GOLF
Henderson leads LPGA event
Brooke Henderson opened a three-stroke lead Friday in a 30-hole day at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Grand Rapids, Mich. Trying to break a tie for the Canadian victory record for both women and men, Henderson completed an 8-under 64 in the rain-delayed first round and shot another 64 in the second round at Blythefield Country Club. Henderson birdied five of the final six holes in the second round to break the tournament 36-hole record. She finished play late Thursday with a hole-in-one on the 15th hole, her sixth hole of the round that started seven hours late. Henderson, 21, successfully defended her Lotte Championship title in April in Hawaii for her eighth LPGA Tour victory, tying Sandra Post's Canadian record. George Knudson and Mike Weir share the Canadian mark on the PGA Tour, also with eight victories. Brittany Altomare was second at 13 under after rounds of 66 and 65. She played 31 holes Friday.
BASEBALL
Huskers hire Bolt
Texas A&M assistant Will Bolt is returning to Nebraska to become the Cornhuskers' head baseball coach. Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos announced the hiring Friday. Bolt played on Nebraska teams that reached the College World Series in 2001 and 2002 under University of Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn and has been in coaching 16 years. He's been at Texas A&M five seasons after serving as Nebraska's associate head coach under Darin Erstad from 2012-14. He was a volunteer assistant on the 2005 Nebraska team that went to the CWS. He also was head coach at the junior college level at Texarkana College in Texas from 2008-11. Bolt signed a five-year contract paying him $300,000 annually.
FOOTBALL
Texans' GM search continues
The Houston Texans have dropped their pursuit of New England Patriots executive Nick Caserio for their vacant general manager's job, and New England has withdrawn the grievance it filed against Houston. Texans owner Cal McNair released a statement Friday saying the Texans would no longer seek interviews with Caserio. "When we started the process to interview Nick Caserio for our EVP/GM position, we consulted the league office on numerous occasions, followed the procedures outlined in the league's rules and believed we were in full compliance," McNair said in the statement. "We have now been made aware of certain terms in Nick's contract with the Patriots. Once we were made aware of these contract terms, I informed Mr. [Robert] Kraft that we would stop pursuing Nick." Brian Gaine was abruptly fired by the Texans last week. Subsequently, an 11-page complaint by former security coordinator Jeff Pope filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged his firing by the team was racially motivated. Pope alleged that Gaine unjustly initiated the firing of Pope and eight other black employees during his 17 months on the job.
Cowboys TE suspended
Dallas Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers, 25, has been suspended for the first game in 2019 for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. The decision Friday came about 10 months after the former Baylor basketball player was arrested on a marijuana possession charge. The arrest came just before the final cuts of the preseason last year, but he still made the roster. Gathers' spot could be in jeopardy again after spending offseason practices as the fourth tight end behind Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz.
FOOTBALL
Broncos owner dies before Hall enshrinement
Pat Bowlen, the Denver Broncos owner who transformed the team from also-rans into NFL champions and helped the league usher in billion-dollar television deals, died late Thursday, just under two months before his enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was 75.
In a statement posted on the Broncos' website, Bowlen's family said he died peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones. They did not specify a cause of death. Bowlen suffered from Alzheimer's disease for several years.
Bowlen was the first owner in NFL history to oversee a team that won 300 games -- including playoffs -- in three decades. He had as many Super Bowl appearances (seven) as losing seasons, and Denver is 354-240-1 since he bought the club in 1984.
Under his stewardship, the Broncos won Super Bowls in 1998, 1999 and 2016.
"His soul will live on through the Broncos, the city of Denver and all of our fans," Bowlen's family said in its statement Thursday night. "Heaven got a little bit more orange and blue tonight."
During 35 seasons with him as owner, Bowlen's teams compiled a .596 winning percentage -- tied for second-best in the NFL during that span. Among professional franchises in the four major North American sports, only the San Antonio Spurs, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Lakers were better, according to the Broncos.
Bowlen served as a sounding board for NFL Commissioners Pete Rozelle, Paul Tagliabue and Roger Goodell. He was crucial to the league's growth as a member of 15 NFL committees, including co-chairing the NFL Management Council and working on network TV contracts, including the league's ground-breaking $18 billion deal in 1998.
Ownership of the franchise is held in a trust Bowlen set up more than a decade ago in hopes one of his seven children will one day run the team. Bowlen's daughter Brittany is hoping to do just that, but the succession plan and the trustees' oversight of Bowlen's estate has been challenged in state district court in the last year by some members of the Bowlen family.
Sports on 06/15/2019