Golf
Forget ’13, McIlroy parties at Palm Beach like it’s 2012
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Rory McIlroy birdied his last two holes Thursday for a 7-under 63 to take the lead after one round of the Honda Classic.
It was quite a turnaround for McIlroy, who last year was 7 over through eight holes of the second round when he walked off PGA National out of frustration. He looked more like the free-wheeling kid who won this tournament two years ago to rise to No. 1 in the world.
McIlroy buried a few long putts to help the cause, though his game was solid through a cloudy afternoon. He was one shot ahead of Russell Henley, who birdied five of his opening six holes before cooling.
Tiger Woods, playing for the first time in a month, was eight shots behind after a 71.
PGA and Travelers will tour together through 2024
HARTFORD, Conn. – The PGA Tour received another long contract extension with The Travelers Companies, announcing a 10-year extension as title sponsor.
The Travelers Championship now is signed through 2024.
Thursday’s agreement gives the tour seven tournaments that are under contract through at least 2019. Travelers and AT&T, which sponsors the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, both are signed for the next 10 years.
Travelers began as the title sponsor in 2007.
NFL
Reed’s Bills, Strahan’s Giants to play Hall of Fame game
NEW YORK – The Buffalo Bills and New York Giants will kick off the 2014 NFL preseason in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. The league announced Thursday the matchup for the Aug. 3 game.
The contest will be played a day after the Hall of Fame inducts seven new members, including one each from the Bills and Giants.
Wide receiver Andre Reed played 15 of his 16 seasons with the Bills from 1985 to 1999. Defensive end Michael Strahan spent his 15-season career with the Giants from 1993 to 2007, winning a Super Bowl in his final season.
Soccer
Americans’ roster gets some fresh faces for Ukraine
CHICAGO – Defender Oguchi Onyewu and midfielder Brek Shea are returning to the U.S. national team roster for Wednesday’s exhibition game against Ukraine for the first time since last summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Midfielder Danny Williams could play his first national team game since the World Cup qualifier at Honduras on Feb. 6 last year. Defender Tim Ream, who hasn’t been with the team since August, also was among the 24 players picked Thursday for the match, which was moved to Larnaca, Cyprus, from Kharkiv because of violence in Ukraine.
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann selected just three players not based in Europe: Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley, Tijuana defender Edgar Castillo and Seattle forward Clint Dempsey, who is completing a two-month loan to England’s Fulham.
Other than Dempsey, Klinsmann did not select any MLS players whose teams open March 8-9.
The U.S. team will start gathering Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany, for two days of training. Among the players who will practice is 18-year-old Bayern Munich forward Julian Green, who is not yet eligible to play for the United States. Green played for Germany in qualifying for this year’s European Under-19 Championship.
World Cup Ski Racing
World Cup downhill falls by the wayside at Kvitfjell
RINGEBU, Norway – A men’s World Cup downhill training session in the Norwegian resort of Kvitfjell has been canceled because of low visibility.
A training session is scheduled for Friday morning, with the downhill race set to start later in the day.
There is another downhill race scheduled for Saturday and a super-G on Sunday.
Associated Press
