Nelly Korda hits her stride and builds 2-shot lead in Phoenix

PHOENIX (AP) — Nelly Korda was just as good in the tougher afternoon conditions Friday, posting a 7-under 65 for the lowest 36-hole score of her LPGA Tour career and building a two-shot lead at the halfway point of the Ford Championship.

Korda missed an opportunity late to stretch her lead a little more when she missed a 2-foot birdie putt on the par-5 17th.

But this was not a day to complain on the Cattail course at Whirlwind Golf Club. She followed a great opening round — something Lydia Ko failed to do — with a steady diet of birdie chances and a smooth, confident stroke with the putter.

"I have left a couple shots out there at the end," Korda said. "But I'm playing really solid golf, and when I do make a mistake, I try not go let it faze me too much."

She was at 16-under 128, two shots ahead of a familiar face. Hyo Joo Kim, the defending champion in Phoenix, won last week at the Founders Cup by holding off Korda in the final hour. Korda missed a short putt on the 17th hole Sunday that thwarted hopes of a second straight win to start the year.

Kim, who opened with a 61, overcame a mistakes early to post a 69. Saturday will be the fourth straight round for Korda and Kim to play in the same group.

"Just getting sick of each other now," Korda said with a laugh. "Yeah, she's playing such solid golf. At the end of the day that's something that motivates me to want to stay with her at that level. We're just going back and forth, so it's nice. At the end of the day we're competitors, but we are very friendly. I've always enjoyed playing with her. I'm always mesmerized by her putting."

Ko shot a 60 in morning conditions of the first round and doesn't feel as though she played that much differently — except the putts turned away at the last second or burned the edge. She made so many putts in her opening round, and only enough on Friday for a 71 that left her three shots behind along with Jenny Bae (65) and Minami Katsu (66).

The final hole summed up her day — a good drive, a good approach, and a 12-foot putt that good all the way until it peeled away to the right.

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"I just didn't really hole many putts today," Ko said. "It's obviously harder to get closer to the pins just playing in the afternoon and the greens being a little firmer. I think I struggled with a couple of the short ones. ... But that's golf, right? I can't control everything. Yesterday was I think more of the surprise I think just shooting a score like that."

She still found herself right in the mix and Ko figures everything will balance out.

"I feel like my game is trending in the right direction," she said.

Asterisk Talley, the 17-year-old amateur, had a 65 and was in the group six shots behind at 10 under. Talley will be going to the home of the Masters next week to compete in the Augusta National Women's Amateur, which she had a chance to win last year.

Scoring has been so good, particularly in the morning on smoother greens, that the cut came at 5-under 135. Among those missing out on the weekend were Women's British Open champion Miyu Yamashita of Japan and Lexi Thompson, making her first start of the season.

Korda won the season opener in Florida, which was cut short to 54 holes because of severe wind and cold. She skipped the Asia swing as she often does, and was runner-up to Kim last week at Sharon Heights in Northern California.

"I'm really happy where my game is at now," Korda said.

AP golf:https://apnews.com/hub/golf

byCosmopolite

in

March 27, 2026

Nelly Korda hits her stride and builds 2-shot lead in Phoenix

PHOENIX (AP) — Nelly Korda was just as good in the tougher afternoon conditions Friday, posting a 7-under 65 for the lowe...

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Midgame surge sends No. 1 UCLA past Minnesota, into Elite Eight

Kiki Rice put up 21 points to lead four scorers in double figures for top-seeded UCLA, and the Bruins overwhelmed Big Ten Conference counterpart Minnesota in the second half en route to an 80-56 win on Friday in an Women's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game at Sacramento.

UCLA (34-1) moved one victory away from repeat Final Four trips thanks to a dominant second half that began right out of the locker room.

With their 28th consecutive win, the Bruins will head to the Sacramento Region 2 final on Sunday vs. either second-seeded LSU or third-seeded Duke.

The fourth-seeded Golden Gophers (24-9) trailed the Bruins by just three points late in the first half, but Gianna Kneepkens buzzer-beating layup marked the beginning of a 17-3 run that extended more than six minutes into the third quarter.

