Boxing
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Thousands of fans, dignitaries and faithful from across the globe filled a Kentucky arena Thursday to honor Muhammad Ali at a traditional Muslim prayer service where he was remembered as a global icon who used his celebrity to promote unity among faiths, races and nations.
The service, known as Jenazah, began two days of remembrances for the boxing legend, who died Friday at age 74. Ali designed his final memorials himself years before he died, and intended them to be in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, and open to all.
More than 14,000 got tickets for the Thursday service, and millions more were able to watch by live stream. Tickets for Friday’s memorial were gone within an hour. Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan, head of the Nation of Islam, were among the high-profile guests in attendance Thursday.
Ali joined the Nation of Islam, the black separatist religious movement, in the 1960s, but left after a decade to embrace mainstream Islam, which emphasizes an embrace of all races and ethnicities.
Cycling
BELLEY, France – Edvald Boasson Hagen claimed the fourth stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere on Thursday after coming out on top of a bunch sprint finish.
The Norwegian edged Frenchmen Julian Alaphilippe and Nacer Bouhanni to claim his fourth stage win in six years at the warm-up race for the Tour de France.
Two-time Tour champion Alberto Contador kept the race leader’s jersey ahead of three mountain stages.
Contador has a four-second lead over reigning Tour de France champion Chris Froome overall, with Richie Porte in third place.
Golf
Shawn Stefani, Tom Hoge and Seung-yul Noh shared the FedEx St. Jude Classic lead at 5-under 65 on Thursday in Memphis, Tennessee.
Little wind and fast greens created near perfect scoring conditions at the TPC Southwind. Some extra rough requiring tight shots also provided a good test for players preparing for the U.S. Open next week at Oakmont in Pennsylvania.
Hoge had a bogey-free round in the morning group. This is only the second time Hoge has played the event, but he has qualified for the U.S. Open twice in Memphis and tied for 12th at Southwind last year.
Dustin Johnson, the 2012 champ here, was in the group at 66 with Steve Stricker, Jamie Donaldson, Colt Knost, Brian Gay and Miguel Angel Carballo. Retief Goosen, Scott Stallings and Justin Leonard – a two-time champ here – all shot 67s.
Henrik Norlander of Sweden had a share of the lead with two holes to play among the final players on the course. But he three-putted from 4 feet on the par-3 eighth and finished with a 67.
SAMMAMISH, Wash. – Just three holes into her round, Brooke Henderson could tell she needed a spark.
Her fourth career hole-in-one and a new car – to be donated to her caddie sister – did more than enough.
Buoyed by the early ace and birdies on her final two holes, Henderson took the early lead Thursday in the Women’s PGA Championship, the second of the LPGA Tour’s five majors.
The 18-year-old Canadian, ranked fourth in the world, had a 4-under 67 on a cool day at Sahalee Country Club. Henderson aced the 13th hole – her fourth hole of the day – hitting a 7-iron from 155 yards to the left side of the green. The shot caught the apron and funneled directly to the cup.
Associated Press
