Off the wire

GOLF

Palmer gets pacemaker

Golfing legend Arnold Palmer was released from UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh on Tuesday and is back home in Latrobe, Pa., after having a pacemaker implanted to correct an irregular heartbeat. Palmer, 84, had the pacemaker installed Monday and remained in the hospital overnight for observation. Palmer spokesman Doc Giffin said the seven-time major champion had not been feeling well for a while and went to the doctor for a checkup. It was determined "his heartbeat wasn't normal and (the doctors) decided he needed a pacemaker," Giffin said. Earlier this year, Palmer was bothered by a bad back and thought he would need surgery. However, it was determined his problem could be alleviated with a daily regimen that included working with a trainer.

HOCKEY

Islanders sold to pair

New York Islanders owner Charles Wang announced Tuesday that he will sell the team to Jonathan Ledecky, a former minority owner of the Washington Capitals, and Scott Malkin, a London-based investor. Wang said in a statement that he would initially sell the group led by Ledecky and Malkin a "substantial minority interest," pending NHL approval, and that Ledecky and Malkin would become majority owners of the Islanders in two years. Financial details were not announced, and Wang did not reveal how much of a stake he would retain after surrendering majority control of the team. Wang had been listening to offers for the team since at least March. One of the suitors, Andrew Barroway, a hedge fund manager, thought he had a handshake deal to buy the Islanders for $420 million. Last week, he filed suit against Wang, accusing him of reneging on the sale and raising his asking price to $548 million so that he could pursue an agreement with another buyer. Barroway is seeking $10 million in damages. The sale to the Ledecky-Malkin group comes a year before the Islanders are to move to Brooklyn to play at Barclays Center -- ending their stay at Nassau Coliseum, which began in 1972. In 2001, Ledecky sold his stake in the Capitals and subsequently pursued an unsuccessful bid for the Washington Nationals. He is an uncle of Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky. Malkin is the chairman of Value Retail, which develops retail villages in Europe and Asia. Both he and Ledecky had been shopping separately for a hockey team. Wang acquired the Islanders in 2000 for $187.5 million in a partnership with Sanjay Kumar; at the time, they were chairman and president, respectively, of the software company Computer Associates. But in 2006, Kumar pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice in a fraud case involving the company. He sold his stake to Wang and is serving a 12-year prison sentence. Wang was not prosecuted, but the company's board said in a report that he had overseen a decade-long accounting fraud. Wang disagreed and blamed Kumar for the fraud.

• A settlement has been reached in Steve Moore's lawsuit against former Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi for his career-ending hit during an NHL game 10 years ago. Bertuzzi lawyer Geoff Adair confirmed the settlement but says the terms are confidential. The multimillion-dollar lawsuit had been scheduled to go to trial Sept. 8. Bertuzzi struck Moore from behind, sending the Colorado Avalanche player crashing face first to the ice and leaving him with a concussion and fractured vertebrae. Moore alleges the Canucks had put a bounty on him following his check that injured captain Markus Naslund. Bertuzzi pleaded guilty to criminal assault causing bodily harm. He was sentenced in 2006 to one year of probation and 80 hours of community service.

TENNIS

Isner tops Klahn

• John Isner shook off a slow start to beat fellow American Bradley Klahn 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 on Tuesday in the second round of the Winston-Salem Open. Three of the top six seeds were eliminated in the second round at the Wake Forest Tennis Center. Third-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain lost to France’s Nicolas Mahut 6-1, 7-6 (7-0); fourth-seeded Leonardo Mayer of Argentina was upset by Belgian qualifier David Goffin 6-3, 6-1; while Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz stunned No. 6 seed Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5). However, No. 2 seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa overcame a shaky second set to beat France’s Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. Also advancing were Americans Sam Querry and Donald Young, Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France, Italy’s Andreas Seppi, Spain’s Marcel Granollers, Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin, Taiwan’s Yen-Hsun Lu, Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic, and Spain’s Pablo Andujar.

• Defending champion and top-seeded Simona Halep was beaten Tuesday in her opening match at the Connecticut Open, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 by Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova. Earlier, American Alison Riske beat sixth-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta 6-1, 7-6 (3). Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic also moved into the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Caroline Garcia of France. The final match of the night featured Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, the tournament’s second seed, against Ekaterina Makarova of Russia.

