WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Natalie Darwitz’s tenure is over as general manager of the PWHL champion Minnesota franchise following an internal and external review. PWHL vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said Saturday the findings included input from players and staff. Hefford called the feedback direct and clear in leaving the league with little choice but to part ways. The decision to remove Darwitz is still stunning in timing and significance following the completion of the PWHL’s first season. It comes a week after Minnesota won the championship.

FOOTBALL

Travis Kelce’s power extends beyond the football field or dating one of the world’s most famous women. Kansas City’s talented tight end, who also happens to be pop superstar Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, showed off his batting skills by winning a home run contest at a charity softball event. Kelce, who grew up in Cleveland, arrived at Classic Park in suburban Clevelandjust as the event was getting underway.

Veteran pass rusher Randy Gregory is suing the NFL and the Denver Broncos over more than $500,000 in fines he received for using medications containing THC. Gregory’s attorneys filed the lawsuit in Arapahoe County in suburban Denver. The complaint says Gregory was denied accommodations to use medicine containing THC to treat social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. The NFL declined to comment on the lawsuit and so did the Broncos, for whom Gregory played in 2022 and 2023.

GOLF

The PGA Tour reported progress without details from a face-to-face meeting between its negotiating committee and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia as it tries to work toward a deal. The meeting in New York on Friday evening involved the “transaction committee” of PGA Tour Enterprises and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund that pays for rival LIV Golf.

PGA Tour Enterprises is the commercial group that came out of the framework agreement announced a year ago among the PGA Tour, PIF and the European tour. Rory McIlroy, who joined Tiger Woods and Adam Scott on the transaction committee, said it has been meeting with PIF representatives every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the past couple of weeks. The tour referred to negotiations as “accelerated” in recent months.

Friday’s meeting was the first in-person discussion since players and board members met with Al-Rumayyan in the Bahamas the day after The Players Championship in March.