Off the wire

Stacy Lewis responds to questions during a news conference in this 2015 file photo.
Stacy Lewis responds to questions during a news conference in this 2015 file photo.

GOLF

Johnson leads by 1

Dustin Johnson is one of the biggest hitters in golf, and he grabbed a little attention from the Big Three at The Memorial Tournament at Dublin, Ohio, on Thursday. But not all of them. Johnson had three bursts of birdies and shot 8-under 64 for a one-shot lead over Brendan Steele. Two shots behind was Jason Day, the No. 1 player in the world and a member at Muirfield Village. Day rallied with three birdies and an eagle on the back nine for a 66. That's his best score on this course. The other part of the Big Three lagged behind. Jordan Spieth's putter saved him in a scrappy round that he turned into a 70. Spieth one-putted his opening seven holes. Rory McIlroy went back to a conventional putting grip and shot a 71. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 4-under 68 and is tied for 13th in a large group including Phil Mickelson, among others. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) had an even-par 72.

Zack Fischer (Little Rock) shared the lead Thursday with three others after the first round of the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship at Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Fischer was at 7-under after 15 holes when play was halted because of darkness. Blake Adams, Jin Park and Ryan Brehm completed their rounds and were at 7 under. Austin Cook (Jonesboro, Arkansas Razorbacks) was tied for fifth place at 6-under 66. Sebastian Cappelen (Razorbacks) was at 4-under 68. Matt Atkins (Henderson State) shot a 2-under 70. Scott Gardiner (Farmington) was even through 11 holes. Tag Ridings was 1 over through 13 holes.

• Six players share the lead after the opening day of the Nordea Masters on Thursday. Andrew Johnston, Clement Berardo, Florian Fritsch, Marc Warren, Scott Henry and Sebastien Gros all shot 5-under 67 on the Bro Hof Slott course outside Stockholm. Lee Westwood, a three-time winner of the tournament, was one shot behind after six birdies and two bogies in his opening round. "I'm starting to hit the ball really well and seeing the flight on the shots that I like and on the greens I rolled the ball really well," Westwood told the European PGA tour website. World No. 6 Henrik Stenson was five strokes behind the leaders, finishing the day on par.

FOOTBALL

Briles speaks out

Former Baylor coach Art Briles told a Waco television station that the school-commissioned report on its handling of sexual assault allegations has not been shared with him and that he assumes it supports a conclusion already drawn by the board of regents. KWTX-TV posted the statement on its website Thursday. It is the first time Briles has spoken out since being ousted by the board last week after eight years as the Bears' coach. The report by the Philadelphia law firm Pepper Hamilton stated school leadership, including football coaches and staff, inappropriately handled allegations of sexual violence made by students, some against football players. Two players have been convicted of rape. Briles said his "heart goes out to the victims for the pain that they endured." He added, "I have certainly made mistakes, and, in hindsight, I would have done certain things differently. Keep in mind, the complete scope of what happened here has not been disclosed and unfortunately at this time I am contractually obligated to remain silent on the matter," he told KWTX-TV. "The report ... has not been shared with me directly, despite my full cooperation with the investigation. I can only assume that the report, which is not independent, supports the conclusions that the Board has already drawn. I hope to share with you what I was aware of as soon as I can so Baylor Nation can begin the healing process." The school's main alumni group, the Baylor Line Association, demanded Thursday that Baylor release a complete report, calling the 13-page summary released last week unsatisfactory.

• Mississippi State will allow highly touted signee Jeffery Simmons to enroll in school and join the football team while facing misdemeanor assault charges for striking a woman during a fight in March. Mississippi State announced Simmons would be suspended for the first game of his college career, be evaluated by "licensed professionals at the university's Student Counseling Services and be required to complete any program prescribed by that office." The altercation involving Simmons, his sister and another woman was caught on video and posted on the internet. Simmons can be seen landing several punches to the upper body and head of a woman who is lying on the ground. Simmons, from Macon, is a 6-foot-4, 255-pound defensive end and one of top-rated recruits out of Mississippi to sign this year.

