GOLF
Lincicome in big hole
Brittany Lincicome has a huge hole to climb out of if she hopes to make golf history. Lincicome shot a 6-over 78 in the first round of the Barbasol Championship on Thursday, leaving the LPGA Tour pro's goal of making the cut likely out of reach. Lincicome was hoping to become the second woman to make the cut in a men's event and the first since Babe Zaharias in 1945. She's the first woman to get a PGA Tour start since Michelle Wie a decade ago. Troy Merritt surged to the first-round lead with a 10-under 62, equaling the course record on the Champion Trace course at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky., which is hosting the event for the first time. Andres Romero, Billy Horschel and Joel Dahmen shot 65s and were three shots back. Hunter Mahan was one of eight players to shoot 66, including Matt Atkins (Henderson State). The golf course was firm on Thursday, but that may change with thunderstorms in the forecast today. Ethan Tracy (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 2-under 70. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) had a 2-over 74.
Im leads by 1
Sungjae Im shot a 6-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead Thursday after the first round of the Web.com Tour's Pinnacle Bank Championship at Omaha, Neb. Derek Ernst, William Kropp, Dawie van der Walt and Andre Metzger were tied for second at 5 under. Patrick Sullivan (Maumelle, UALR) shot a 1-over 72. Sebastian Cappelen (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 2-over 73. Tag Ridings (Razorbacks) had a 7-over 78.
FOOTBALL
No renegotiation
A person familiar with the situation says the Atlanta Falcons won't renegotiate Julio Jones' contract this season, casting doubts on whether the star receiver will be in training camp next week. The Falcons informed Jones several weeks ago that they didn't have room under the salary cap to offer him a new deal for this season, according to the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the contract talks have not been made public. Jones dipped on the NFL's list of highest-paid receivers during the offseason when several players received huge new contracts, including Tampa Bay's Mike Evans and Cleveland's Jarvis Landry. Jones is set to make $10.5 million this season, $12.5 million in 2019 and $11.4 million in the final season of a six-year, $71.3 million contract he signed in 2015. The current deal includes $47 million in guaranteed money.
N.C. players sold shoes
North Carolina Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham said Thursday morning the school self-reported an NCAA violation because it found that football players were selling shoes. That is against NCAA rules. The news of the violation was first reported after UNC appeared at the ACC's annual football media day in Charlotte. Cunningham said he didn't know offhand how many players were selling shoes. UNC's season starts on Sept. 1 at California. The news of the violation also comes less than a year after the NCAA wrapped up a multiyear investigation into whether many of UNC's athletes benefited from African-American Studies courses that never met and required little work. UNC was not penalized after the conclusion of that investigation. The most recent violation was deemed "a secondary violation," which is considered minor. But Cunningham said it was possible that players could be facing suspension.
OLYMPICS
Skating medalist dead
Denis Ten, an Olympic bronze medalist in men's figure skating in 2014, died Thursday at age 25 after being stabbed in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Ten was taken to the hospital after the attack and died a few hours later. Russian news media reported that two men had been trying to steal mirrors from Ten's car. Born in Almaty, Ten was part of Kazakhstan's Korean minority. He moved to Moscow to train at a higher level at age 10, then to Southern California to work with top American coach Frank Carroll. He won a surprise silver medal at the world championships in 2013, then a bronze at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. This year he had hoped to do well in the Olympics in South Korea, his ancestral home. But hampered by ankle, back and hip injuries, he placed 27th.
MOTOR SPORTS
Hamilton signs contract
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has finally signed a new contract with Mercedes. After months of deliberation and stalling, the four-time F1 champion penned a new deal with Mercedes until 2020. No figures were given in a Mercedes statement on Thursday, but it is reportedly estimated at 40 million pounds ($52 million) per year. Mercedes has won the past four drivers' and constructors' championships -- with Hamilton clinching three of them -- but this season is testing the Silver Arrows team. Hamilton trails Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel by eight points, and Mercedes is 20 points behind Ferrari in the constructors' championship. Hamilton, 33, has won 65 races -- 44 of those with Mercedes -- and secured 124 career podiums. He is the F1 record holder with 76 pole positions.
Rahal gets new sponsor
Fifth Third Bank will be the primary sponsor for Graham Rahal at the Honda Indy 200 later this month at Mid-Ohio. Rahal grew up in New Albany, Ohio, and the team has a race shop in nearby Hilliard, both about an hour's drive from the track in Lexington. Rahal calls his Honda 200 victory in 2015 the most important accomplishment of his IndyCar career. He has top-five finishes in his past four races at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course dating to 2014. Last year, he matched his best qualifying position of fourth before finishing third. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced the sponsorship Thursday for the July 29 race.
CYCLING
Thomas wins Tour stage, distances Froome
ALPE D’HUEZ, France — Geraint Thomas sprinted away from Sky teammate Chris Froome to win the legendary climb up Alpe d’Huez while wearing the yellow jersey in the Tour de France on Thursday.
With questions over which rider Sky is backing for victory, it was a bold demonstration of strength by Thomas, who has been Froome’s loyal lieutenant for years.
“In my eyes Froomey is still our leader,” Thomas said. “I’m just going to enjoy it now.”
Thomas took yellow with a victory a day earlier. Now he has become the first British rider to win atop Huez and the first of any nationality to win here in the yellow jersey.
Lance Armstrong won an individual time trial up Huez in 2004 while wearing yellow but that victory was later stripped for doping.
“Unbelievable. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would win up here,” Thomas said. “It’s one of those things that’s going to stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Tom Dumoulin crossed second, two seconds behind, and Romain Bardet was third, three seconds back.
Froome finished fourth, four seconds behind Thomas, as the 12th stage concluded with the famed 21 serpentine bends to the Huez ski resort.
Thomas extended his lead over Froome in the overall standings to 1 minute, 39 seconds. He’ll likely hold on to the yellow jersey for at least several more days as the Tour returns to flatter roads for Stages 12 and 13 before the climbs resume in the Massif Central and the Pyrenees.
Dumoulin was third overall, 1:50 behind.
Vincenzo Nibali recovered from a crash in the final kilometers to finish seventh in the stage. The Italian was fourth overall, 2:37 back.
The last and most feared of the three stages in the Alps this year, the 109-mile leg began in Bourg-Saint-Maurice and took the peloton over three grueling, beyond-category climbs.
Fans lined every corner of the climb to Huez, many of them amateur cyclists who tested their legs on the ascent a few hours before the professionals, while others had camped out for days.
Sports on 07/20/2018