Reuters Sports News Summary

The 37-year-old forward helped the Montreal Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup finals last season but was unsigned this year, joining the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild earlier this month in the hope of earning a spot on Canada's Olympic roster. Golf-Rahm eager for return to stomping ground at Torrey Pines World number one Jon Rahm said on Tuesday he is eager to return to one of his most successful venues for this week's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines where at last year's U.S. Open the Spaniard secured his first career major triumph.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Australian Open day nine

Highlights of the ninth day of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Tuesday: * Barty breezes past Pegula into Australian Open semis

Soccer-USMNT taking it one game at a time in World Cup qualifiers

The U.S. men's national team will be taking it one game at a time as they prepare for a trio of World Cup qualifying matches and will not let a tantalising encounter with Canada distract them from their next outing against El Salvador. The USMNT, who are second in the CONCACAF standings behind Canada, host El Salvador on Thursday in Columbus. They then travel north to face Canada three days later before returning home to meet Honduras in St. Paul on Feb. 2.

Golf-Johnson returns to competition after three-month 'reset'

A well-rested Dustin Johnson returns to competition this week after a three-month break during which he focused less on golf and more on a "reset" to help him move on from what he called a frustrating campaign. Johnson will make his second start of the season at this week's Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego and the former world number one said he has not played much golf at all prior to arriving at the picturesque venue.

NFL to host COVID-19 vaccination site in run-up to LA Super Bowl

The NFL and the Los Angeles Department of Public Health on Tuesday announced they will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Los Angeles Convention Center in the run-up to the Feb. 13 Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium. The clinic will be on the site of the Super Bowl Experience and officials said that fans who receive any dose of the vaccine there will receive a free ticket into the NFL's interactive theme park.

China's Xi meets with IOC's Bach in Beijing ahead of Games

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach on Tuesday, just over a week before the start of the Winter Games, in a rare in-person encounter with a foreign visitor during the pandemic. Xi, who has not left China since COVID-19 first emerged, wore a white mask with a red Chinese flag in the corner as he stood next to a masked Bach at a government guesthouse in Beijing, according to images on state television.

Olympics-Ice hockey 'the Canadian way': Size, speed and aggression

Canada coach Claude Julien said fans can still expect to see ice hockey "the Canadian way" at next month's Beijing Olympics as 2010 gold medal winner Eric Staal was on Tuesday named in a team assembled from outside the NHL. Staal, who scored 441 goals and 1,031 points in his 17-year National Hockey League career, will be the leader on a squad cobbled together from European, minor and junior leagues after the NHL decided in December to end its Olympic participation after a surge in COVID-19 cases forced the postponement of more than 100 games.

Golf-Thomas says he has no complaints about easy courses

Justin Thomas on Tuesday weighed into the debate over whether some courses on the PGA Tour are challenging enough, saying weather conditions are the biggest factor in scoring, not decisions made by tournament officials. World number one Jon Rahm raised eyebrows last week when he lambasted the setup at the La Quinta Country Club for turning the American Express into what he called a "putting contest" in an expletive-laden rant that was caught on video.

Golf-Webb ready for LPGA return, but don't call it a comeback

Seven-times major champion Karrie Webb said on Tuesday her return to the LPGA Tour this week for the first time in two years is not the start of a comeback but rather a convenient chance to tee it up without hitting the road. The 47-year-old Australian lives in Boynton Beach, Florida, which means she only has to drive about 30 minutes to compete at the Gainbridge LPGA in nearby Boca Raton.

Olympics-Away from the NHL, Staal cherishing spot on Canada ice hockey roster

Canadian Eric Staal may not have made it back to the National Hockey League (NHL) this season, but a ticket to next month's Beijing Games has proven the ultimate silver lining. The 37-year-old forward helped the Montreal Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup finals last season but was unsigned this year, joining the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild earlier this month in the hope of earning a spot on Canada's Olympic roster.

Golf-Rahm eager for return to stomping ground at Torrey Pines

World number one Jon Rahm said on Tuesday he is eager to return to one of his most successful venues for this week's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines where at last year's U.S. Open the Spaniard secured his first career major triumph. The picturesque venue in San Diego is Rahm's favourite hunting ground and where he used a red-hot finish last June to secure a one-shot victory and become the first U.S. Open champion from Spain.

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