I.K. Kim leads at Portland Classic
Golf: I.K. Kim birdied the first four holes on the back nine Thursday and finished with a 7-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead in the Portland Classic.
The South Korean player birdied seven of the first 13 holes and closed her afternoon round with five straight pars. She won the last of her three LPGA Tour titles in 2010.
“I hit the ball well and made some putts coming down … there was a couple of tricky holes coming down the stretch, so I’m very pleased with how I finished,” Kim said.
Amelia Lewis and Jennifer Song were a shot back in ideal conditions at Columbia Edgewater. Lewis, winless on the tour, had a bogey-free round. Wendy Ward (Edwall, Washington) shot a 2-over 74 and is tied for 98th.
Ogwumike named WNBA’s top rookie
WNBA: Connecticut Sun player Chiney Ogwumike was named the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year at a news conference in Connecticut. Attending was sister Nneka of the Los Angeles Sparks, the league’s rookie of the year in 2012, and their father. This is the first time siblings have won the award.
Chiney Ogwumike, the No. 1 pick in last April’s draft, averaged 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds.
“It means the world to me,” she said. “When Nneka does things, she puts them on the map for me. I want to do that, too. To have her here to share in this is really special.”
Real Madrid starts with Liverpool
Soccer: Real Madrid will start its Champions League campaign against five-time winner Liverpool, FC Basel and Bulgarian club Ludogorets Razgrad. The 10-time champions were drawn into Group B. The eight four-team groups begin play on Sept. 16-17.
Valverde wins 6th Vuelta stage
Cycling: Alejandro Valverde of Spain surged forward to win the sixth stage of the Spanish Vuelta and take the overall lead in La Zubia, Spain.
The 31-year-old Movistar rider climbed to the finish line in 4 hours, 35 minutes, 27 seconds. The 21-stage race ends in Santiago de Compostela on Sept. 14.
Brown to receive Ali humanitarian honor
Miscellany: Muhammad Ali is honoring another iconic athlete who became a forceful voice for civil rights – Jim Brown.
The NFL Hall of Fame running back will receive a lifetime humanitarian achievement award bearing the boxing great’s name, the Muhammad Ali Center announced Thursday.
The award, which debuted last year, promote achievements for social justice. Like Ali, Brown, who was at the top of his sport in the 1960s, became an outspoken civil-rights advocate.