Digest

GOLF

Hot putter fires Li to top of leaderboard

Li Haotong eagled the same hole for the third straight day as he opened a three-shot lead at the BMW International Open in Munich, Germany, on Saturday.

Leading by one stroke overnight, Li was 5-under for the day and 20-under for the tournament by the close of third-round play, and was nearly further ahead but for a bogey on the 18th.

"It's actually a lot more comfortable than I thought. Quite surprised," Li said. "It's just another perfect day for me."

Belgian Thomas Pieters was alone in second on 17-under.

Li completed the par-five sixth at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in three shots on Thursday and Friday, but Saturday was the pick of the bunch as he chipped in from 21 yards (19 meters) for eagle. "Somehow it managed to go in," he said.

Li has two wins on the European Tour－now known as the DP World Tour－at the 2016 China Open and the 2018 Dubai Desert Classic.

SOCCER

Bale agrees switch to Los Angeles FC

Los Angeles FC has reached a deal with Welsh forward Gareth Bale to move to Major League Soccer after his departure from Real Madrid, a person close to the deal told Associated Press.

The person spoke Saturday on condition of anonymity because the details of the 12-month deal are still being finalized between Bale and MLS-leading LAFC, which also added Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini to its roster this month.

The 32-year-old Bale, who was linked with a move to hometown team Cardiff City, is moving to LA after spending most of the past nine years with Madrid, where his contract expires this summer.

Bale essentially confirmed the move with a tweet Saturday, writing, "See you soon, Los Angeles," alongside a video of himself in an LAFC jersey and hat.

The former Tottenham winger scored 106 goals for Madrid, winning five Champions League titles and three La Liga crowns.

Guo'an's Li Ke heads to London for surgery

Beijing Guo'an midfielder Li Ke flew to London on Saturday where he will have a third operation to treat a blood-vessel problem in his legs.

British-born Li, aka Nico Yennaris, on Saturday posted a picture on social media showing him checking in at a Beijing airport.

The naturalized Team China midfielder had just joined up with the Beijing side in mid-May after returning from London, where he had two leg surgeries in late November.

Without kicking a ball with the team, he was sent back to Beijing to receive treatment at the end of May after his leg problems, which he described as "an injury/condition rarely seen in footballers", recurred.

On Friday night, Li released a video providing an update on his injury situation.

"Unfortunately last season I suffered a lot of pain in my legs. I ended up having to do a lot of scans and medical checks which came to find out I had a blood-vessel problem in my legs," he said in the video.

BASEBALL

Javier, Astros no-hit league-leading Yanks

Cristian Javier, Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly combined on the first no-hitter against the New York Yankees in 19 years, shutting down the best team in baseball and pitching the Houston Astros to a 3-0 victory on Saturday.

Javier (5-3), a 25-year-old right-hander without a complete game in 84 professional starts, was clearly tired when manager Dusty Baker brought in a reliever to start the eighth. Javier set career highs for strikeouts (13) and pitches (115), and he matched his longest start with seven innings.

After Giancarlo Stanton hit into a game-ending groundout, the Astros walked onto the field and gathered near the mound for a brief celebration. Houston was also the previous team to no-hit New York, when six pitchers combined for one at the old Yankee Stadium on June 11, 2003.

Agencies