Three tied for lead at Vegas golf tournament
Golf: Kevin Na and Charlie Wi joined first-round leader Jhonattan Vegas at 12-under-par 130 on Friday to share the lead after 36 holes of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas.
Vegas, the rookie from Venezuela who won the Bob Hope Classic in January for his first PGA Tour title, was tied with William McGirt at 8-under 63 after the opening round at TPC Summerlin in the first of four Fall Series events.
Vegas followed his bogey-free first round with a 4-under 67 that included an eagle and four birdies. He eagled the 286-yard, par-4 15th.
Na reversed Vegas’ totals by following his opening 67 with a bogey-free 63 that featured eight birdies, seven of them in his final 10 holes.
Wi, who was a stroke back after the first round, had six birdies in a 66.
Spokane’s Alex Prugh, a Las Vegas resident, shot 68 to go with his first-round 67 and is five strokes behind the leaders.
Pavin leads SAS Championship: Corey Pavin shot a 7-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead in the opening round of the SAS Championship at Cary, N.C.
Nick Price, Gary Hallberg, Kenny Perry and defending champion Russ Cochran were tied for second at the Champions Tour event held at the 7,137-yard Prestonwood Country Club.
J.L. Lewis, Peter Senior, Jeff Sluman and Rod Spittle all shot 67.
Griner leads U.S. to win over Famila Schio
Women’s basketball: Brittney Griner scored 15 points to lead a balanced offense for the United States in a 77-48 victor over Italian league champion Famila Schio at Monte di Procida, Italy.
Swin Cash, Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery had 12 points apiece, and Cappie Pondexter added 11 as the U.S. national team opened a five-game exhibition schedule.
NBA, players agree on one issue
NBA: One down, two big issues to go for an agreement that would end the NBA lockout.
Commissioner David Stern indicated that after meetings on Friday the union will OK the owners’ plan for enhanced revenue sharing. However, the salary cap structure remains an obstacle, as does the division of revenues between the sides.
They will return this morning and are committed to talking through the weekend, knowing additional cancellations are likely necessary next week if they’re not close to a deal.
NFL scolds teams that mimic cadences
NFL: The NFL reminded teams of the rule prohibiting defensive players from mimicking the offense’s signal-calling cadence after Dallas accused the Washington Redskins of causing the Cowboys to bungle several snaps.
As part of a memo sent to clubs this week, the league reiterated that it was unsportsmanlike conduct for defenders to use “acts or words” that were “designed to disconcert an offensive team at the snap.”
Dallas center Phil Costa misfired on four snaps in Monday night’s win, and afterward the Cowboys accused Washington of mimicking QB Tony Romo’s cadence, which the Redskins denied.
The memo says that players and their coaches are subject to discipline if the NFL deter- mines a team violated the rule.
• Colts to start Painter at QB: Curtis Painter will make his first NFL start at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay on Monday night.
The winless Colts had been preparing Painter to start in case Kerry Collins (concussion-like symptoms) couldn’t go. Peyton Manning is out until at least December as he recovers from neck surgery.
Monk changes story on hit-and-run
Swimming: Australian Olympic swimmer Kenrick Monk admitted he broke his elbow by falling off a skateboard and was not involved in a deliberate hit-and-run accident as he had earlier told Brisbane police.
Swimming Australia said in a statement today that “the 23-year-old actually broke his elbow in two places falling off a skateboard with no other vehicle involved.”
Monk, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist and 200-meter freestyle specialist, had told police that a driver deliberately struck him Wednesday.
The incident is still under investigation.