Through a combination of breakaway opportunities and pounding the ball to Lauren Betts on the interior, UCLA attacked the lane to ignite the decisive push. The Bruins finished with 52 points in the paint while allowing only 22 to Minnesota.

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Rice fueled the Bruins' second-half deluge, scoring 15 of her points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor. She came alive after the duo of Betts and Angela Dugalic buoyed UCLA in the first half, with each scoring 10 points before intermission.

Dugalic finished with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting off the bench and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Betts scored 16 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished three assists against Minnesota's efforts to swarm her on the low block.

Gabriela Jaquez rounded out UCLA's double-figure scorers with 10 points.

Grace Grocholski led Minnesota with 12 points and Sophie Hart added 11. Tori McKinney scored all nine of her points on 3-of-3 shooting from 3-point distance, including a pair in the first half as the Golden Gophers stayed close with the Bruins thanks in part to knocking down three triples.

UCLA went 0-for-6 from long range in the first half but rallied to shoot 4-for-10 from beyond the arc in the second half.

--Field Level Media

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March 27, 2026

Midgame surge sends No. 1 UCLA past Minnesota, into Elite Eight

Kiki Rice put up 21 points to lead four scorers in double figures for top-seeded UCLA, and the Bruins overwhelmed Big ...

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Masters offers a locker room unlike any other with first photos of new Player Services Building

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy went upstairs in the Augusta National clubhouse the nighthe won the Masters, eager to see the small locker room only for Masters champions. He returned last month to find another locker room not nearly as exclusive but no less impressive.

Golf Master New Digs

"They've created this unbelievable new Player Services Building, and that's where the main locker room is going to be," McIlroy said. "I think the champions will still use the Champions Locker Room. But that new building is IN-CREDIBLE."

He paused to smile before adding, "Take my word for it."

Augusta National revealed some photos Fridayon social media of the Player Services Building, created to make the players' experience unlike any other.

Typical of most new structures at Augusta National, the three-story building located just behind the hitting area of the practice range is tucked among trees and looks like it has been there all along.

Players drive down Magnolia Lane, veer to the right and find a circle drive to either valet courtesy cars or go down a ramp, through a tunnel under Magnolia Lane and into an underground garage.

The walls on the corridor leading from the garage have Alister MacKenzie's cross section architecture of every hole at Augusta National.

For being the youngest of the four majors, the Masters' history is a rich as any.

The new locker room that caught McIlroy's attention is on the ground floor, but players can be excused for taking their time when they first arrive. The short hallway has framed letters from Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to the club thanking them for their week. Woods' letter is from 1997, after his record-smashing win.

The lounge just before the locker room is a tribute to co-founder Bobby Jones, and Augusta National managed to get all four of his trophies from his "impregnable quadrilateral" — Grand Slam — in 1930 when he won the British Amateur, British Open, U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur.

Those are on loan from the Atlanta Athletic Club, to be returned the week after the Masters.

The old locker room, located in the clubhouse and down from the grill room, was small but adequate. The new one is enormous with 100 lockers (the Masters has had fewer than 100 players every year since 1967) with great attention to detail — a safe in each locker, a shelf to charge phones, even the gold-plated "map-and-flag" emblem of the Masters on the handle of each locker.

Name plates already are up in a random order, not alphabetical. McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Dustin Johnson have lockers, presumably out of convenience for when they go downstairs to use the fitness center and recovery room.

The six amateurs in the field have lockers next to Masters champions. That wasn't a coincidence.

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A sitting area in the middle is framed by two tables. One was made from magnolia wood of a felled tree on Magnolia Lane during Hurricane Helene in September 2024 and holds a large bowl made from the same wood. The other has Masters stationery, perhaps if players get inspired from the letters they read on the way in.

As players leave for the range or the course, there are photos of winning moments from the last five Masters, ending with McIlroy on his his knees after his playoff win. The club also has installed a camera at the end of the hallway for television purposes, similar to players leaving the locker room on their way to center court during Grand Slam tennis events.

More history can be found even in the bathroom. The club is hanging framed letters from over the years, one of them from co-founder Clifford Roberts in 1960 informing players the traditional golf clinic on Wednesday will be replaced by a Par 3 Tournament.

