Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Cubs' Zobrist taking leave during divorce

Ben Zobrist plans to remain on leave from the Chicago Cubs while going through a divorce from professional singer Julianna Zobrist. Julianna Zobrist, 34, provided no reason for seeking a divorce in her petition filed Monday, according to Cook County court filings. U.S. favorites in toughest-ever Women's World Cup field

The United States may be favorites to retain their Women's World Cup title but the rapid development of the game globally means they will face a tougher field than ever before when the tournament gets underway in France on June 7. Hundreds of thousands of tickets have been sold and world governing body FIFA is banking on the women's game taking a huge step forward on the back of a successful tournament. Wily Rapinoe ready to serve again as U.S. defend World Cup

There may be more heralded names in the United States squad heading to France for next month's World Cup but Megan Rapinoe will again be one of the most influential figures as the Americans seek to retain the trophy they won in 2015. The attacking midfielder, who can play centrally or on the wing, is one of the most senior players in a squad bristling with talent, and the U.S. will as usual be relying on her to create chances for Alex Morgan and her strike partners. Golf: Spieth not distracted by career grand slam thoughts at PGA Championship

Jordan Spieth says he is not wasting time thinking about completing the career grand slam as he begins a third bid to seal a full set of major titles at this week's PGA Championship. The 25-year-old American is not among the favorites at Bethpage Black this week given his recent form, but he feels the day will come when he completes his major collection. Jets fire Maccagnan, name Gase as interim GM

The New York Jets fired general manager Mike Maccagnan on Wednesday and named first-year head coach Adam Gase as the interim GM. Hired in January of 2015, Maccagnan had two years remaining on the contract extension he signed at the end of the 2017 season. U.S. to focus on firepower in search of fourth World Cup

The United States are widely tipped to retain their crown at the Women's World Cup but to do so they will have to focus on their firepower and park the potentially distracting differences between the players and their football association. The decision by the squad to file a lawsuit in a California court alleging "institutionalized gender discrimination" under the Equal Pay Act earlier this year has cast a shadow over their preparations, but the American women know their value in what is expected to be the biggest Women's World Cup to date. Cycling: UCI suspends four for potential anti-doping breach

Four European cyclists, including two retired riders, have been provisionally suspended for potential doping violations following information from the Austrian law enforcement authorities, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Wednesday. Slovenia's Kristijan Koren of Team Bahrain Merida and Croatian Kristijan Durasek of UAE Team Emirates as well as former riders Alessandro Petacchi and Borut Bozic have been notified of potential Anti-Doping Rules Violations (ADRV) as part of the 'Operation Aderlass' investigation. Golf: Stricker says U.S. to stick with four Ryder Cup captain's picks

The United States will retain four wildcard selections for next year's Ryder Cup, captain Steve Stricker said on Wednesday. Speaking on the eve of the PGA Championship, Stricker was asked whether he would follow the lead of his European counterpart Padraig Harrington, who has decided to cut his captain's picks from four to three. Warriors bury Blazers with treys, win opener

The Golden State Warriors are so used to playing in the Western Conference finals, they were in no hurry to do it for a fifth consecutive year Tuesday night. Then once they took the floor, they put that rest to good use against a weary opponent in Game 1. Soccer: World Cup shines spotlight on gender pay disparity

The players set to light up the Women's World Cup in France next month may play for big-name clubs like Barcelona, Arsenal and Juventus but, although salaries are improving, they earn a fraction of the money paid to their male counterparts. Nilla Fischer, who will move from Frauen-Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg to FC Linkoping in her native Sweden when the tournament is over, gave Reuters a stark assessment of the gap between men's and women's wages in a recent interview.

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