GOLF

U.S. opens a 6-2 advantage after first day of Solheim Cup

Nelly Korda, who had never won a Solheim Cup in three tries, put the United States in a strong position to end that drought by winning the leadoff match of each session Friday while helping the Americans to a 6-2 lead over Europe at Gainesville, Virginia.

A Solheim Cup that began with an unforced error by organizers, who didn’t have enough shuttle buses to transport fans to the course in the early-morning hours, continued with the largest lead by either team after one day. The U.S. also led 6-2 in the inaugural event in 1990, when the first eight matches were played over two days.

In her better-ball match with Megan Khang, Korda played 14 holes in 8 under and made two eagles on the back nine, the first after her 5-iron approach on the 480-yard, par-5 12th settled 2 feet away. Georgia Hall of Europe conceded that putt, and Korda holed a 10-footer for eagle on No. 14 to close out a 6-and-4 victory over Hall and Leona Maguire.

WOODS SURGERY: Tiger Woods had yet another surgery on his lower back, the sixth surgery on his lower back in the last 10 years.

EUROPEAN: Matteo Manassero handled the brunt of the afternoon cold and wind, and made two eagles on his way to a 5-under 66 for a one-shot lead in the Irish Open at Newcastle, Northern Ireland.

LIV: Brooks Koepka birdied his last three holes for an 8-under 62, staking him to a four-shot lead after the first round of LIV Golf Chicago, the final individual event of the season.

COLLEGES

FOOTBALL: Georgia cornerback Daniel Harris was arrested on a reckless driving charge after police said he was driving 106 mph

Football players at the school have been involved in at least two dozen driving-related violations such as DUI, reckless driving or speeding, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported. Offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy were killed in a crash that occurred while LeCroy and defensive tackle Jalen Carter were racing.

TRACK AND FIELD

POLE VAULT: Armand Duplantis capped a “beautiful season” with a meet record in the Diamond League final at Brussels that was far from his world record.

Duplantis broke the world record three times this year; the second was when he won his second Olympic gold medal, and the most recent in a league meet Aug. 25 in Poland, clearing 20 feet, 5.05 inches.

SOCCER

U.S. MEN: Mauricio Pochettino began his tenure as the national coach, saying his players should aspire to achieve as much as the American women.

“We are here because we want to win,” he said in New York. “We have many examples next to us we need to follow. … We need to believe we can win the World Cup.”

GERMAN LEAGUE: Heidenheim’s dream rise to the top of the league came to an abrupt halt with a 4-2 loss at Borussia Dortmund, which moved into first place after three games.

TENNIS

DAVIS CUP: The United States secured a place in the last eight by beating Slovakia 3-0 at Zhuhai, China, a result that also sent Germany through from the same group.

Mackenzie McDonald of the U.S. converted four of his six break points to beat Lukas Klein 6-4, 6-3, and Davis Cup debutant Brandon Nakashima had eight aces in a 6-3, 6-3 win against Jozef Kovalik.

HALL OF FAME: Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion, led the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s fan vote her first year on the ballot — an important part to selection to the hall’s next class.

HOCKEY

NHL: The driver charged with killing NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said.

Gaudreau, 31, and brother Matthew, 29, were killed near their childhood home in South Jersey on Aug. 29, the night before they were to serve as groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding.