GOLF
Thomas still leads
Justin Thomas made a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole Saturday for a 5-under 65 to tie the 54-hole score record on the PGA Tour and build a seven-shot lead going into the final round of the Sony Open at Honolulu. That last birdie putt put Thomas at 22-under 188, tying the mark Steve Stricker set at the 2010 John Deere Classic. Thomas got into the record book with an eagle on his final hole in each of the previous two rounds at Waialae -- a 59 on Thursday for the eighth sub-60 round in tour history, and the 36-hole scoring record Friday. He had another chance on the par-5 18th Saturday until his second shot clipped a palm frond and came up well short. He pitched to just inside 15 feet below the cup, and poured in the putt. Zach Johnson shot a 65 to keep pace, though he remained seven shots behind. Olympic gold medalist Justin Rose (66) and Gary Woodland (68) were eight shots behind. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot an even-par round of 70 and is 6 under going into today's final round. He is tied for 54th. Bryce Molder (Conway) shot a 2-over 72 and is 5 under after three rounds. He is tied for 58th. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) had an even-par round of 70, is 4 under after three rounds and is tied for 66th.
Allen, Austin lead
Former NBA star Ray Allen took the celebrity lead Saturday in the Diamond Resorts Invitational at Orlando, Fla., and PGA Tour Champions player Woody Austin remained on top in the professional competition. Allen shot a 4-under 67 on the Four Seasons Resort's Tranquilo course, scoring 30 points under the modified Stableford scoring system to push his two-day total 50. Former pitcher Mark Mulder was three points back, and defending champion Mardy Fish was third with 46 points. Mulder had a 21-point day, and former tennis player Fish scored 29 points. Austin followed his opening 59 with a 66 for a 73-point total. Joe Durant was second at 68 after a 34-point round, and Brandy Jobe earned 32 points to reach 65. Lexi Thompson was tied for ninth with 55 points to top the four LPGA Tour players in the professional field. Brooke Henderson was tied for 19th with 49 points, and Brittany Lang and Brittany Lincicome were tied for 26th in the 31-player field with 44 points. All of the players are teeing off from the same tees.
Storm ahead by 3
England's Graeme Storm shot a 5-under 67 to take a three-stroke leader over second-ranked Rory McIlroy into the final round of the SA Open at Johannesburg. Storm had five birdies and extended his bogey-free run to 41 holes. He was at 17-under 199 at Glendower and in position for his second European Tour title after winning the French Open in 2007. McIlroy also had a 67. The Northern Irishman is making his first start of the year. Making his first appearance at the tournament since 2008, McIlroy was a stroke behind South African leaders Trevor Fisher Jr. and Keith Horne.
Ortiz, Gana out front
Alvaro Ortiz of Mexico and Toto Gana of Chile handled the breezy conditions to share the lead in the Latin America Amateur Championship at Panama City and go into the final round with a spot in the Masters at stake. Ortiz, a junior at Arkansas, started playing conservatively when the wind picked up at Panama Golf Club and shot a 3-under 67. Gana picked up two birdies down the stretch to salvage a 69. They were at 2-under 208, one shot ahead of Joaquin Niemann, 18, of Chile, who had a 67. The winner gets an invitation to the Masters and is exempt into the final stage of qualifying for the U.S. Open and British Open. Ortiz is the younger brother of Carlos Ortiz, who has played on the PGA Tour the last two years. He has represented Mexico each of the last two times in the World Amateur Team Championship.
FOOTBALL
Cal hires Wilcox
California has hired Wisconsin defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox as its new head coach to replace the fired Sonny Dykes. A person familiar with the move confirmed the hiring on Saturday, less than a week after Dykes' surprising firing. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the school had not announced it. ESPN first reported that Wilcox had finalized a five-year contract with the Golden Bears. Athletic Director Mike Williams said he fired Dykes at the unusual time of six weeks after the end of gthe season in part because he wanted a coach committed to Cal after Dykes flirted with various job openings in recent years. Williams said the team needed someone who could excite a fan base that had grown apathetic in recent years.
HORSE RACING
Quarantines expanding
Officials at the New Orleans Fair Grounds said more horses have tested positive for equine herpes this week, resulting in the lengthening and expansion of existing quarantines. The Receiving Barn returned a pair of positive tests, while two other barns returned 28 positive tests combined, resulting in 14-day quarantines being reset. An additional barn was placed under quarantine when one horse there tested positive. The virus, called EHV-1, is latent in many horses, but symptoms can emerge periodically, making it contagious. EHV-1 can cause respiratory or neurological problems, as well as aborted or unhealthy pregnancies. Racing continues at the Fair Grounds, where officials said they're working with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture to find places outside the Fair Grounds to isolate infected horses.
FOOTBALL
Thousands celebrate Clemson’s championship
CLEMSON, S.C. — Around 70,000 smiling, cheering football fans turned out for the biggest party Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney has thrown yet at Death Valley to celebrate the school’s first national championship in 35 years.
Last year, more than 30,000 people showed up for Swinney’s pizza party when Clemson was picked for its first College Football Playoff berth after the 2015 season. This gathering topped that, with all but the highest rows filled at 80,000-seat Memorial Stadium.
Swinney closed the 90-minute ceremony, thanking all who supported and believed in him since his rise from interim coach to national champion. His team won the title with a 35-31 victory over defending national champ Alabama last Monday night when Deshaun Watson connected with Hunter Renfrow on a 2-yard TD pass with one second left.
Swinney recalled telling his players before heading to Tampa, Fla., that Clemson’s only other national title team in 1981 “has been awful lonely up on that stadium for a long time. And this team is the one that’s going to join them.”
Watson told the crowd these three years — the junior is giving up his final season for the NFL draft — have been the best experience of his life.
“It’s a blessing to let the world know what Clemson is all about,” said Watson, who waved as he got a final standing ovation at the stadium.
The celebration began with a parade on College Avenue, where earlier in the week 5,000 fans withstood 30-degree temperatures to watch the Tigers’ victory. This time, Swinney and his family rode in a blue roadster while Clemson stars rode in orange jeeps as people stood three- and four-deep to catch a glimpse.
Players of the past, including many from the 1981 Tigers, were part of the parade and the ceremony at the stadium.
“We put the foundation down, but they put Clemson at the top of the hill,” said former Tigers offense lineman Jeff Bostic, who went on to win three Super Bowls with the Washington Redskins.
Sports on 01/15/2017