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Auto Racing
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NASCAR has fined Tony Stewart $35,000 for criticizing the series about a potential safety hazard during races.
The fine issued Thursday falls under NASCAR’s new behavioral policy and comes a day after the three-time champion warned that a driver is going to get hurt if the series doesn’t start policing pit stops for missing lug nuts.
There’s been a rash of loose wheels the last two races because some teams are not applying the maximum five lug nuts during pit stops. By skipping one or more, a team can have a faster stop and gain better track position.
College Basketball
GREELEY – The University of Northern Colorado has fired men’s basketball coach B.J. Hill amid an NCAA investigation into allegations of violations in the program.
University President Kay Norton said in a news release Thursday that Hill’s assistants were placed on administrative leave while the school continues to cooperate with the NCAA as it looks into “serious and concerning allegations of NCAA violations.”
Hill went 86-98 with two postseason appearances in six seasons at Northern Colorado.
Golf
SAN ANTONIO – Brendan Steele topped the Texas Open leaderboard at 8 under through 13 holes Thursday when the first round was suspended because of darkness.
Steele, whose only PGA Tour victory came in the tournament five years ago, was unable to finish the opening round after play was delayed for 3½ hours because of morning rain.
When Steele returns Friday morning to complete the first round at the TPC Oaks Course, he could make a run at the course record of 63 set by Matt Every in 2012 and matched by Martin Laird in 2012.
SHENZHEN, China – Alexander Levy and Lee Soo-min opened with 6-under 66s and held the first-round lead when play was suspended Thursday at the Shenzhen International.
Levy, the 2014 China Open champion, started with a birdie on the 10th hole and turned in 31 after an eagle on the 17th and a birdie on the 18th. He opened his second nine with another birdie.
Lee had a bogey-free round containing six birdies in his sixth start on the European Tour.
DALY CITY, Calif. – So Yeon Ryu shot a tournament-record 9-under 63 on Thursday to take the early first-round lead in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic.
Playing in the first group of the day off the 10th tee, the South Korean player had seven birdies in an eight-hole stretch on the back nine and added two more on the front nine at Lake Merced.
Olympics
Louis Oosthuizen is the latest major champion who says he won’t be taking part in golf’s return to the Olympics.
Oosthuizen says scheduling and family issues led him to inform the South African delegation that he won’t be playing in Rio the first full week of August.
“I have always represented South Africa with pride, so didn’t make my decision without a great deal of thought,” Oosthuizen said.
Adam Scott also said this week he wouldn’t be playing because it doesn’t fit his schedule. Vijay Singh said last week that it wasn’t a priority.
Associated Press
