Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

3 former LIV golfers earn DP World Tour cards

Spain's Josele Ballester and two other former LIV Golf players are among the 20 golfers who earned DP World Tour status for 2027 after the final round of qualifying school on Wednesday. Ballester, South Korea's Byeong Hun An and ​John Catlin were among the 20 players who finished in the top-15 plus ties following six rounds of qualifying.

Miami (OH) flagged for distracting kicker on FG attempt

Miami (Ohio) drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Tuesday night after displaying multiple ​images of goalposts on a video screen behind the actual uprights while Ohio was attempting a field goal. The bizarre incident occurred with six seconds left ‌in the first ​half and Bobcats kicker Brack Peacock missed a 34-yard attempt. After the penalty moved the ball to the 8-yard line, Ohio attempted a pass that was broken up by the RedHawks.

Cardinals call on rookie Carson Beck as third starting QB in three games

Rookie Carson Beck was the No. 3 quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals three weeks ago. Last week, he was No. 2 behind Gardner Minshew II in Seattle.

Explainer-Ice hockey-From Canada to Germany, what stands in the way of Russia's ice hockey return?

Norway have announced their exclusion from the 2027 World Junior Championship, making way for Russia, despite Canada, the host nation, stating it will bar the Russian team from entering the tournament. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered ice hockey's governing body on October ‌30 to admit Russian teams to five championships. Host governments still decide who can enter, and eight of the 16 teams in the men's World Championship say they would refuse to play Russia.

Report: Giants inquired about Falcons RB Bijan Robinson

The New York Giants called the Atlanta Falcons to inquire about star running back Bijan Robinson before Tuesday's trade deadline, ESPN reported Wednesday. The report said it is unknown whether the Giants actually made an offer for Robinson, who leads the NFL with 880 rushing yards through nine games. Multiple league sources characterized Robinson as untouchable as the face of the Falcons (3-6).

7-1 center Jack Thelen commits to UConn 2027 class

UConn added another commitment to its 2027 class on Wednesday, landing 7-foot-1 center Jack Thelen from Maple Grove High School in Osseo, Minn. Thelen, ranked as a four-star recruit by the 247Sports composite, joins a strong class that already features two five-star prospects. With Thelen's addition, the UConn 2027 class has moved to No. 2 in the composite rankings, trailing LSU. Coach Will Wade and the Tigers have ‌commitments from a quartet of five-star prospects.

Chiefs sticking with struggling K Harrison Butker this week

Head coach Andy Reid said the Kansas City Chiefs are not making a kicking change this week despite the ongoing struggles of Harrison Butker. Following Butker's NFL-leading seventh missed field goal of the season in last week's win against the New York Jets, Reid initially said he wasn't sure who would handle kicking duties in this Sunday's game at Atlanta.

Ice hockey-Canada to block Russian ‌players from entering for World Juniors

Canada will prevent Russian athletes and officials from entering the country for ice hockey's World Junior Championship in Alberta, the government said on Wednesday, effectively barring their participation weeks before the tournament begins. In a statement provided to Reuters, Canada's Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden said the government opposed Russian and Belarusian participation in international sport "as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine with Belarus’s complicity."

Browns QB Deshaun Watson to start vs. Texans

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will start against this former team, the visiting Houston Texans, on Sunday. The Browns announced their decision on Wednesday morning, two days after head coach Todd Monken said he wasn't ready to make the move official.

NFL trade deadline roundup: Kirk Cousins, Keenan Allen join contenders

Kirk Cousins is headed back to the Minnesota Vikings in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders announced Tuesday afternoon. The 15th-year quarterback was the highest-profile name to change teams on Tuesday before the NFL's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline.

Report: US Soccer removes team from U-17 World Cup in Qatar

The United States will no longer send a team to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which is set to begin next week in Qatar, U.S. Soccer Collective reported Wednesday. United ⁠States Soccer cited security concerns with ​the ongoing conflict in the Middle East for its decision to back out of the tournament, according to the report.

Rex Ryan accused of ⁠running over pedestrians' feet

Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan was arrested Wednesday in Nashville for allegedly running over the feet of two pedestrians in his truck last week, according to authorities. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said Ryan, 63, turned himself in on six outstanding misdemeanor warrants related to a Nov. 5 incident on the city's famed Broadway.

