Off the wire
GOLF
Fowler leads Houston Open
Rickie Fowler shot an 8- under 64 for a one- shot lead over Sung Kang after the first round of the Houston Open on Thursday. Fowler had his best round in six appearances at the tournament, topping a previous low score of 68. Fowler held a three- shot lead over Vaughn Taylor and Keegan Bradley when he finished his round in the afternoon, then Kang closed the gap with his 65. The 29- year- old South Korean missed a putt from less than 5 feet to bogey on 18. Bryce Molder ( Conway) shot a 4- under 68 and is tied in a pack for 13th. David Lingmerth ( Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 1- under 71. Ken Duke ( Arkadelphia, Henderson State) had a 2- over 74.
Wind halts Inspiration France’s Karine Icher shot a 5- under 67 to take an early lead before high winds shortened the opening day of the ANA Inspiration on Thursday at Rancho Mirage, Calif. Half of the field in the LPGA Tour’s first major of the year was still on the course when wild winds in the Coachella Valley forced an early halt to play. The first round will resume this morning. Four players on the Dinah Shore Course were one shot behind Icher, including Michelle Wie and amateur Eun Jeong Seong, 17. Wie, the former child prodigy, played her opening round with Lucy Li, 14, who was 1 under. Defending champion Lydia Ko was 2 under through five holes before play was suspended. Stacy Lewis ( Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 1- under 71. Gaby Lopez ( Razorbacks) had a 1- over 73. Lewis and Lopez were able to finish their rounds.
TENNIS
Federer, Wozniacki advance
Fourth- seeded Roger Federer fought off two match points before beating 10th- seeded Tomas Berdych 6- 2, 3- 6, 7- 6 ( 6) in a quarterfinal matchup Thursday at the Miami Open. Caroline Wozniacki rallied with far less drama, the No. 12 seed topping No. 2- seed Karolina Pliskova 5- 7, 6- 1, 6- 1 to reach the final at Key Biscayne for the first time in her 10 appearances at the tournament. Federer will face No. 12 Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals today. Kyrgios defeated No. 16 Alexander
Zverev 6- 4, 6- 7 ( 9), 6- 3 in the last of the men’s quarters. Wozniacki will play No. 10 Johanna Konta in today’s championship match. Konta topped No. 11 Venus Williams 6- 4, 7- 5 in the second semifinal.
BASEBALL
Odor gets new contract Rougned Odor and the Texas Rangers have agreed to a new sixyear contract that includes a club option for 2023 and guarantees the young second baseman at least $ 49.5 million. The deal completed Thursday includes a $ 2 million signing bonus and a $ 13.5 million club option for 2023 with a $ 3 million buyout. Odor’s salary will be $ 1 million this season, and will increase to $ 3 million in 2018 and $ 7.5 million in 2019. He will make $ 9 million in 2020 before $ 12 million in each of the last
two years of the contract. Odor, 23, is going into his fourth season with the Rangers. He hit .271 with 33 home runs and 88 RBI last year.
HORSE RACING
Derby contender injured El Areeb has been knocked out of Kentucky Derby contention because of a slight knee fracture. Trainer Cal Lynch said Thursday that El Areeb would undergo surgery Monday for the injury that is not career- threatening. The timetable for recovery and return is uncertain, although Lynch said it’s typically six months. El Areeb had won the Jerome and Withers, making him one of the East Coast’s leading candidates for the Kentucky Derby on May 6. Lynch said X- rays showed the knee fracture after the colt completed a 11/ mile workout Thursday. El Areeb was set to make his next start in the Wood Memorial on April 8 at Aqueduct.
SOCCER
Playoff round proposed FIFA wants to stage a new sixteam playoff round in the World Cup host country for two places ahead of a 48- team tournament. The final slots would be decided in a mini- tournament staged as a test event in November before the World Cup. The idea comes as part of FIFA’s proposal to award each continent extra places for an expanded World Cup starting in 2026. FIFA said its bureau recommends giving UEFA three extra guaranteed slots, bringing its total to 16. It also increases Africa to nine, Asia to eight, South America to six, North America to six and Oceania to one. Excluding Europe, the other five confederations would send one team for the playoffs. The World Cup host continent would provide the sixth. FIFA also said automatic entry for host nations should come from a confederation’s quota. The FIFA Council will vote on the proposal May 9 in Bahrain.
Execs: Protect league A day after Britain triggered Article 50, the two- year countdown to its divorce from the European Union, political leaders were urged to protect one of its most popular exports: Premier League soccer and its ranks of imported players. Club owners and executives, in London for a regular meeting, raised concerns Thursday over Brexit’s potential fallout for the cosmopolitan soccer competition, the world’s richest and most widely followed. Clubs armed with record TV income have been able shop worldwide for talent. Rosters are full of European Union passport holders who are currently free to live and work in the U. K. What happens after the breakup becomes formal isn’t clear. David Gold, West Ham’s chairman and co- owner, suggested the U. K. government adopt special measures so teams can continue to field the best athletes. Stoke City Chairman Peter Coates said he expects the government to grant visa exemptions to Premier League players, affording them special treatment because of their high levels of skill. “But we’ll have to wait and see,” he said.