Former Gopher Erik van Rooyen leads Irish Open by four shots

South African golfer Erik van Rooyen left behind his overnight co-leaders to grab a four-shot lead going into the final day of the Irish Open on Saturday in Donegal.

Van Rooyen, who played for the Gophers from 2010 to '13 and won the 2012 Minnesota State Amateur, began the third round in a three-way tie for the lead but stormed to the turn in just 29 shots on his way to a 6-under-par 66 to finish 14 under.

He's four shots ahead of Joakim Lagergren of Sweden (69) and Ryan Fox of New Zealand (70). Former Masters champion Danny Willett (69) was five shots off the pace.

The Timberwolves signed second-round draft pick and Big Ten Player of the Year Keita Bates-Diop to a rookie contract on Saturday.

Projected as a possible first-round pick, the 6-9 forward signed a three-year contract that's guaranteed for the first two seasons, according to a league source.

He went 3-for-11 from the field — including 1-for-7 on three-pointers — and had nine points and seven rebounds in his Las Vegas Summer League debut on Friday when the Wolves lost 70-69 to Denver.

Josh Okogie, the Wolves' first-round pick, had 10 points.

The Northern Lights 17-1 girls' volleyball team won the Open Division at the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships in Detroit on July 3. Northern Lights defeated Top Select Elite (Florida) 25-14, 25-16 in the final.

Setter Kennedi Orr of Eagan was named the tournament's MVP and Rosemount libero Mari Hinkle and Mahtomedi hitter Kyndra Hansen joined Orr as All-America picks.

Jim Paulsen