62s by Gainey, Wagner lead at Greenbrier
Golf: Johnson Wagner and Tommy Gainey each shot an 8-under 62 on Thursday to share a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
Webb Simpson and Jin Park were close behind after 64s. Daniel Summerhays, Tag Ridings, Steven Bowditch and 50-year-old Neal Lancaster were another shot back.
Players were able to lift, clean and place their balls Thursday after rain fell prior to the start of play.
Gainey and Wagner had bogey-free rounds in the morning. Wagner was 8 under after 12 holes but finished with six straight pars. Both could use a good week – Gainey is 125th in season tour winnings, while Wagner ranks 148th.
Wagner doesn’t have a top-10 finish this year and hasn’t won since the 2012 Sony Open. In his last seven tournaments, he’s missed six cuts and withdrew from the Memorial.
“The last couple of months have been really hard,” Wagner said. “I just haven’t been much fun to be around. It’s just been tough. Nobody likes to be bad at what they do, especially golfers.”
Wagner chipped in for eagle on the par-5 12th, then finished with six straight pars.
Phil Mickelson, playing for the first time since finishing second to Justin Rose at the U.S. Open, struggled to a 74. His tee shot on the par-5 17th landed in Howard’s Creek and he three-putted for triple bogey. He also had five bogeys and four birdies.
• Hansen leads French Open after first round: Anders Hansen of Denmark shot a 5-under 66 to lead by a stroke after the first round of the French Open in Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines, France.
Hansen made seven birdies and two bogeys on the Albatross course of Le Golf National, which will host the Ryder Cup in 2018.
Frenchman Romain Wattel was in second place, one stroke clear of nine players who shared third place, including Martin Kaymer of Germany.
Jefferson, Bobcats reach 3-year deal
NBA: People familiar with the situation say the Charlotte Bobcats have agreed to a three-year, $40.5 million contract with free-agent center Al Jefferson from the Utah Jazz.
Jefferson averaged 17.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists for Utah last season, his third with the Jazz.
• Knicks to keep Smith and Prigioni: The New York Knicks are keeping J.R. Smith and Pablo Prigioni, two key members of their first Atlantic Division championship team since 1994.
Both players agreed to new deals, their agents confirmed.
Smith, the Sixth Man of the Year, gets a four-year contract worth around $25 million.
• Hawks, Korver agree to multiyear deal: The Atlanta Hawks have reached an agreement to re-sign guard-forward Kyle Korver to a multiyear deal.
Korver averaged 10.9 points per game and ranked second in the NBA by making 45.7 percent of his 3-point shots. The contract will not impact the Hawks’ ability to offer free-agent center Dwight Howard a maximum contract.
• Cavs, Earl Clark agree to two-year deal: The Cleveland Cavaliers reached agreement on a two-year contract with free-agent forward Earl Clark.
The 6-foot-10 Clark set career highs in scoring (7.3), rebounds (5.5) and minutes (23.1) in 36 starts last season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
King Kreesa wins at Belmont Park
Horse racing: King Kreesa rolled to a pacesetting victory, beating Howe Great by 1 1/2 lengths in the $150,000 Poker Stakes on the turf at Belmont Park in New York.
A 4-year-old New York-bred gelding, King Kreesa got his fifth win 14 starts with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. He ran the mile in 1:33.65, paying $11, $5.50 and $6.50 as the 9-2 second choice.
• Chief Havoc wins Swaps Stakes: Chief Havoc led all the way in winning the $147,000 Swaps Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths at Betfair Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Chief Havoc ran 1 1/8 miles on Cushion Track in 1:50.17 and paid $2.80 and $2.10 as the 2-5 favorite.
• Rainbow Heir runs away with Monmouth Park feature: Rainbow Heir won the $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. Rainbow Heir remained unbeaten by winning the Grade III race, scoring his fourth career victory and boosting his earnings to $152,460.