Alpine skiing-Vonn recovering from ninth surgery after Olympic crash

American downhill great Lindsey Vonn has undergone a ninth operation on the left leg she shattered in a horrific crash at the Winter Olympics in Cortina in February. The 42-year-old posted a message before surgery saying she hoped ⁠it would be the last operation she required.

Surfing-Florence to skip 2027 world tour, jeopardizing LA Olympics chances

Three-times world champion John John Florence will not seek a wild card entry for surfing's professional world tour next year, all but ruling the American out of a place at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Hawaiian Florence, who represented the US at the Tokyo and Paris Games, took the last two years off the World Surf League's (WSL) world championship tour after winning the title in 2024.

Feds say indicted P Emmanuel Clase owed $700K in taxes

Former Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel ​Clase, who is facing federal charges for his alleged involvement in a pitch-rigging scheme, owes about $700,000 in unpaid taxes, according to the U.S. government. The three-time All-Star has been charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sports contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy.

Soccer-US pulls men's Under-17 team from World Cup in Qatar over safety concerns

US Soccer has withdrawn its national team from the men's FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar ⁠over safety concerns, the federation told players on Wednesday. In a letter sent to players and provided to Reuters, the federation said it was cancelling the team's pre-tournament camp and its participation in the event "in light of current circumstances."

Broncos acquire LB Daiyan Henley from Chargers

The AFC West-leading Denver Broncos bolstered their defense just before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline by acquiring linebacker Daiyan Henley from the division rival Los Angeles Chargers. The Broncos (7-2) gave up a fourth-round draft pick in 2027 and a fifth-round selection in 2028 to the Chargers, who have gone 0-8 to start the season.

Titans' Calvin Ridley details airport valet dispute

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley said ⁠Wednesday that ​a dispute with an airport valet Saturday night began when he tried to retrieve his truck without a claim ticket, offering his account of an incident that reportedly left the attendant injured. Speaking publicly about the episode for the first time, Ridley said he followed the process for a lost ticket by providing identification, filling out a form and showing the attendant a photograph that he said helped establish the truck belonged to him.

Motor racing-Hamilton urges Israel to let Gaza aid in after Rafah visit

Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton said on Wednesday that Israel must allow aid trucks into Gaza, a day after he visited the Rafah border crossing in Egypt. Hamilton, a seven-times world champion, arrived in El Arish on Tuesday, where he was briefed on how aid is prepared and coordinated before it is sent into Gaza, as he toured the Rafah crossing and the Egyptian Red Crescent's aid warehouses.

Jazz F Lauri Markkanen (hand) out at least four weeks

Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen will be re-evaluated in four weeks ⁠after sustaining a hand injury, the team announced on Wednesday. The Finnish forward sustained two non-displaced fractures in his right hand in last Friday's 112-100 defeat in Dallas.

Kirk Cousins back in Minnesota: 'Goal is the Super Bowl'

Kirk Cousins returned to his comfort zone with no time to exhale as he hits the ground with the Minnesota Vikings in the midst of a tight NFC North race with the Packers up next on Sunday. Cousins said he was excited to ⁠be back with the Vikings for a second stint with the franchise. He played for Minnesota from 2018-23 and his final game with the ⁠franchise was at Lambeau Field, where Minnesota is headed on Sunday. Cousins left that game with a ruptured Achilles with some degree of doubt he would every be back.

Soccer-FIFA clears joint bids for 2031 and 2035 Women's World Cups

Two joint bids for the Women's World Cup in 2031 and 2035 have met the minimum hosting requirements and will be submitted to the Extraordinary FIFA Congress for approval, world soccer's governing body FIFA said on Wednesday. * The 2031 bid is a joint submission from the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica, which proposed 20 stadiums in 20 host cities, receiving an overall score of 4.4 out of 5

Tennis-Noskova beats Gauff to reach WTA Finals semis, Pegula stays in hunt

Linda Noskova secured her place in ‌the semi-finals of the WTA Finals with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Coco Gauff on ‌Tuesday, while Jessica Pegula knocked Marta Kostyuk out of the season-ending tournament with a straight-sets win. The Czech, who beat Kostyuk in her opening match, has won both encounters without dropping a set and is assured of advancing to the knockout stage. Gauff and Pegula ​are both 1-1, with the final round-robin matches on Thursday set to determine who joins Noskova in the last four.