Off the wire

GOLF Moore takes lead

Ryan Moore had 10 birdies in a 9-under 63 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic. Keegan Bradley opened with a 65 on Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club’s West Course in the event also sanctioned by the Asian Tour. Sergio Garcia was another stroke back, and Rory Sabbatini, Boo Weekley, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Chris Kirk and Chris Stroud shot 67. Phil Mickelson had a 71. The tournament is an official PGA Tour event for the first time. The winner will receive a two-year PGA Tour exemption and a spot in the Masters. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) had two birdies and three bogeys for a 1-over 73. Bryce Molder (Conway) had three birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey for a 1-over 73. Lingmerth and Molder are tied in a pack for 48th.

Luke Guthrie took only 19 putts in his round of 7-under 65, giving Americans the top three spots on the leaderboard Thursday in the BMW Masters. Only three Americans are in Shanghai for the European Tour event - one of them is John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks), playing for the first time in nearly four months since surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right elbow. Daly relied on knockdown shots to cope with the wind and kept bogeys off his card for a 68. One shot behind was the one American that could have been expected to contend at Lake Malaren - Peter Uihlein, a European Tour member who already has one win this year and is 10th on the money list. Graeme McDowell, trying to chase down Henrik Stenson in the Race to Dubai, holed a 90-foot eagle putt on the 13th hole. McDowell was at 70, part of a group that included Paul Casey, Thongchai Jaidee and Wales Open winner Gregory Bourdy. Rory McIlroy, equipped with a new golf ball, drove the ball beautifully in the blustery conditions and shot 71. Stenson opened with a 72.

Defending champion Suzann Pettersen shot a 4-under 68 to take a three-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA Taiwan Championship. The second-ranked Pettersen has three LPGA Tour victories this year. Americans Alison Walshe and Irene Cho, France’s Karine Icher and Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall were tied for second. Local favorite Yani Tseng, the 2011 winner, had a 76.

HORSE RACING Maragh wins twice

Jockey Rajiv Maragh had two wins and a second-place finish in the trio of $100,000 stakes Thursday at Belmont Park. Joha held on by a nose over North Slope in the Basket Weave for 3-year-olds on the turf. The colt trained by Tom Albertrani got his fourth win in 14 starts, paying $11.80 win. The time was 1:41.28 for 1 1/16 miles. Maragh guided Galloping Giraffe to a neck victory over Classic Point in the Punkin Pie for filly and mare sprinters. The lone 3-year-old in the fourhorse field improved to 2 for 6 for trainer Todd Pletcher. Galloping Giraffe ran seven furlongs in 1:24.07, paying $7.50 to win. May Shares was a 4½-length winner over I Got Id and Maragh in the Island Sun for New York bred 2-year-olds on the turf. The filly trained by Linda Rice beat the boys, improving to 2 for 3. Cornelio Velasquez was aboard for the mile in 1:35.83. May Shares paid $7.60 to win.

FOOTBALL SWAC suspends crew

The Southwestern Athletic Conference has suspended an officiating crew for failing to manage the clock properly in the closing seconds of regulation during the Alabama A&M-Southern game. The SWAC announced the one-game suspension on Thursday. Commissioner Duer Sharp says a review “determined the officials fell short of the high standards in which SWAC contests should be officiated.” Southern won the double-overtime game 20-17. Officials initially let the clock run out after Southern was called for intentional grounding. They restored time after realizing Southern had a timeout remaining, according to the Baton Rouge Advocate. Matthew Hill kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime. The game had been delayed for at least 90 minutes by lightning with 3:27 left. Southern was leading 14-10.

TENNIS Isner advances

John Isner of the United States edged Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) on Wednesday at the Valencia (Spain) Open. Top-seeded David Ferrer reached the second round by beating Gael Monfils of France 6-3, 6-2. Monfils appeared to be in pain during the second set, but kept playing. Philipp Kohlschreiber upset fellow German Tommy Haas, who was seeded second, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Fabio Fognini also advanced by topping Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-2. Jarkko Nieminen defeated Benoir Paire 6-3, 6-3. Jeremy Chardy of France came from a set down to beat Florian Mayer of Germany 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a late match. Other winners included fifth-seeded Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, who will next face Ferrer, Mikhail Youzhny of Russia and third-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain.

Top-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina eased past Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-1, 6-2 in the Swiss Indoors second round on Thursday at Basel, Switzerland. Del Potro forced two breaks of serve in each set and saved all five chances the 97th-ranked Baghdatis held in the first set. In today’s quarterfinals, del Potro will face Paul-Henri Mathieu of France, who beat compatriot Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-3. Five-time Basel champion Roger Federer is in the other half of the draw, and faces the winner of Thursday’s late match between eighth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria and Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine. Also, Vasek Pospisil of Canada overcame big-serving Croat Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 6-4, and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France and Daniel Brands of Germany also won.

MOTOR SPORTS

Setting field under review

NASCAR told its competitors Thursday it is considering eliminating single-car qualifying next seasonin an overhaul to how the field is set. Drivers from all three national series met with top NASCAR officials for almost two hours at the R&D Center in Concord, N.C. to discuss several things under consideration for 2014. Among the ideas being considered is a group qualifying format similar to what was used on road courses this year. NASCAR is considering using that qualifying procedure everywhere except Daytona and Talladega. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp says the field would likely be set at Daytona and Talladega with an “open qualifying session” that would allow for a 60-minute drafting session. NASCAR will also hold a Dec. 9 test at Charlotte to continue work on its intermediate track package.

NASCAR will mandate baseline concussion testing for its drivers starting next season. NASCAR only recommended the testing this season, but indicated to drivers that a preseason baseline screening could become mandatory as early as 2014. The baseline will be used to measure against test results after a driver has crashed when diagnosing a concussion. The baseline testing will be performed through the widely-used neurocognitive assessment ImPACT test, which evaluates an athlete’s verbal and visual memory, processing speed and reaction time. NASCAR said during Daytona Speedweeks it had identified 32 concussions in its three national series since 2004. Three were suffered in 2012, and one cost Dale Earnhardt Jr. two races last year.

HOCKEY

Sabres’ Scott suspended

Buffalo Sabres enforcer John Scott was suspended indefinitely by the NHL on Thursday. And teammate Patrick Kaleta’s appeal to reduce his 10-game suspension was denied by league Commissioner Gary Bettman. Scott was suspended pending a disciplinary hearing for a blindside hit to the head that leveled Boston Bruins forward Lou Eriksson in Buffalo’s 5-2 loss a day earlier. Scott has been given the opportunity to attend an in-person hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. The hearing is offered when a suspension has the potential to exceed five games.