TRACK AND FIELD

Gatlin wins 100 in Rome

Justin Gatlin held off a late challenge from fellow American Ameer Webb to win the 100 meters in 9.93 seconds Thursday at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea meet in Rome. It was Gatlin's fifth 100 victory in Rome, breaking a tie for the record with Maurice Greene. Webb crossed second in 9.94, little more than an hour after he won the 200 in 20.04. European record holder Jimmy Vicaut of France was third in 9.99. The performance of the night came from Almaz Ayana, who ran the second fastest 5,000 meters of all time, coming within a few of strides of breaking the world record. Half a lap ahead of her competitors, Ayana crossed in 14:12.59 -- just short of fellow Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba's eight-year-old world mark of 14:11.15.

BOXING

Ali in hospital

Former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali is being treated in a hospital for a respiratory issue, a spokesman for the boxing great said. Bob Gunnell said Thursday that Ali is being treated by doctors as a precaution. He said the 74-year-old is in fair condition, and that a brief hospital stay is expected. He declined to say where Ali is hospitalized or when he was admitted. Ali has battled Parkinson's disease for years.

BASKETBALL

Hornacek hire official

The New York Knicks have hired Jeff Hornacek, who emerged last month as Phil Jackson's surprising coaching choice. Jackson went with the former Phoenix Suns coach over anyone who had played or worked under him, even though he had said after the season he would likely pick somebody he already knew. The Knicks finished last year at 32-50 under interim coach Kurt Rambis. Jackson said in a statement Thursday that Hornacek has "tremendous basketball acumen and possesses strong leadership skills." The two discussed the job in mid-May but took more than two weeks to complete a contract. The Knicks plan to introduce Hornacek, the 28th coach in franchise history, at a news conference today.

SOCCER

U.S., Japan tie

Kumi Yokoyama scored in stoppage time to give Japan a 3-3 tie with the United States on Thursday night at Commerce City, Colo., in a rematch of the Americans’ victory last year in the Women’s World Cup final. Alex Morgan scored twice and Lindsey Horan added a goal to help the United States overcome a 2-0 deficit. Mana Iwabuchi and Yuki Ogimi also scored for Japan. Japan was reduced to 10 players when Ogimi received a second yellow card and was ejected in the 57th minute. The game featured the finalists from the past two World Cups and the 2012 London Olympics. Japan won the 2011 World Cup on penalty kicks, and the U.S. won in 2012 and 2015. It looked as if the Americans would prevail again when Horan, from nearby Golden, Colo., scored in the 89th minute to give the U.S. a 3-2 lead, but Yokoyama got free to beat goalkeeper Hope Solo. The Americans dropped to 11-0-1 this year. The teams will play again Sunday in Cleveland.

GOLF

Lewis hopes to end drought at Classic

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Stacy Lewis is trying to end a long victory drought entering a busy summer capped by her wedding in August.

“I’ve waited for this for a long time and I’ve wanted this for a long time, and just because of some golf tournaments I’m not going to put my life on hold,” Lewis said Thursday, a day before the start of play in the ShopRite LPGA Classic. “I’ve done that enough, and it’s time to do something for myself that I’ve wanted, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Down to sixth in the world, Lewis, 31, is winless in 49 starts since taking the North Texas LPGA Shootout in June 2014 for her 11th LPGA Tour victory. She tied for second three weeks ago in Alabama, her 10th runner-up finish during the drought and her 23rd overall.

Lewis won in 2012 and 2014 on Seaview’s Donald Ross-designed Bay Course, running away to a 10-stroke victory two years ago.

“I love this golf course and I love coming back,” Lewis said. “Having success here, that’s obviously why I’m back. Just looking for a place where I know I play well. I don’t know what it is about this golf course, but I just seem to play well on it, and that’s why I’m back.”

She’s trying to join Annika Sorenstam and Betsy King as the only three-time winners in the event.

“That would be pretty cool,” Lewis said. “I mean, I think the only other people to win it two times are Hall of Famers, so it’s a pretty good list to be on. I’d love to win this event again. I really love this event, and I think it’s done so much for this town and this area, and to come back here and support it, it means a lot to me.”

Lewis is preparing for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the second major championship of the year next week at tree-lined Sahalee near Seattle.

“I’ve got my coach here this week, Joe (Hallett), and we’re definitely kind of gearing a lot of what we’re working on toward next week, and it’s going to help on this golf course, too,” Lewis said.

Sports on 06/03/2016

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