Downstairs is the state-of-the-art fitness center, with a massive area in the middle for stretching, cables and weights along the perimeter and a concrete wall at which to throw medicine balls.

This will be good news for McIlroy. When fitness first became more common, the Masters created a makeshift area in the cart barn. McIlroy heaved a medicine ball at — and through — the wall, leaving a gaping hole.

"We felt the walls and I was like, 'Yeah, this feels pretty sturdy,'" he said. Oops.

The recovery room has three cold plunges and one hot tub, a sauna room and 16 tables for the physical therapists. Leaving the fitness area takes players down another history-filled hallway filled with just over 1,400 name plates for every player to have competed in the Masters.

Convenience, luxury and a great view awaits on the top floor. That's the Magnolia Dining Room with seating for about 150 people and a terrace overlooking the practice grounds for about 150 more. There's a menu and a buffet, a bar and ample televisions.

About the only thing lacking is a reason to leave.

The Players Services Building isn't for everyone, only players and their immediate families, coaches and caddies, trainers and other members of the support team — but no public, no press, no agents.

It's a haven, pampering at its finest, which is what the Masters has strived to deliver all these years while never failing to look to improve.

"This improvement," Masters chairman Fred Ridley said last April, "will offer the competitors in the Masters facilities from arrival until departure unlike anything in sports."

AP golf:https://apnews.com/hub/golf

byCosmopolite

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March 27, 2026

Masters offers a locker room unlike any other with first photos of new Player Services Building

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy went upstairs in the Augusta National clubhouse the nighthe won the Masters, eager to se...

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Shannen Doherty's Ex Agrees to Pay Late Actress' Estate for Half Their Texas Home Nearly 2 Years After Her Death

Shannen Doherty's estate will receive half the equity from her and ex-husband Kurt Iswarienko's shared Texas property, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE

NEED TO KNOW

• The photographer must also return Doherty's coffee table and couch and provide an inventory of photos depicting her

• Meanwhile, the Doherty estate must return Iswarienko's guitars, equipment and restored stereo record player

• The decision comes four months after attorneys representing Doherty's estate filed a motion accusing Iswarienko of not following through on several provision of their divorce

An agreement has been made in thelegal disputebetween the lateShannen Doherty's estate and the actress' ex-husbandKurt Iswarienko.

According to court documents filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court andobtained by PEOPLE, Iswarienko, 51, has agreed to award the actress' estate "one-half the equity" of their shared Dripping Springs, Texas property.

Additionally, the photographer agreed to return Doherty's coffee table and couch from the Texas home. He must also "produce an inventory of his photographic works" that depict Doherty as well as wire $25,000 to the estate for Doherty's interest in a Mooney M-20 airplane .

Meanwhile, Doherty's estate, represented by trusteeChristopher Cortazzo, agreed to return Iswarienko's guitars, equipment and restored Garard stereo record player.

The decision comes four months after attorneys for the actress,who died at 53 in July 2024, filed a petition regarding her divorce from Isawarienko, which was finalized just before Doherty's death.

TheBeverly Hills, 90210star signed the divorce settlement on July 12, just one day before she died, PEOPLE previously confirmed. Iswarienko signed it a day later on July 13.

In the filing, obtained by PEOPLE, Doherty's attorneys and Cortazzo claimed Iswarienko failed to fulfill several "monetary obligations" that were a part of their divorce settlement.

Included in the provisions was that the photographer would sell their $1.5 million Texas home and "equally divide the net proceeds with [her] estate." However, the filing claims he "refused to list" the home for sale.

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The filing also claims Iswarienko failed to produce his inventory of photos of Doherty, which was allegedly required in the divorce settlement.  The agreement specified he was to give copies of all photographs no later than Sept. 1, 2024, but at the time of filing he was reportedly "14 months delinquent."

The divorce settlement also said that Iswarienko was to buy out Doherty's share of the airplane for $100,000 and pay that sum to her estate within five business days of the sale.

He allegedly "unilaterally withheld $50,274" from Doherty's estate after making the sale in August 2024, and has yet to pay the sum, making it "15 months delinquent" at the time.

