Sports News Roundup: U.S. Open to go ahead without fans; Russia's RUSADA resumes sample collecting after COVID hiatus and more

LPGA to restart July 31 in Toledo The LPGA Tour, the elite women’s professional golf circuit, will return from its COVID-19 shutdown with two tournaments in Ohio, starting with the new Drive On Championship three-day event from July 31 to Aug. 2, officials said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

U.S. Open to go ahead without fans says New York Governor Cuomo

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday gave the green light for the U.S. Open to be held from Aug. 31-Sept. 13 without fans as part of the state's reopening from shutdowns related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Cuomo said on Twitter the United States Tennis Association (USTA) will take "extraordinary precautions" to protect players and staff at the Grand Slam tournament, including robust testing, additional cleaning, and extra locker room space.

Russia's RUSADA resumes sample collecting after COVID hiatus

Russia's anti-doping agency said on Tuesday it was restarting its collection of samples from athletes after halting testing activity due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. RUSADA, which had suspended testing in late March, said its doping control officers would all be tested for the virus and wear protective gear when coming into contact with athletes.

LPGA to restart July 31 in Toledo

The LPGA Tour, the elite women's professional golf circuit, will return from its COVID-19 shutdown with two tournaments in Ohio, starting with the new Drive On Championship three-day event from July 31 to Aug. 2, officials said on Tuesday. The Drive On Championship at the Inverness Club in Toledo will be played without spectators, a pro-am or sponsors, but the Marathon LPGA Classic to be held the following week in Sylvania, Ohio will welcome back fans at the Highland Meadows Golf Club.

Report: NBPA discusses playing amid Black Lives Matter movement

Players set to return to the court next month as part of the NBA's restart are discussing the best way to push the "Black Lives Matter" movement to the forefront. Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving and Los Angeles Lakers teammates Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard are just three of the voices behind a coalition of players who have expressed concern that playing will take away from their push for social justice reforms in the wake of the death of George Floyd on May 25.

Sagan to skip cobbled classic to take part in Giro d'Italia

Triple world champion Peter Sagan will skip the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix this year in order to take part in the Giro d'Italia for the first time, his Bora-Hansgrohe team manager Ralph Denk said on Tuesday. The Slovak was due to participate in both the cobbled classics and the Giro but the reshuffled, tightly packed racing calendar due to the COVID-19 crisis meant the rider had to make some tough choices.

On this day: Born June 17, 1980 - Venus Williams, American tennis player

Venus Williams might have been overshadowed by the exploits of her younger sister Serena as a player, but the towering American's place in women's tennis history will extend far beyond her seven Grand Slam singles titles. The elder Williams sister blazed on to the tennis scene in the late 1990s and dominated with her power and athleticism in 2000 and 2001, winning two Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles plus Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles.

Premier League CEO backs 'Black Lives Matter' on team shirts

The Premier League's chief executive, Richard Masters, said he supported the move to have the slogan 'Black Lives Matter' on player's shirts in this week's games, saying it represented an ethical stance rather than a political one. The Premier League resumes on Wednesday, and teams will have logos supporting the National Health Service on the front of their shirts and the words Black Lives Matter replacing their names above the number on their backs.

Tokyo 2020 executive says another delay should be an option: Nikkan Sports

Tokyo 2020 board member Haruyuki Takahashi has said a further delay to the already-postponed Olympics should be considered instead of canceling the event if the COVID-19 pandemic does not improve, Japanese daily Nikkan Sports reported on Tuesday. The Japanese government and the International Olympic Committee made the unprecedented decision in March to postpone the Games, originally due to start next month, until 2021.

Americans 'selfish' to go ahead with U.S. Open - Kyrgios

Australian Nick Kyrgios says the United States Tennis Association is being "selfish" by pressing ahead with the U.S. Open on its original dates from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13. Multiple media reports on Monday said the USTA would confirm the Grand Slam tournament would go ahead without fans despite New York City still recording hundreds of new COVID-19 cases every day.

Bettman defends NHL's expansion playoff format

Commissioner Gary Bettman stands by the NHL's decision to admit 24 teams into the playoffs when action restarts this summer. With the regular season declared complete and 24 teams headed to the newly revised postseason, 77 percent of the league's teams will be in the playoffs.