GOLF
Henderson tops at Classic
Brooke Henderson shot an 8-under 63 on Thursday to top the star-packed leaderboard in the Meijer LPGA Classic at Grand Rapids, Mich. The 19-year-old Canadian eagled the par-5 eighth hole and had six birdies in a bogey-free round at Blythefield. Major champions Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) and Shanshan Feng were a stroke back along with Jennifer Ha, Giulia Molinaro and Holly Clyburn. Lydia Ko, at No. 2 in the world after an 85-week run at the top, returned from a three-week layoff to top the group at 65. New No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn opened with a 69. Emily Tubert (Razorbacks) had an even-par 71.
Wise leads field by 2
Aaron Wise opened the Web.com Air Capital Classic in Wichita, Kan., on Thursday with an 8-under 62 to lead the field by two strokes. Seth Reeves is alone in second after a 64. Justin Hueber, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Chesson Hadley, Adam Schenk and Denny McCarthy are tied for third at 5-under 65. Matt Atkins (Henderson State), Ethan Tracy (Arkansas Razorbacks) and Andrew Landry (Razorbacks) each had a 66 and are tied for ninth. Austin Cook (Jonesboro, Razorbacks) shot a 67. Sebastian Cappelen (Razorbacks) had a 69. Taylor Moore (Razorbacks) had an even-par 70. Zack Fischer (Little Rock) had a 2-over 72. Play was suspended at 6:49 p.m. Central because of inclement weather, with a restart planned for 7:30 a.m. today.
Woods’ arraignment delayed
The arraignment of golfer Tiger Woods on a DUI charge has been delayed until August. Court documents filed Thursday show the presiding judge canceled the original July 5 hearing and reset it for Aug. 9. No details were provided. Woods was charged with driving under the influence after police in Jupiter, Fla., found him asleep at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz about 2 a.m. May 29. Breath tests showed no presence of alcohol, but Woods told officers he had a reaction to several prescription drugs, including Vicodin and Xanax. Woods could qualify for a diversion program in which the DUI charge is downgraded to reckless driving, which results in probation, fine and other conditions such as taking a DUI course.
BASKETBALL
Warriors celebrate victory
The Golden State Warriors twirled T-shirts over their heads and waved to the crowd from atop double-decker buses as blue and yellow confetti rained down on them during a parade Thursday in Oakland, Calif., to celebrate the team’s latest championship. Stephen Curry held the Larry O’Brien trophy, his wife and kids beside him. He got off his bus and hopped and shouted as he gave high fives to the crowd. NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant rode on a different bus with his mom. “I was expecting more,” Coach Steve Kerr said, joking about the size of the crowd. Kerr said he was proud that the team “came back from the heartbreak of last year.” The Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the Finals last year and lost the title to the Cleveland Cavaliers after posting the best regular-season record in NBA history. The Warriors went 15-1 in this year’s postseason, with sweeps in the first three rounds before beating LeBron James and the Cavaliers in five games in the Finals. The parade wound through downtown Oakland, where fans in Warriors shirts and hats cheered their favorite players.
Inglewood approves arena pact
The Inglewood, Calif., City Council unanimously approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday that could lead to the construction of an arena for the NBA team across the street from the future home of the NFL’s Chargers and Rams. The arena would be privately funded and no public money would be used for the project, said Gillian Zucker, the Clippers president of business operations. The proposed arena would be on a 20-acre parcel of land located across the street from the under-construction, $2.6 billion NFL stadium that is set to open in 2020. The Clippers have a lease to play at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles through 2024. However, the team’s owner, Steve Ballmer, has been open about his desire for a new arena since he bought the Clippers for $2 billion in 2014. They’ve played at the arena since it opened in 1999.
West to join Clippers
Hall of Famer Jerry West is leaving his job as an executive board member with the NBA champion Golden State Warriors and is expected to take a similar role with the Los Angeles Clippers. West, 79, told ESPN he is intrigued at the prospect of working for Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, whom he calls “a winner.” West said he would like to help Doc Rivers, the coach and president of basketball operations, and General Manager Lawrence Frank. The Clippers are focused on retaining key free agents this summer, including Chris Paul. West has been with the Warriors since 2011.
BOXING
Wilder charged
Heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor marijuana possession, but his lawyer said the marijuana found in his car did not belong to him. Police in Tuscaloosa, Ala., said in a statement that they arrested Wilder on Wednesday afternoon after they found marijuana in his Cadillac Escalade. Wilder, 31, was initially stopped for a window tint violation. Officers searched the car after smelling marijuana and found a small amount in the vehicle’s console. Wilder was charged with second-degree marijuana possession, a misdemeanor, and released on $1,000 bond. Wilder’s attorney Paul Patterson told The Associated Press that Wilder said the marijuana did not belong to him. Patterson said Wilder had just returned from an out-of-town trip, in which he had been driving another vehicle, and selected the Escalade to run errands around Tuscaloosa. Wilder has several friends and associates who had access to the Escalade when he was out of town, Patterson said. The 6-foot-7 fighter is the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion. He won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics.
FOOTBALL
First settlements total $9M
The first two claims in the NFL’s billion-dollar concussion settlement were announced Thursday, a total of $9 million in benefits. The U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania overseeing the process was notified Thursday through a joint status report filed by the class and the NFL that the claims were approved. The names of the former players were not disclosed as part of the filings. The payouts were for $5 million for a qualifying diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and $4 million for a qualifying diagnosis of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). Those amounts mean that both individuals played a minimum of five NFL seasons and were diagnosed before their 45th birthdays. Because CTE can only be diagnosed once someone has died, the player’s estate would be collecting that payout, approved June 5. THE ALS claim was approved May 26.
Sooner QB won’t miss games
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield won’t miss any game time after his arrest in Fayetteville in February. The school will require Mayfield, a Heisman Trophy finalist last season, to do 35 hours of community service and participate in an alcohol education program. He will be eligible to play in the opener at home Sept. 2 against UTEP. The school made the announcement Thursday. Fayetteville police video shows Mayfield walking, then trying to run away from police before being tackled by an officer following an altercation. He was charged with disorderly conduct, public intoxication and resisting arrest. Mayfield pleaded not guilty in April. Fayetteville District Court records show the case was scheduled for a plea bargain session Wednesday, but no disposition had been filed in the case as of mid-day Thursday.