Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Salah, Kerr win PFA Player of the Year awards

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was named the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year for the second time on Thursday and Chelsea's Sam Kerr took the women's award. Salah, who shared this season's Premier League golden boot for the top scorer with Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min, also won the award in the 2017-18 season.

Golf-PGA Tour players have no sympathy for suspended LIV deserters

Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and others competing at the Canadian Open had no sympathy for fellow golfers who were suspended by the PGA Tour on Thursday for jumping to the breakaway Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series. Back on the PGA Tour schedule for the first time since 2019 following a COVID-19-forced hiatus, first-round play at the Canadian Open began under dark clouds of rain as the feud between the two Tours escalated.

Athletics-Jackson steals the show with 200m victory in Rome

Shericka Jackson outclassed Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah to win the women's 200 metres at the Rome Diamond League meeting on Thursday as Fred Kerley took the men's 100m title. Jamaican Thompson-Herah arrived in the Italian capital after 100m victories in Eugene and Rabat but the 29-year-old faced her toughest test in a 200m field featuring Briton Dina Asher-Smith and 400m Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

NBA-'It starts with me' - Warriors' Green says he must be better

Golden State forward Draymond Green acknowledged that his poor performance in Game Three dragged his team down and that he will need to be better if the Warriors are to avoid falling into a 3-1 Finals hole on Friday. Green, the team's emotional leader, struggled mightily on Wednesday in the hostile environment of TD Garden, scoring just two points to go with four rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes before fouling out.

Golf-Richest event ever begins under cloud as power struggles rages

Even as the first balls were struck at the most lucrative tournament in golf's history the bitter power struggle rocking the sport's foundations intensified on Thursday. Forty eight rebel players led by the likes of Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson teed off at the Centurion Club just north of London to begin the first of eight events in the Saudi Arabia-financed LIV Invitational Series.

Golf-Garcia 'not bothered' by PGA Tour suspension

Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia said he was "not bothered" by the PGA Tour's decision to suspend 17 players who took part in the opening event of the inaugural LIV Invitational Series near London on Thursday. The launch of the series, which boasts an eye-popping $255 million prize fund over eight events, has sparked a power struggle in golf and accusations of "sportswashing" by Saudi Arabia whose Public Investment Fund (PIF) is funding the breakaway venture.

NBA-LeBron James says he hopes to own team in Las Vegas

Four-times NBA champion LeBron James is ready to bet big on Las Vegas, with ambitions of installing a National Basketball Association franchise in Sin City. "I wanna own a team," James said in a clip from his HBO television show "The Shop" that circulated on social media on Thursday. "I want a team in Vegas."

Golf-Mickelson plays it straight as PGA Tour suspends him

Six-times major champion Phil Mickelson returned from a self-imposed hiatus from golf at the first event of the breakaway inaugural LIV Invitational Series on Thursday but refused to be drawn into the power struggle engulfing the sport.

The 51-year-old American batted away questions about the PGA Tour's suspension of 17 players who teed off in the first round at The Centurion Club north of London.

Motor racing-Hamilton gets honorary Brazilian citizenship

Formula One's seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was made an honorary citizen of Brazil on Thursday as the lower house of parliament passed a bill on the matter. The move had been proposed by congressman Andre Figueiredo after last year's Brazilian Grand Prix, at which the British driver unfurled the Brazilian flag after winning at Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit.

Motor racing-Hartley secures sixth successive pole for Toyota at Le Mans

New Zealander Brendon Hartley led a qualifying one-two for champions Toyota at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Thursday with the Japanese team taking their sixth successive pole position at the Sarthe circuit. Hartley, who shares the number eight GR010 hybrid car with Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi and Japanese Ryo Hirokawa, lapped with a best time of three minutes and 24.408 seconds.