed to recover in time to save Vinicius Junior's strike from the rebound.

One minute later, Bono once again made a mistake, gifting the ball to Vinicius score to an empty goal, but the effort was ruled out by the VAR due to a controversial offside in the build-up, with the Brazilian players berating the Tunisian official Sadok Selmi.

In the very next play, Emerson Royal lost the ball close to his own box and Morocco didn't waste the golden opportunity gifted by the defender, with Bilal El Khannous assisting Sofiane Boufal to score from close range.

Hakim Ziyech missed wide two great chances for Morocco before the break and goalkeeper Bounou denied a Rodrygo strike from the edge of the area with a Hollywood save.

But Brazil found the equalizer in the 67th minute thanks to a schoolboy mistake by Bounou, who failed to hold on to a weak shot by Casemiro and let the ball slip under him and inside the net.

However, the hosts hit back 12 minutes later with substitute Abdelhamid Sabiri, who took down a lost ball inside the Brazilian box and unleashed an unstoppable strike which bounced off the crossbar into the net.

It was a goal that the team and fans needed to complete their celebrations.

Morocco, who became the first Arab team to reach the quarterfinals and the first African team to make the semis, once again pumped their supporters with pride after a World Cup run that spurred tears of joy across Africa and the Arab world.

Sinead Farrelly, whose allegations against former Portland Thorns coach Paul Riley sparked investigations that found widespread sexual abuse and misconduct in the NWSL, signed a one-year contract with Gotham FC for the 2023 season on Saturday.

Farrelly, 33, has not played in the league for almost eight years since retiring in 2016 following two seasons with the Thorns.

Farrelly's public accusations in 2021 of sexual coercion and harassment against Riley, along with similar allegations from former teammate Mana Shim, led to an independent investigation from the U.S. Soccer Federation and a joint NWSL and NWSL Players Association investigation into abuse in the league.

Riley was one of four coaches who were subsequently given lifetime bans from the NWSL.

"I'm thankful for all the support I've received to help me reach this point, because I could not have done this alone," Farrelly said after signing with Gotham.

Farrelly, who had spent preseason training with Gotham as a non-roster invitee, has three goals and two assists in 52 NWSL appearances for the Thorns and Kansas City. She also previously appeared for the U-17, U-20 and U-23 United States national teams.

"I can't even imagine doing this with another club except Gotham FC," the midfielder added. "My teammates, the coaches and the staff are amazing. The environment has been professional and so enjoyable. I'm beyond excited for this season with this team. We have such a unified and passionate group and we're ready to put on a show and win.

"I want to be a key player for Gotham FC, while also having grace and compassion with myself as I acclimate back into the professional environment. There were times when this did not feel possible for me. But I have made it to this moment, and I'm going to keep building on it. As I continue, I hope to inspire others to follow their dreams, no matter how far out of reach they may seem."

Gotham, which finished in last place in the standings a year ago, begins its 2023 season at Angel City on Sunday.

"Sinead is not only an outstanding athlete, but one of the most admired people in our sport," said Gotham FC general manager and head of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West.

"She came into camp and earned a contract with her outstanding play. I know she sees this as just a first step, but everyone at Gotham FC is incredibly proud to be part of Sinead's journey, and excited about all of the great qualities she brings to our team."

Harry Kane has eclipsed Wayne Rooney to become England's all-time top goal scorer, but he is still battling to avoid the same fate as his predecessor.

Rooney was among the first to congratulate the 29-year-old striker after his record-breaking 54th goal in Thursday's 2-1 win over Italy, a moment that has been inevitable for some time given Kane's potency yet was no less historic when it finally arrived.

The chase further intertwined two players whose connection dates back to March 2015, when Kane replaced Rooney for his debut in a European Championship qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley. Rooney had already scored; Kane took 79 seconds to hit the net himself. Later that year, Rooney beat Sir Bobby Charlton's 45-year record (49 goals) and was presented with a golden boot by Charlton. Afterwards, he gave a speech in the dressing room.

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"I said that I hoped the young players in the squad would come close to the record themselves and even be able to surpass me." Rooney told The Times on Friday. "Harry had scored only three England goals at that point, but I said those words because I knew he could do it. Even then, with only four caps under his belt, I knew he could become England's greatest scorer if he kept going the way he was and I wanted to give him encouragement."

