National Sports

SILVIS, Ill. (AP-CP) — Jonas Blixt heated up on the back nine at TPC Deere Run on Thursday, playing his last six holes in 6 under for a 9-under 62 and a two-shot lead over Grayson Murray in the first round of the John Deere Classic.

WINNIPEG — Adam Bighill doesn’t think the scales are tipped heavily in Winnipeg’s favour because the Calgary Stampeders’ injured list is jam-packed.

Skateboarding is more than just a way of life for Reese Nelson, it's all she's ever known. The 10-year-old from Calgary can't remember when she first started skating or when she first dropped into a halfpipe, it's just been omnipresent in her life.

TORONTO — Getting some closure on some unfinished business is just one of the reasons Jakob Poeltl is back with the Toronto Raptors.

LONDON — Denis Shapovalov and Bianca Andreescu advanced Thursday at Wimbledon on a mixed day for Canadian players at the All England Club. Shapovalov, the No. 26 seed from Richmond Hill, Ont.

It was a solid start to the CFL season for Canadian Tyrell Richards. The Montreal Alouettes linebacker received the top grade Thursday in the CFL's honour roll for the month of June. Richard was named the top special-teams player with a 91.1 grade.

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators have agreed to terms on a three-year, US$2.325 million contract with forward Zack MacEwen. The deal carries a $775,000 average annual value.

Time has become Jeff Gustafson's most precious commodity. In March, the Kenora, Ont., angler became the first Canadian to win the US$1-million Bassmaster Classic — pro bass fishing's most prestigious title — going wire-to-wire on the Tennessee River.

TORONTO — The Canadian women's soccer team will face Jamaica in a two-game series in September with a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Canada, the defending Olympic champion, will travel to Kingston, Jamaica, for the opening match on Sept.

A rare home game for the Canadian women's rugby team could be a record-breaker Saturday.