Hjertstedt battles weather to lead at B.C. Open
Gabriel Hjertstedt, bidding to become the third two-time winner of the B.C. Open, overcame two rain delays to shoot a 4-under-par 68 on Saturday and take a one-shot lead after three rounds in Verona, N.Y.
Hjertstedt, who became the first Swede to win on the PGA Tour when he captured the 1997 B.C. Open, was at 14-under 202.
First-round leader Mark Brooks (66), who shot even par on Friday, made a nice turnaround and was tied for second with David Branshaw (68), of nearby Oswego, N.Y., and Scott Gump (69).
Daisuke Maruyama (71), Larry Mize (67), Matt Gogel (67) and John Rollins (68) were another shot back.
Gump and Maruyama were tied with Hjertstedt at 10 under to start the round. But with the wind blowing steadily and pelting their faces with rain, they fell two shots back on the first hole when they made bogey and Hjertstedt had a birdie.
Hjertstedt had birdies at Nos. 7 and 8 and made a nice par save at 9 to make the turn at 14 under, two shots ahead of Gogel. Maruyama, who rallied with three birdies on the front nine, and seven others were within three shots of the top.
“Jenny Shin rallied from a late three-hole deficit to beat Vicky Hurst in 37 holes and become the second-youngest winner in the 58-year history of the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at Charlotte, N.C.
Shin, of Torrance, Calif., is 13 years, 9 months old. Aree Song Wongluekiet was 13 years, 3 months when she won in 1999.
“Philip Francis beat fellow Arizonan Richard Lee 3 and 2 in the 36-hole final of U.S. Junior Amateur at Rancho Santa Fe (Calif.) Golf Club.
“A package sent to the home of golf legend Byron Nelson in Roanoke, Texas, was detonated by a bomb squad after his wife and police believed the parcel looked suspicious.
The contents turned out to include banners from the Masters and a letter, Roanoke Fire Department Chief Mike Duncan said.
Football
Browns sign Wimbley
The Cleveland Browns signed first-round pick Kamerion Wimbley to a six-year, $23.7 million deal.
The linebacker, taken 13th overall, is the second player selected in the first round to reach a deal. No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams signed with the Houston Texans before the draft.
“Former NFL running back Ricky Williams broke his left arm in the second quarter of the Toronto Argonauts’ 26-23 victory over the host Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina and is out indefinitely.
Tennis
Roddick, Blake in final
Andy Roddick used his strong serve to overpower Robby Ginepri 7-5, 6-3 and move into the final at the RCA Championships in Indianapolis.
Roddick will play James Blake for the title, pitting the top two players in the United States. Blake beat Xavier Malisse 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to advance.
“Vera Zvonareva ended Serena Williams’ run in her first tournament in six months, beating the seven-time Grand Slam champion 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the final of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open in Mason, Ohio.
Zvonareva will make her second appearance in three years in the championship match of the Tier III event today when she faces fourth-seeded Katarina Srebotnik, who upset defending champion Patty Schnyder 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6).