BASKETBALL
Texas coach out
Texas officials have decided to release men's basketball coach Rick Barnes, the winningest coach in school history, a source told the Austin American-Statesman on Saturday. The high-level source, who is familiar with the situation, said school officials reached their final decision Saturday and plan on making an announcement either today or Monday. It's unknown what has been communicated to Barnes, who has not returned messages left by the Statesman. Texas hopes to hire Barnes' successor "within a week," the source said. It's not clear whether Texas men's Athletic Director Steve Patterson would handle the search by himself or utilize a search firm, like the school did before hiring Patterson as the AD and football Coach Charlie Strong (Batesville, Central Arkansas). Patterson did not return a message left by the Statesman on Saturday afternoon. Patterson has met with Barnes at least twice face to face and asked the 60-year-old coach to make changes, the American-Statesman reported Thursday. This season, the Horns finished tied for sixth in the Big 12 standings and posted a 20-14 overall record. It's believed Patterson asked Barnes to at least change some of his assistant coaches or risk being fired. After the team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament against Butler, Barnes said he believed the assistant coaches were not the problem.
GOLF
Walker takes lead
Jimmy Walker opened a four-stroke lead over fellow Texan Jordan Spieth, shooting a 3-under 69 on Saturday in his hometown Texas Open in San Antonio. Walker, who lives 35 minutes away from TPC San Antonio, is looking for his fifth title in two tour seasons. He had a 9-under 207 total after opening with rounds of 71 and 67. Spieth shot a 71. The 21-year-old Dallas player, coming off a playoff victory two weeks ago at Innisbrook, had a double bogey, two bogeys and two birdies on the final six holes. FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel birdied the final three holes for a 69 to get to 3 under. Five players were seven back of Walker at 2 under. Zach Johnson birdied the last two holes for a 72, Chesson Hadley had a 71, tour rookie Scott Pinckney shot 69, 2011 champion Brendan Steele had a 72, and Jason Kokrak finished with a 71. Phil Mickelson was even par after a 74. He had a near double-eagle on the 14th hole. Bryce Molder (Conway) had three birdies and two bogeys for a 1-under 71 (218). David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) had two birdies and six bogeys for a 4-over 76 (221).
• Rick Cochran III moved into the lead of the Louisiana Open at Broussard, La., on Saturday, making eight birdies and two bogeys for a 6-under 65 (199) and taking a one-stroke lead over Hao Tong Li and Rhein Gibson into today's final round. Steve Allan and Harold Varner III were three strokes behind at 202 and four players were four strokes behind -- Glen Day (Little Rock), Hunter Haas, Cameron Wilson and Aron Price. Andrew Landry (Arkansas Razorbacks) had four birdies and two bogeys for a 2-under 69 (210). Scott Gardiner (Farmington) had four birdies and four bogeys for an even-par round of 71 (212). Tag Ridings (Razorbacks) and Zach Fischer (Little Rock) failed to make the cut.
• Kevin Sutherland birdied three of the final six holes Saturday for a 5-under 67 and the second-round lead in the Champions Tour's Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Saucier, Miss. Those birdies pushed him to the top and he protected the lead with key par saves from bunkers on the last two holes, including one from a buried lie and awkward stance on the par-3 17th. Sutherland, the one-time PGA Tour winner who shot the first 59 in Champions Tour history last year in Endicott, N.Y., chipped in for birdie from behind the 12th green and birdied Nos. 15 and 16. He had a two-stroke lead over 2011 MGRC champ Tom Lehman, but he doesn't have the "hangover" from a record round like he did the last time he took a lead into the final round. Lehman climbed the leaderboard with a bogey-free 66, highlighted by a 50-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth hole. Tom Pernice Jr. and David Frost were 6 under. Pernice had a 69, and Frost shot 70.
• Romain Wattel of France produced a late charge Saturday to share the lead with Scottish pair Richie Ramsay and Andrew McArthur on 7-under par heading into the final round of the Trophee Hassan II at Agadir, Morocco. McArthur and Wattel shot 5-under 67s while overnight co-leader Ramsey had to be content with a 71 after hitting five birdies and four bogeys. South African George Coetzee (71), who must win to secure a place at the Masters in less than two weeks, remains in the mix after a superb back nine at the Golf du Palais Royal. Coetzee, who carded five birdies and one bogey on the back nine, is among seven players lying just one shot off the leaders, along with former champion David Horsey. The tournament remains wide open with only four shots separating the top 29 players.