Rooney has been on hand ever since to offer Kane guidance and advice, but his England career also serves as a warning. He scored his record-setting 53rd and final international goal in England's humiliating Euro 2016 defeat to Iceland -- the chasm between individual and collective achievement never wider in the striker's lifetime.

Rooney scored just once in three World Cups, never able to produce his devastating best on the biggest stage and forever living in the shadow of his teenage self who burst onto the scene at Euro 2004 with such force before his metatarsal injury and a penalty shootout ended England's hopes in the quarterfinals against Portugal.

His regret over never winning anything with his country is replicated by many of the so-called "Golden Generation" of which he is a part. Kane will recognise that pain, too, especially having also been on the pitch when England lost to Iceland seven years ago. He already holds the record for most England goals at a tournament finals (12) but what drives him now is silverware.

At least Rooney had an illustrious club career at Manchester United to console him, ending his career with five Premier League titles, three League Cups, and one FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League and FIFA Club World Cup. As well as the all-time scoring record for United (253 goals in 559 games). Kane is now the all-time top goal scorer for Tottenham (recently surpassing Jimmy Greaves with 267 goals in 416 games) and England, but although he is a World Cup Golden Boot winner, he does not possess a solitary team trophy to show for it.

England's palpable progress under Gareth Southgate -- reaching the 2018 World Cup semifinals and Euro 2020 final -- has created a sense that they have never been closer to ending a 57-year wait for a major honour, even accounting for the fine margins of tournament football. But they have to take those last steps to realise that potential at Euro 2024.

That task is obviously not solely within Kane's grasp, so, for now, all he can do is keep leading by example. He would, of course, have preferred to break Rooney's record by converting that now-infamous second penalty in England's 2022 World Cup quarterfinal defeat to France, but there was at least some poetic justice in achieving the milestone from another spot-kick in Naples on Thursday.

Nobody can seriously question his mentality these days, but Kane's determination to set the tone at the start of Euro 2024 qualification led to a superb all-round display against Italy and a fillip for Southgate as he looks to rally the troops for his fourth tournament cycle. Beating their Euro 2020 conquerors Italy away from home for the first time since 1961 is another step towards England breaking down the long-standing inferiority complex that has inhibited them against top opposition.

Kane is a complete centre-forward, and with 19-year-old Jude Bellingham making exciting strides to inject much-needed dynamism in central midfield, England are edging towards becoming a complete team. Issues remain, however. Centre-back continues to look an area of weakness, and the second-half wobble against Italy was a reminder that a problem of surrendering the initiative still exists. But qualification already looks an easier proposition now the toughest Group C fixture is won and there is time to fine-tune their approach.

Sunday's visit of Ukraine, before which Kane will be presented with a memento marking his goal-scoring achievement, represents a good chance to establish a dominant position. England are a young side, but Kane turns 30 this year. A model professional in elite physical condition, his career will surely endure at the highest level for years to come, but Kane's time is now; Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup are clear targets.

Kane played in a brilliant Tottenham side for five years under Mauricio Pochettino and won nothing. It would rankle forever if the same fate awaited him for England. Just ask Rooney.

SEATTLE -- Bobby Wagner is coming back to where he built a Hall of Fame resume.

The Seattle Seahawks announced on Saturday that they are reuniting with arguably the greatest defensive player in franchise history and filling a significant need in their linebacker corps. The move signals that the fences have been mended following his messy departure last offseason.

Wagner's deal is for one year and worth $7 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The news was broken by Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs, who had been publicly stumping for Wagner's return ever since Wagner and the Los Angeles Rams agreed to part ways earlier last month.

General manager John Schneider said before the start of free agency that he and coach Pete Carroll had spoken to Wagner about a potential return. On Thursday, Schneider told Seattle Sports 710-AM that the two sides remained in conversations.

"We've been talking to Bobby, and what I can tell you is we'll see what shakes out, see how this goes," Schneider said. "Everybody knows how much respect we have for Bobby ... He had a great season this last year. We'll continue to speak with him and stay in touch and see how this goes."