• Top-ranked Novak Djokovic is seeded No. 1 for the U.S. Open, and five-time champion Roger Federer is No. 2, meaning they could meet only in the final. Djokovic beat Federer for the title at Wimbledon last month. The U.S. Tennis Association followed this week's ATP rankings in announcing the seedings Tuesday. Federer moved up one spot from his No. 3 ranking because 2013 champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from the year's last Grand Slam tournament with an injured right wrist. The 33-year-old Federer is seeded at the U.S. Open for the 14th consecutive year, tied with Ivan Lendl for the longest streak, trailing only Jimmy Connors' record of 18. Federer won the hard-court tournament every year from 2004-08, part of his record 17 Grand Slam titles. Djokovic has played in the last four finals at Flushing Meadows, winning the title in 2011. He lost to Nadal in 2010 and last year, and to Andy Murray in 2012. Murray is seeded eighth this year. Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka is No. 3, followed by David Ferrer, Milos Raonic, Tomas Berdych and Grigor Dimitrov. The women's seedings will be announced today, and the draw is Thursday. The tournament starts Monday.

SOCCER

Suarez: Won't bite

Luis Suarez says Barcelona's fans needn't worry-- he won't bite again. Barcelona unveiled Suarez on Tuesday, an event delayed for over five weeks since his transfer from Liverpool due to his latest suspension for biting an opponent at the World Cup. "I say to all the fans, don't worry, because I won't do that anymore," Suarez said. He sunk his teeth into the shoulder of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in June, earning him a four-month ban from playing competitive matches and further damaging his already tarnished reputation. At 27, Suarez has accumulated three multi-match suspensions for biting an opponent. He has also been suspended for making racist remarks.

• The Russian sports minister says the country is resisting demands from FIFA to reduce the number of stadiums for the 2018 World Cup from 12 to 10. FIFA President Sepp Blatter said last month that two of the 12 planned stadiums could be cut and the issue was discussed when Blatter visited Russia over the weekend. According to the ITAR-Tass news agency, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko says the plan to use 12 stadiums in 11 cities "is not being changed." Mutko says a final decision will be taken at a FIFA executive committee meeting in October. Mutko is a member of the executive committee. The World Cup in Brazil used 12 stadiums in 12 cities.

MOTOR SPORTS

Gibbs hires Edwards

Joe Gibbs Racing has hired Carl Edwards to drive a new fourth Sprint Cup car in 2015. The team also added Daniel Suarez, who will drive a full-time Nationwide Series entry for Gibbs and run a partial schedule in the Truck Series. Suarez becomes the first Mexican driver to race full-time in NASCAR's second tier series. The ARRIS Group will sponsor Edwards' No. 19 Toyota for 17 races. The company will also support Suarez. JGR also launched a diversity initiative with the Escuderia Telmex team to provide development opportunities to Mexican and Latin American drivers in the NASCAR Toyota Series in Mexico.

HORSE RACING

Bayern early favorite for Travers

A horse that wasn’t ready for the Kentucky Derby is the program favorite in the Travers Stakes.

Bayern, a powerful last-out Grade I winner, is the early 2-1 choice in Saturday’s $1.25 million Grade I race at Saratoga in upstate New York. The 10-horse field was drawn Tuesday night at a downtown Saratoga Springs, N.Y., restaurant.

Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist is the early 3-1 second choice and Wicked Strong, the Grade II Jim Dandy winner over the track last time, is the 7-2 third choice.

Breaking from the No. 2 post position, Bayern figures to set the pace in the mile-and-a-quarter Mid-Summer Derby for 3-year-olds. Ninth in the Preakness, Bayern has bounced back with spectacular victories going 7 furlongs in Belmont Park’s Woody Stephens and a mile and an eighth in Monmouth Park’s Haskell Invitational. Martin Garcia keeps the mount for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who shipped Kaleem Shah’s Offlee Wild colt to Oaklawn Park for a third-place finish in April’s Grade I Arkansas Derby.

Bayern then was placed second through disqualification after winning the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs and finished ninth in the May 17 Preakness.

Tonalist won the mile-and-a-half Belmont June 7 after skipping the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. The Tapit colt, trained by Christophe Clement, finished second in the Jim Dandy, his comeback race. Joel Rosario keeps the mount, breaking from post six.

Wicked Strong, the Grade I Wood Memorial winner but fourth in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont, added blinkers for the Jim Dandy. Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, the Hard Spun colt breaks from post seven with Rajiv Maragh aboard.

Also in the field are Kentucky Derby runner-up Commanding Curve (15-1, jockey Shaun Bridgmohan), Charge Now (15-1, Junior Alvarado), V.E. Day (15-1, Javier Castellano), Viva Majorca (20-1, Julien Leparoux), Kid Cruz (12-1, Irad Ortiz Jr.), Ulanbator (30-1, Brian Hernandez Jr.) and Mr Speaker (10-1, Jose Lezcano).

The Travers, won last year by Will Take Charge, is scheduled for 4:46 p.m. on a 90-minute NBC telecast beginning at 3:30 p.m.

— Sentinel-Record

Sports on 08/20/2014

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