In brief: 14-year-old shares lead at LPGA event
Golf: Ninth-grader Alexis Thompson shot a 3-under-par 69 on Friday for a share of the lead with top-ranked Lorena Ochoa and three others after the second round of the Navistar LPGA Classic in Prattville, Ala.
The 14-year-old Thompson, from Coral Springs, Fla., is trying to become the youngest winner in history of the LPGA Tour.
“I mean, I can say I’m really mature for 14,” said Thompson, the sister of PGA Tour player Nicholas Thompson. “I would definitely say that. But I mean, I don’t know. I just play golf every day. I mean, I’m young. That’s the only difference. I don’t know, I’m pretty good for a young player. … I’m 14 and I just love to play golf.”
Marlene Hagge won the 1952 Sarasota Open 14 days after her 18th birthday and took the Bakersfield Open two months later, but both were 18-hole events.
Paula Creamer won the 2005 Sybase Classic at 18 years, 9 months to become the youngest winner of a full tournament.
“I’m an amateur, and I’m just going to look at it and just be like, ‘Whatever,’ ” Thompson said. “Because I just try to come into these and just play well. It’s just good competition for me. Best in the world.”
Thompson won the 2008 U.S. Girls’ Junior title and tied for 34th in July in the U.S. Women’s Open.
Ochoa (68), Laura Davies (65), Yani Tseng (63) and Giulia Sergas (65) matched Thompson at 10-under 134 on The Senator course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Capitol Hill complex.
Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot a 70 and missed the cut by two strokes at 146.
•Taylor atop field at Turning Stone: Vaughn Taylor has shot his second straight 67 to gain a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona, N.Y.
Taylor was at 10-under 134 after another cold, wet and somewhat windy day at Atunyote Golf Club.
Tied for second were Matt Kuchar (68), rookie Leif Olson (69) and Nicholas Thompson (67), whose 14-year-old sister, Alexis, was tied for the lead at the Navistar LPGA Classic in Alabama.
•Watson surges into lead: Tom Watson shot a bogey-free 68 to take a 2-shot lead over four players at the halfway point of the Senior Players Championship in Timonium, Md.
Watson made two birdies, the second with a 50-foot putt on No. 13. Seeking his first win of the year on the Champions Tour, the 60-year-old Watson completed 36 holes at 6-under-par 134.
The foursome behind Watson at 136 includes Craig Stadler, who fired a 65; Jay Haas; Bob Tway (68); and Mark Wiebe (67).
NFL players union to address head trauma
Football: The NFL Players Association has formed a committee to address the issue of head trauma among players.
The NFLPA’s concussion and traumatic brain injury committee will address diagnosis, treatment and prevention of concussions and brain injuries in active players; and the long-term cumulative effects of isolated or repetitive traumatic brain injuries in NFL players as patients.
A recent study commissioned by the NFL showed that retired players may have a higher rate than normal of Alzheimer’s disease or other memory problems. The study, which has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal, was done for the NFL by researchers at the University of Michigan.
•Multiple players fined: Oakland defensive lineman Richard Seymour was fined $7,500 by the NFL for unnecessary roughness against Denver tackle Ryan Clady. After a play was over, Seymour pulled Clady by the hair.
Seattle DE Patrick Kerney was fined $5,000 for roughing the passer when he unnecessarily drove Chicago’s Jay Cutler to the ground. San Francisco defensive end Justin Smith was fined $5,000 for hitting Minnesota’s Brett Favre in the knee area.
•Texans rookie has swine flu: Houston Texans rookie tight end Anthony Hill was hospitalized this week with swine flu in the first confirmed case in an NFL player this season.
Malkin, Crosby off to fast start
Hockey: Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby watched the Penguins raise their Stanley Cup banner, then got the NHL champions off to a familiar start by scoring their first two goals during a 3-2 home victory over the rival New York Rangers.
•Panthers win in first game in Finland: Ville Koistinen scored the winning shootout goal for Florida, and Tomas Vokoun stopped Chicago’s Patrick Sharp on the final attempt as the Panthers beat the Blackhawks 4-3 in a shootout in Helsinki. It was the first NHL game in Finland.
Man arrested for video of Andrews
Miscellany: The FBI says they’ve arrested a Chicago-area man who is accused of taking surreptitious nude videos of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews in a hotel room.
The bureau says in a statement that 48-year-old Michael Barrett of Westmont, Ill., was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on Friday night.
The FBI says Barrett faces federal charges of interstate stalking for taking the videos, posting the videos online and trying to sell them to celebrity Web site TMZ.com.
•Sharapova triumphs: Maria Sharapova won her first tournament since returning from a 10-month injury layoff when Jelena Jankovic retired because of an arm injury in the first set of the Toray Pan Pacific final at Tokyo.