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Marathon 9-player playoff decides final 64

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OOLTEWAH, Tenn. – After two rounds of stroke play at the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur, two players sit atop the leaderboard.

Anna Iwanaga, a 17-year-old from Japan, held onto her first-round lead to earn co-medalist honors, at six under, alongside 15-year-old Hailey Kim of Simi Valley, Calif.

Just one stroke behind the co-medalists was 17-year-old Asterisk Talley, whose second-round 3-under 69 secured her the No. 3 seed entering match play.

The players battled more than just one another. A weather delay of nearly two and a half hours suspended second-round play on Wednesday and forced competitors to return the following day to complete their rounds.After regular play concluded, nine players were tied at five over, with just two spots remaining in the 64-player match play field: Bridget Boczar, Paula Francisco, Sarah Lydic, Claire Swathwood, Eliana Saga, Kathryn VanArragon, Nobelle Park, Addison Klonowski and Hsin Chun Liao.

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The playoff began on the 10th hole. The 407-yard, par-4’s demanding layout quickly narrowed the field, eliminating Park, Swathwood, Lydic and Francisco. The remaining five competitors battled for more than two hours, extending the playoff through three more holes.

On the third hole, the par-4 15th, VanArragon and Saga were eliminated after Boczar, Klonowski and Liao each made birdie to extend the playoff. The final two spots were decided on the following hole — the par-3 16th — where the tee shot over water heightened the pressure.

After missing the green to the left, Boczar made bogey, leaving her fate in the hands of her competitors. Klonowski faced a birdie attempt from roughly 20 feet, rolling it close to leave herself a short par putt. Moments later, Liao confidently buried a 10-foot birdie putt to punch her ticket into the match-play bracket.

All eyes turned to Klonowski as she stepped over her short par putt and rolled it into the heart of the cup. Following the playoff, Klonowski credited her teammate, who was on the bag, for helping her stay composed on the course.

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Sports

He didn’t have to do that

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5 minutes ago

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6 August 2026

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Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Bill Zonnon recently shared how a simple gesture from Sidney Crosby stood out during his first training camp with the organization. While recovering from an injury, Zonnon said the Penguins captain regularly checked in to see how he was doing.

Speaking with ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Zonnon reflected on his first experience at Penguins training camp and what it has been like entering an organization led by Crosby. He said Crosby made an effort to see how his recovery was progressing, even though the two barely knew each other.

“I was injured during training camp, but I was still hanging out there every day and he would come to me and ask me questions about my injury. And I mean, he didn’t have to do that. He was probably one of the only guys that did it, but that just tells you that he has time for everyone, and he’s a great person all around.”

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Zonnon was selected by the Penguins with the 22nd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft after playing for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He is now working toward earning a full-time spot with Pittsburgh

Sidney Crosby recently made another young fan’s day in the Bahamas

Bill Zonnon’s story isn’t the only recent example of Sidney Crosby going out of his way for others. Earlier this week, while vacationing in the Bahamas, the Penguins captain took time to meet a 10-year-old fan after she approached him for a photo.

According to Pittsburgh Hockey Now, what began as a quick picture turned into a much longer interaction. Crosby met the girl’s family, talked hockey with them, posed for several photos and quietly paid for their meal without telling anyone. He also left behind an autograph and a handwritten note before leaving.

The gesture came after another strong season for Crosby with the Penguins. The 38 year old recorded 29 goals and 45 assists for 74 points in 68 games while surpassing 1,700 career NHL points and overtaking Mario Lemieux as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.

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Sidney Crosby also captained Canada to a silver medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. He missed 11 games after returning to Pittsburgh because of a lower-body injury sustained during the Olympic tournament before rejoining the lineup.