Fast Break
Golf
Welch earns ‘Big Break’
Former Washington State All-American Kim Welch won The Golf Channel’s “Big Break: Ka’anapali” at the Ka’anapali Resort in Hawaii on Tuesday.
Welch defeated Sophie Sandolo in an 18-hole match-play format, 4 and 3 with a birdie on the 15th hole.
With the victory, Welch, from Sacramento, Calif., earned an exemption into the 2008 Navistar LPGA Classic, free entry into every event on the 2009 Duramed Futures Tour, a BMW Z4 and an Adams Golf endorsement contract, which includes $10,000 in cash.
Welch was one of 12 women competing on the “Big Break.”
Welch, WSU’s only four-time All-Pacific-10 Conference honoree and an All-America selection in both 2003 and 2004, finished 21st on the Futures Tour money list this past season and made it to the finals of the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament.
NBA
Turiaf receives $17 million offer
Lakers forward-center Ronny Turiaf agreed to a four-year, $17 million offer from the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, two league sources told the Press-Enterprise in Riverside, Calif.
Turiaf, the former standout at Gonzaga University, is a restricted free agent. Los Angeles has seven days to match the Warriors’ offer.
Turiaf’s agent, Mark Bartelstein would neither confirm nor deny the offer from the Warriors.
“We’ve talked to a bunch of teams,” Bartelstein told the Press-Enterprise in a phone interview. “There are a lot of teams that are interested in Ronny. We’ll just wait to see what happens.”
Turiaf just completed his third season in Los Angeles. He averaged career bests of 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds last season. He dropped to 2.0 points and 1.4 rebounds in limited duty in the Lakers’ playoff run that ended in a championship series loss against Boston.
Rodeo
Cheney Rodeo starts today
Four defending champions are returning to the 41st Cheney Rodeo this weekend.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event has 8 p.m. performances today, Friday and Saturday at the Bi-Mart Arena. Today is “Tough Enough to Wear Pink?” to support breast cancer Awareness.
Champions return in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, calf roping and team roping.
The Oregon father-son team of Mike and Brandon Beers won the team roping last year en route to qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo, although an injury kept Mike, a former world champion with Dee Pickett, from participating.
Dustin Mulrony of Pomeroy, Wash., was the bareback winner. Kass Kayser of Ellensburg took the calf roping and Sam MacKenzie of Oregon the bronc riding.
Big Bend Rodeo Co. of Ritzville is the stock contractor.