Reuters Sports News Summary

Tristen Newton scored 20 points and dished out seven assists as top-seeded UConn won its second straight national championship, beating Purdue 75-60 on Monday night. Women’s NCAA title game draws 18.7M viewers, setting records South Carolina's victory over Iowa in the national championship game Sunday afternoon averaged 18.7 million TV viewers and set new marks inside and outside women's college basketball.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Golf - Rahm hoped move to LIV Golf would have united rival tours

Masters champion Jon Rahm said on Tuesday he had hoped his stunning move to LIV Golf would have helped expedite a deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and reunite the game's top players. The Spaniard made the lucrative jump to the rebel circuit last December while the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabian backers of LIV Golf were apparently working towards finalizing a definitive partnership agreement that has yet to materialize.

Golf-From Drive, Chip & Putt to the Masters, Bhatia is living the dream

Every kid in Augusta National's Drive, Chip & Putt competition dreams of one day returning to play the Masters and Akshay Bhatia will be the first to make that fantasy a reality on Thursday in a story that is developing into a Hollywood script. If winning the Texas Open in a playoff over Denny McCarthy on Sunday to claim the last spot in the Masters field was not enough of a fairytale, Bhatia made it all the more dramatic when he dislocated his shoulder doing a massive fist pump after draining a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th to force extra holes.

UConn knocks off Purdue to repeat as national champion

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- UConn knew no one could take away its 2023 title, but the Huskies went out and got another one just for good measure. Tristen Newton scored 20 points and dished out seven assists as top-seeded UConn won its second straight national championship, beating Purdue 75-60 on Monday night.

Women's NCAA title game draws 18.7M viewers, setting records

South Carolina's victory over Iowa in the national championship game Sunday afternoon averaged 18.7 million TV viewers and set new marks inside and outside women's college basketball. According to ESPN Monday, the broadcast was the most-watched basketball game -- college or pro, men's or women's -- since 2019, and the most-watched sporting event outside of the Olympics or football since 2019.

MLB roundup: Padres rally from 8-run deficit to beat Cubs

Fernando Tatis Jr. blasted a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning, capping the San Diego Padres' comeback from an eight-run deficit as they stunned the visiting Chicago Cubs 9-8 on Monday. Jackson Merrill started the San Diego eighth by working a walk from reliever Hector Neris. Neris and closer Adbert Alzolay (1-1) retired the next two hitters before Tatis drilled a hanging slider an estimated 376 feet into the seats in left field for his fourth homer of the year.

2-time Super Bowl champion Logan Ryan retires

Defensive back Logan Ryan announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday after 11 seasons. Ryan, 33, won Super Bowls XLIX and LI with the New England Patriots during his first four seasons in the league.

NAIA bans transgender athletes in U.S. collegiate sports

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics on Monday banned transgender women from competing in women's sports, taking a more hardline stance than other athletic bodies that allow trans athletes to compete based on testosterone levels. The NAIA, representing mostly small colleges, is less influential than the larger National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) but its decision carries some political weight in the wider U.S. debate about transgender rights.

Reports: Hornets to interview Lindsey Harding for head-coaching job

The Charlotte Hornets requested and received permission to interview Sacramento Kings G League coach Lindsey Harding for their upcoming head-coaching vacancy, ESPN and The Athletic reported Monday. Harding just completed her first season as head coach of the Stockton (Calif.) Kings, and she became the first women selected the G League Coach of the Year. Stockton produced a league-best 24-10 record but was eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday with a 114-107 defeat to the Oklahoma City Blues in the single-game Western Conference finals.

Rangers aim for bullpen consistency in matchup vs. A's

Bruce Bochy, manager of the World Series champion Texas Rangers, is looking for a consistent effort from his bullpen as his team prepares to host the Oakland Athletics in a three-game series in Arlington, Texas, starting Tuesday night. Left-handed reliever Brock Burke entered Monday night's game against the Houston Astros in the fourth inning with two on and two out with left-handed sluggers Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker up next as the Rangers held a 5-4 lead.

Rays look to create havoc on bases in encounter vs. Angels

The Tampa Bay Rays have been one of the more aggressive teams on the bases this season. The Rays will look to stretch their legs on Tuesday night when they continue their three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)