Mirim Lee took the lead Saturday at the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, Calif., while top-ranked Lydia Ko easily increased her LPGA Tour under-par streak to 27 rounds but dropped two late strokes and ended up four shots behind. Lee shot a 6-under 66 to reach 16-under 200 at Aviara, leaving her a stroke ahead of former UCLA player Alison Lee. Ko, 17, shot a 67. Mirim Lee, 24, had five birdies and a 6-foot par save on the par-4 18th in a back-nine 31. Alison Lee, 20, had her second consecutive 66. Cristie Kerr and Japan’s Sakura Yokomine were 13 under. Kerr bogeyed the final hole for a 68, and Yokomine eagled the 16th in a 67. Se Ri Pak matched the course record with a 64 to join Ko, Paula Creamer and Jennifer Song at 12 under. Creamer closed eagle-birdie-birdie for a 66. Song also had a 66. Lexi Thompson was 11 under after a 65. Morgan Pressel, tied for the second-round lead with Mirim Lee after matching the course record with a 64, had a 72 to fall into a tie for 10th at 10 under. Second-ranked Inbee Park also was in the group at 10 under after a 68. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 70 and is tied for 15th at 9 under.
TENNIS
Serena wins opener
Seven-time champion Serena Williams won her opening match at the Miami Open on Saturday, beating Monica Niculescu 6-3, 6-1. The match was the first for Williams since she withdrew before the semifinals at Indian Wells last week with a right knee injury. Williams showed no lingering effects and pulled away after a slow start, winning nine of the final 10 games. She hit 29 winners and erased six of the seven break points she faced. She had a first-round bye and will face 15-year-old American CiCi Bellis in the third round today. In men's play, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made a successful 2015 debut by beating American Tim Smyczek 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Tsonga, seeded No. 11, was playing for the first time since France's loss to Switzerland in the Davis Cup final in November. He sat out the start of this year with a right arm injury. A three-time Key Biscayne quarterfinalist, Tsonga had 11 aces and lost only nine points on his first serve as he advanced to the third round. All seeded players received a first-round bye. American John Isner beat 17-year-old wild card Andrey Rublev of Russia, 6-3, 6-4. Rublev is the world's No. 1-ranked junior. Eugenie Bouchard was upset in her opening match by qualifier Tatjana Maria 6-0, 7-6 (4). Bouchard, seeded No. 6, won less than half her service points, had five double-faults and was broken five times. In the opening stadium match, No. 4 Caroline Wozniacki rallied to beat Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. No. 8 Ekaterina Makarova, No. 9 Andrea Petkovic, No. 11 Sara Errani, No. 12 Carla Suarez Navarro and No. 13 Angelique Kerber also advanced. On the men's side, No. 4 Kei Nishikori defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6-2, 6-1. American Jack Sock eliminated No. 21 Fabio Fognini 7-6 (4), 6-1.
MOTOR SPORTS
Berlin spectator dies
One spectator died and two others were injured after a crash Saturday involving British driver Jann Mardenborough at the Nuerburgring in Berlin. Organizers of the VLN 1 endurance race said Mardenborough's car went off the track, over the security perimeter, and landed on its back in the spectator area. No other details on the injured were given. Nissan said Mardenborough got out of the car and, after attending the circuit medical center, was taken to hospital for further routine checks. Nissan added it was fully co-operating with race organizers in an investigation of the incident. The remainder of the race was canceled. Former Little Rock resident John Edwards was scheduled to compete in the event with BMW Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, but the event was stopped before his initial stint behind the wheel.
HOCKEY
U.S. tops Canada
Jocelyne Lamoureux, Kacey Bellamy and Kendall Coyne scored power-play goals in the first period and the United States opened the women's world hockey championships with a 4-2 victory over Canada on Saturday at Malmo, Sweden. Hilary Knight added a third-period goal and Jessie Vetter made nine saves in the Pool A game. Brianne Jenner and Jennifer Wakefield scored for Canada. In the other Pool A game, Finland beat Russia 3-2 in a shootout. In Pool B, Switzerland beat Germany 5-2, and Japan topped Sweden 4-3 in a shootout.
Sports on 03/29/2015