In January,Iswarienko filed legal documents challenging their divorce settlement. In his filing, he claimed that the divorce settlement was brought in the wrong court. Because of this, he claimed the court had no jurisdiction to enforce the terms of the agreement.

He further argued that the divorce case should have been put to an end when Doherty died after ayears-long journey with cancerand that the settlement shouldn't have even been filed, per the legal documents.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

PEOPLE has reached out to Cortazzo and attorneys representing Doherty's estate for comment.

Ron Rale, Iswarienko's attorney, did not offer a comment on the matter.

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

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March 27, 2026

Shannen Doherty's Ex Agrees to Pay Late Actress' Estate for Half Their Texas Home Nearly 2 Years After Her Death

Shannen Doherty's estate will receive half the equity from her and ex-husband Kurt Iswarienko's shared Texas prop...

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Noah Wyle Explains Why “The Pitt” Could ‘Run Forever’ After Dominating Awards Season

Noah Wyle said The Pitt doesn't need dramatic twists, calling everyday struggles "fascinating" to watch

NEED TO KNOW

• The actor explained the show's real-time, 360-degree filming makes it feel like "live theater"

• Wyle shared that if audiences stay engaged, "this show could run forever"

Noah Wyleis opening up about what makesThe Pittso compelling, and why he believes the hit medical drama has the potential to go the distance.

While promoting the show in London on Tuesday, March 24, ahead of the launch of HBO Max in the United Kingdom, the actor and executive producer, 54, reflected onThe Pitt's unique format and immersive storytelling.

"We're working in real time, shooting 360 degrees. It's very kinetic, it's very active, and it's the closest to doing live theater that you can work with a camera," Wyle said, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.

That sense of urgency, he explained, is also a major part of what keeps audiences engaged without the need for over-the-top twists.

"One of the gratifying things about season 2 is that we realized that we don't need a big deus ex machina plot device to keep this engaging, that there is something really fascinating about watching everyday people try to get through the course of their day, beset by all the trials and tribulations that come over the course of their day," he opined. "If that is satisfying television, then this show could run forever."

The series, which takes viewers inside a high-pressure emergency room, is designed to feel almost like a firsthand experience.

"Everything is geared towards it being a voyeuristic experience for the viewer, kind of analogous to being in the back seat of a patrol car going on a ride-along, or being embedded with a combat unit in battle," Wyle explained. "And it's an endurance test on the viewer, just like it is on the characters. So that makes it an interesting relationship."

Wyle went on to touch on the broader themes of the show — particularly how it resonates across different healthcare systems. While in the U.K., he expressed hope thatThe Pittwould still strike a chord with audiences despite key differences.

"Our system at the moment is laden with the insurance companies being the intermediary … and care being predicated by the algorithm that the insurance company dictates. So it's really become a profit-driven, quality-of-care-diminishing system," he said of the United States, comparing it the U.K.'s publicly funded system. "And I think it's really enviable that that's not part of your conversation."

He added, "I personally think we need some sort of national healthcare service in the United States. We need universal coverage for everybody."

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For his performance as Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, Wyle achieved a historic sweep by winning all five major television acting awards in a single season, including an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Critics Choice Award, and an Actor Award.

Although the show's season 2 finale doesn't even air until April 16, 2026, in the U.S.,The Pitt's future is already taking shape.

When asked by HBO boss Casey Bloys to share a progress report on season 3, which was renewed in January, Wyle shared they were "in the process of writing character arcs for season three for everybody."

"It's a very interesting show to break because, unlike a lot of shows where there are 22 episodes that may play out over a calendar year, this is 15 hours of one day. So you're painting with a much finer brush."

"For a character's arc, it's not really enough to go through the courtship of a romance, but it's enough to get your head turned. These are really small arcs that happen in the course of a day, but can be really satisfying if you're engaged with that character," he continued.

And while Wyle has spent decades playing doctors onscreen, he joked that his real-life medical instincts are still a work in progress.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

While looking back at the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards in January, he recalled instinctively rushing to K-Pop Demon Hunters producer Michelle Wong's assistance after she took a painful tumble.

