Donald matches Mickelson with 62
Luke Donald was in the group ahead when Phil Mickelson blistered Spyglass Hill last year for a course-record 62. He remembers being amazed at the score, and hearing how it would be a long time before anyone else could do that at the Pebble Beach (Calif.) National Pro-Am.
“It only took 365 days,” Donald said Thursday. “I’m glad it was me.”
Taking advantage of weather that approached perfection, Donald holed out for eagle from 96 yards, strung together birdies and wound up matching Mickelson’s record with a 10-under-par 62 to take a one-shot lead over Mike Weir.
Not many could recall conditions so pure at Pebble Beach, where there was no trace of a cloud or a breeze and temperatures were pushing 80 degrees.
Football
Seahawks feel out MVP
Seattle running back Shaun Alexander said from Honolulu that the Seahawks contacted his agent Tuesday to discuss the league Most Valuable Player’s future with the team.
Alexander, who skipped light drills while resting his sprained right foot for the Pro Bowl, will become one of the league’s most coveted free agents if he doesn’t re-sign with the Seahawks before March 3.
He said the Seahawks contacted his agent just as the three-time Pro Bowler boarded a plane for Hawaii.
Among the other unrestricted free agents on Seattle’s roster are Pro Bowl fullback Mack Strong, Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson, wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, defensive tackle Rocky Bernard and safety Marquand Manuel.
Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Louisville coach Bobby Petrino have pulled out of consideration for the Oakland Raiders coaching vacancy.
The NCAA will give college coaches at least one replay challenge per game next season and require conferences to use a universal review format if recommended changes by the rules committee are approved in March. The announcement was made at the conclusion of the committee’s three-day meeting in Indianapolis.
University of Texas coach Mack Brown got a $390,000 pay raise after leading the Longhorns to their first outright national championship in 36 years. Brown’s annual salary of about $2.55 million keeps him among the highest-paid coaches in college.
Head coach Mike Kramer continued to reshape his Montana State staff, moving defensive line coach Jason Linders to linebackers and tight ends coach Jeremy Thielbahr to defensive line.
Baseball
Jury sides with Angels
A Santa Ana, Calif., jury ruled that the Angels did not breach a contract with the city of Anaheim when the baseball team changed its name.
Jurors rejected the city of Anaheim’s argument that the team violated a stadium lease and cost the city where it plays at least $100 million in revenue by changing the name last year from Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Pitcher Josh Fogg and Colorado agreed to a one-year contract.
Toronto agreed to a $5.8 million, one-year contract with infielder Shea Hillenbrand and a $650,000, one-year deal with right-hander Pete Walker.
Miscellany
Star cyclist suspended
Star rider Roberto Heras was banned for two years after testing positive for EPO and was stripped of his title at last year’s Spanish Vuelta, one of European cycling’s top races.
Northwestern College’s Deb Remmerde’s streak of 133 straight free throws – the longest in organized basketball history – is over. Remmerde missed for the first time in 23 games during Northwestern’s 95-66 win over Dakota Wesleyan in an NAIA game Wednesday at Des Moines, Iowa.
Larry Black, a gold and silver medalist in track and field in the 1972 Summer Olympics, has died of an aneurysm in Miami, his wife said. He was 54. Black won a gold medal as the lead leg of the men’s 400-meter relay. He also won a silver in the 200.