Wagner is the second former Seahawks player to rejoin the team since the start of free agency, joining defensive tackle Jarran Reed. Seattle's moves so far have been largely focused on bolstering a front seven that struggled mightily in 2022 while transitioning to a new 3-4 front without their longtime captain, Wagner.

In addition to Wagner and Reed, the Seahawks signed former Denver Broncos defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones to a three-year, $51.53 million deal. They released defensive linemen Shelby Harris, Quinton Jefferson and Al Woods.

The Rams' release of Wagner on March 15 came just a year after the nine-time All-Pro linebacker had signed a five-year contract with the team. Wagner and the Rams mutually agreed to part ways, sources told Schefter.

Wagner, 32, joined the Rams after signing a five-year, $50 million deal with $20 million in guarantees on March 31, 2022. He earned second-team All-Pro honors after posting 140 tackles, a career-high 6 sacks, 2 interceptions and 5 passes defended while starting all 17 games. Pro Football Focus rated Wagner as the top linebacker in the NFL last season.

It was the ninth time in his 11 NFL seasons in which Wagner was named an All-Pro (six times on the first team, three on the second). That came after Wagner was released by the Seahawks last March after 10 seasons with the team. He voiced his displeasure both publicly and directly to the team's decision-makers over how he had caught wind of their plans to move on from him before he had heard it from them.

The Seahawks moved Cody Barton into a starting role at inside linebacker alongside Jordyn Brooks. Barton signed with the Washington Commanders in free agency after an up-and-down season. Brooks tore an ACL in December, putting his availability for the start of the 2023 season in jeopardy. Seattle signed former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush to a one-year, $3.5 million deal.

Wagner has 1,523 tackles, 29.5 sacks, 13 interceptions and 6 forced fumbles in his career.

ESPN's Nick Wagoner contributed to this report.

SEATTLE -- UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma remarked earlier this season that all good things come to an end after the Huskies dropped back-to-back games for the first time since March 1993.

Now, the same could be said Saturday, albeit regarding something of much greater consequence and more shocking magnitude: No. 2 seed UConn will not appear in the Final Four for the first time since 2007 after falling in the Sweet 16 of the Seattle 3 Regional to the No. 3 seed Ohio State Buckeyes 73-61.

It's also the first time since 2005 that the Huskies fell as early as the regional semifinal in the NCAA tournament.

Ohio State will appear in its first Elite Eight since 1993.

UConn trailed by 10 at the half, only the sixth time it has faced a double-digit halftime deficit in an NCAA tournament game. It is now 0-6 in those appearances.

The Huskies managed to get within five toward the end of the third quarter, but Ohio State hit enough shots to extend its edge back to 10 going into the final frame. A 3 from Rikki Harris with 8 minutes, 23 seconds to play put the Buckeyes up by 16, and though UConn cut it to nine twice later in the fourth, it couldn't get any closer.

Twenty-five turnovers -- including 18 in the first half, off which the Buckeyes scored 19 points -- allowed Ohio State to build its lead. That was also the most UConn has coughed up the ball in an NCAA tournament game since at least 1999-00. The Huskies didn't help themselves by shooting 7-for-15 from the free throw line, while star forward Aaliyah Edwards played limited minutes because of foul trouble.

They were outscored 21-9 in the pivotal second quarter.

"We picked the worst day to actually be doing the things that we've been struggling with all year long," Auriemma told ESPN's Holly Rowe entering the fourth quarter. "And those three quarters, it's all caught up to us."

Auriemma's squad has been through a litany of injuries this season. In addition to 2020-21 national player of the year Paige Bueckers missing the entire season because of an ACL injury, former No. 1 recruit Azzi Fudd was sidelined most of the regular season because of knee injuries. Still, the Huskies had been playing strong basketball since the calendar turned to March, also when Fudd returned to the court, winning the Big East tournament and breezing through the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.

Freshman Cotie McMahon led Ohio State with 23 points, while Lou Lopez Senechal paced the Huskies with 25.

FAU holds off Nowell and K-State to reach 1st Final Four

— Alijah Martin, Vlad Goldin and ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic became the first and lowest-seeded team to reach this year's Final Four as the Owls withstood another huge game by Kansas State's Markquis Nowell to beat the Wildcats 79-76 on Saturday night.