"She slipped out of her SUV and hit her head on the ground really hard, and I was the only one around," he told the audience. "She had a little cut on her elbow. Somebody handed me a Band-Aid, and I felt very medical."

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

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March 27, 2026

Noah Wyle Explains Why “The Pitt” Could ‘Run Forever’ After Dominating Awards Season

Noah Wyle said The Pitt doesn't need dramatic twists, calling everyday struggles "fascinating" to watch ...

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Musician who canceled Kennedy Center holiday performance asks for suit to be dismissed

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chuck Redd, the musician whocanceled a Christmas Eve performanceat the Kennedy Center in protest of PresidentDonald Trump'sinfluence over the venue, is asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit the performing arts institution brought against him.

TRUMP-KENNEDY CENTER

In a motion filed in D.C. Superior Court on Friday, lawyers for Redd said the breach of contract suit should be dismissed because he wasn't contractually obligated to perform. The motion included the contract provided by the Kennedy Center, which the artist never signed.

But his lawyers argued there was more at stake than contract law, portraying the Kennedy Center's suit as an effort to intimidate artists.

"The Trump Kennedy Center filed this lawsuit to send a message to anyone who dares to publicly disagree with the decisions of those in power," lawyers Debra S. Katz and Lisa J. Banks said in a statement.

Representatives for the Kennedy Center didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the motion.

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Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player who has toured with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Ray Brown, has presided over holiday "Jazz Jams" at the Kennedy Center since 2006. He called off last year's performance shortly after Trump's handpicked board at the Kennedy Center voted toadd the president's nameto the facility.

"When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert," Redd told The Associated Press in an email at the time.

Within days of his decision,Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center's president at the time, sent him a lettercalling the cancellation"classic intolerance and very costly to a nonprofit Arts institution." Grenell threatened to seek $1 million in damages and the Kennedy Center filed suit on March 6.

Grenellleft his post earlierthis month and was replaced by Matt Floca, who previously managed the Kennedy Center's facilities operations. Trump is closing the Kennedy Center later this summer for renovations that are expected to last roughly two years.

Associated Press writer Hillel Italie in New York contributed to this report

byCosmopolite

in

March 27, 2026

Musician who canceled Kennedy Center holiday performance asks for suit to be dismissed

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chuck Redd, the musician whocanceled a Christmas Eve performanceat the Kennedy Center in protest of Pre...

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Suburban Detroit school settles lawsuit with Palestinian student over Pledge of Allegiance dispute

DETROIT (AP) — A suburban Detroit school district has agreed to give First Amendment training to staff tosettle a lawsuitby a teenager who said a teacher humiliated her for refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance in protest of U.S. support of Israel's war in Gaza.

The agreement with Danielle Khalaf and her father also includes a $10,000 payment by an insurance company on behalf of the teacher, according to a court filing.

The Plymouth-Canton district did not admit liability. But Superintendent Monica Merritt praised Danielle for "showing courage and speaking up about the incident."

"Our mission is to foster a school environment that is safe, respectful and welcoming for all," Merritt said Friday.

Danielle, whose family is of Palestinian descent, declined to recite the pledge at her school over three days in January 2025. The lawsuit says her teacher admonished her and told her she was being disrespectful.

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"Since you live in this country and enjoy its freedom, if you don't like it, you should go back to your country," the teacher said, according to the lawsuit.

Danielle suffered emotional injuries, including nightmares and strained friendships, the lawsuit said.

"It was terrifying at times, scary to face a teacher and overwhelming with the attention that came with the publicity. But it taught me the importance of speaking up for what I believe is right," Danielle said Thursday in a statement released by the American Civil Liberties Union and Arab American Civil Rights League.

Michigan has more than 300,000 residents of Middle Eastern or North African descent, second in the U.S. behind California, according to theCensus Bureau.

The school district will remove anything from Danielle's file that suggests her actions violated school policy, according to the settlement.

byCosmopolite

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March 27, 2026

Suburban Detroit school settles lawsuit with Palestinian student over Pledge of Allegiance dispute

DETROIT (AP) — A suburban Detroit school district has agreed to give First Amendment training to staff tosettle a lawsuit...

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