GOLF
Ko closes in
Lydia Ko is 18 holes from history. The 17-year-old New Zealander birdied five consecutive holes and shot a 7-under 65 in the third round of the Coates Golf Championship at Ocala, Fla., on Friday to take the outright lead in the LPGA Tour's season opener. If she hangs on Saturday, she would become the youngest golfer -- male or female -- to be ranked No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings. Second-round leader Ha Na Jang was a stroke back at 13-under 203 after a 1-under 71 Friday. Fellow South Korean Na Yeon Choi shot a 6-under 66 and was two back at 12 under. American Stacy Lewis (70) (Arkansas Razorbacks) was 10 under, one stroke ahead of Amy Yang (65), Jessica Korda (69) and Austin Ernst (70). Michelle Wie and Cheyenne Woods both shot 73 and fell further back in the 77-player field.
• Harold Varner III had a 6-under 64 Friday at the Panama Claro Championship at Panama City, putting him in the lead in the first stop on the 2015 Web.com Tour schedule. He has a two-day total of 9-under 131. Close on his heels is Mathew Goggin, the 2011 champion, who had a 5-under round of 65 that included six birdies and an eagle. He has a two-day total of 8-under 132. In third place is Henrik Norlander at 5-under 135 after a 3-under 67 on Friday. Joining him is Zack Fischer, who had a 4-under 66. Glen Day (Little Rock) had an even-par round of 70, putting him at 2-over 142. Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks), Sebastian Cappelen (Razorbacks) and Scott Gardiner (Farmington) were cut.
• Rory McIlroy birdied an 18-foot putt on his final hole to surge into a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday. On the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club, where he recorded his first victory as a professional in 2009, McIlroy enjoyed a superb day of ball-striking as he notched a bogey-free round of 8-under-par 64. His 14-under-par total after two rounds was one ahead of Scotland's Marc Warren, who continued his remarkable run of form following a second-place finish last week in Doha, with a nine-birdie round of 65. Graeme McDowell, playing his first tournament of the year, showed no signs of rust as he added a 65 to his opening 67, and was tied for third at 12 under with England's Seve Benson, whose 66 contained a double-bogey 7 on the par-5 18th hole. Defending champion Stephen Gallacher also made a rare double bogey on the Majlis course, where his last three finishes have been second-first-first, but he made four birdies over the next five holes for a round of 67. The Scotsman was tied for fifth on 11 under with the Race to Dubai leader Danny Willett (66) of England, overnight leader Bernd Wiesberger (69) of Austria, and the English duo of Lee Westwood (68) and Andy Sullivan (68).
FOOTBALL
Packers fire Slocum
The Green Bay Packers released special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum on Friday, less than two weeks after mistakes marred their loss in the NFC title game in Seattle. Coach Mike McCarthy announced the move and thanked Slocum, who was with Green Bay for nine years and helped the team win the Super Bowl following the 2010 season. Green Bay blew a 16-0 lead in the 28-22 overtime loss to the Seahawks, who benefited from a pair of special teams mistakes: Seahawks holder Jon Ryan threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to tackle Garry Gilliam on a fake field goal and then tight end Brandon Bostick didn't block on an onside kick late in the game, mishandling the ball that Seattle recovered. McCarthy this week hinted that an all-out "block" call on the field goal was a mistake: "Creating the opportunity for them to make a big play is where we erred."
HORSE RACING
Jockey faces inquiry
Roman Chapa, 43, a Texas-based jockey who was banned by the Texas Racing Commission on Jan. 19 for allegedly using an electrical device on a horse at Sam Houston Race Park two days earlier, has been charged this week with one count of unlawful influence on racing, a felony, by the Harris County district attorney. In a report on the investigation prepared by Jeffrey Green of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Chapa was said to have contacted Sam Houston's track photographer, Jack Coady, seeking to get a finish-line photo of the race in question removed from the track's website. The photo, taken from the rail side of the track rather than the grandstand side, shows what appears to be the bottom of the device in Chapa's left hand. Chapa won the Jan. 17 race, the Richard King Stakes, on Quiet Acceleration. The report by Green said that Chapa told the investigator in an interview that "the photograph had been Photoshopped and someone was trying to frame him." Chapa also denied that he used an electrical device during the race and said that he did not contact Coady about the photograph. However, Coady provided his cellphone to the investigator, and the phone contained the text messages from Chapa cited by Coady, Green said in his report. Chapa was suspended by the Texas Racing Commission after the photo was forwarded to the commission by the Paulick Report, a news website. The jockey has appealed the summary suspension, and a hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9. An official at the commission said an investigation into the incident is "ongoing."
BASEBALL
Braves, Rockies trade
The Atlanta Braves pulled off another trade in their busy offseason Friday, dealing right-handed pitchers David Hale and Gus Schlosser to the Colorado Rockies for minor league catchers Jose Briceno and Chris O'Dowd. Hale pitched 45 games for Atlanta last season, going 4-5 with a 3.30 ERA, and had been expected to compete for a spot in the starting rotation. He became expendable after the Braves reached agreement on a minor league contract with left-hander Eric Stults, according to his agent, Joe Bick. Stults will be invited to the major league camp. The 35-year-old Stults started 65 games for San Diego over the last two seasons, going 8-17 with a 4.30 ERA in 2014. He will compete for the fifth spot in the rotation.
BASKETBALL
Cousins replaces Bryant
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has selected Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins to replace injured Lakers star Kobe Bryant on the Western Conference All-Star team. The commissioner's decision Friday sends Cousins to the All-Star game for the first time in his five-year career. He becomes Sacramento's first All-Star since Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic in 2004. Silver's selection leaves Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard as the game's biggest snub. Lillard was an All-Star last year and had made a strong case to go again this season. Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr, who is leading the West, will decide who replaces Bryant in the starting lineup. Kerr will choose from a roster that includes Houston's James Harden and Warriors guard Klay Thompson.
TENNIS
Djokovic advances, to face Murray
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic ended Stan Wawrinka’s reign as he eliminated the defending champion 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 on Friday to advance to the Australian Open final.
Djokovic, bidding for a fifth trophy at Melbourne Park, defeated the fourth-seeded Wawrinka for the second time as the pair met for the third year in a row at the event. The struggle took three and a half hours.
But the contest was far from the high-voltage, five-set thrillers staged by the pair at the past two Australian Opens, with both men playing with errors and sometimes short on passion. The up-and-down nature of the battle produced 12 breaks of serve and nearly 120 combined unforced errors in the momentum-shifting affair.
Top seed and world No. 1 Djokovic will play for the title on Sunday against Andy Murray, who has rejoined the top four in the ATP rankings. Djokovic has beaten Murray in their previous two meetings.
The victory lifts Djokovic to a 17-3 record over Wawrinka, who beat Rafael Nadal for the title a year ago.
Djokovic finally got a solid grip on his game in the fourth set and ran out the victory with a love fifth set, advancing to the final as Wawrinka put a forehand return wide.
Djokovic lost his first set of the tournament when Wawrinka levelled at one set each after failing to profit from a break in the first set and going down in the opening-set tiebreaker.
But Wawrinka showed good form to level, only to see his game drop again in the third, with Djokovic getting on back on top 3-1 and claiming a two-sets-to-one lead five games later with a concluding break.
Djokovic, winner of seven majors, improved his grand slam record to 186-33 and now stands 49-6 in Melbourne.
He will be playing in his 15th grand slam final when he takes on Murray, who beat Tomas Berdych on Thursday to book his place in the title match.
Sports on 01/31/2015