Anderson, sports columnist, Pulitzer winner, dies at 89
NEW YORK >> Dave Anderson, a genteel sports writer whose elegant, descriptive prose won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary as a columnist for The New York Times, died Thursday. He was 89.
He died at an assisted living facility in Cresskill, New Jersey, the Times said. He worked at the paper from 1966 to 2007.
An expert on baseball, the NFL, boxing and golf, Anderson wrote 21 books, received the 1994 Red Smith
Award for outstanding contributions to sports journalism from the Associated Press Sports Editors and was inducted into the National Sports Writers and Sportscasters Hall of Fame in 1990.
He was known for his warmth to friends and strangers alike and unflagging politeness.
His Pulitzer cited six columns from 1980. The most memorable was “The Food On a Table At the Execution,” portraying the scene at the Yankee Stadium office of George Steinbrenner when the New York owner forced out rookie manager Dick Howser with two years remaining on his contract.
After describing the awkward scene and contorted explanations, Anderson ended his 1,000-word allotment by quoting what Steinbrenner said after Howser left the room: “‘Nobody ate any sandwiches.”’ Anderson
Mickelson has 6 straight birdies
NAPA >> Phil Mickelson had six straight birdies and shot a 7-under 65 to pull within two strokes of leader Sepp Straka in the PGA Tour’s season-opening Safeway Open.
Coming off a winless performance in the U.S. Ryder Cup loss to Europe, the 48-year-old Mickelson birdied Nos. 9-14 and closed with four straight pars on the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa.
Straka birdied the final three holes for a 63. The Austrian played alongside Mark Mulder, the former major league pitcher who opened with a 75.
Mixed start for U.S.
INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA >> The United States had a mixed start on the opening day of the UL International Crown team golf tournament, splitting the fourballs against Sweden, while favorite South Korea collected a maximum four points with two wins over Taiwan.
Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson gave the U.S. a winning start in the eight-nation, 32-player tournament against Pernilla Lindberg and Madelene Sagstrom to win 2-up.
The defending champion’s other pairing, Michelle Wie and Jessica Korda, had a disastrous start, however, and was 4 down after five holes against Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall. The American pair rallied to become all square by the 13th hole, only to lose 2-up.
Hatton in contention despite hitting spectator on head
ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND >> Tyrrell Hatton bounced back from a poor start, including a wayward tee shot that struck a spectator on the head, to register a 2-under 70 and move within two strokes of the first-round lead at the Dunhill Links Championship.
A female fan was pictured bleeding from a head wound after being hit by a drive from defending champion Hatton on the 15th hole at Kingsbarns, one of three courses staging the event.
The English golfer spoke to her when she returned to her feet after receiving treatment, and she was later seen walking to a golf cart and smiling as she was taken to an on-site medical center.
McGregor late, Nurmagomedov not in a mood to wait
LAS VEGAS >> Khabib Nurmagomedov wasn’t about to wait around for a tardy Conor McGregor, who arrived at what was supposed to be their final prefight press conference together to find the UFC lightweight champion already gone.
No worries, they’ll meet soon enough when it really matters for both men.
Nurmagomedov and McGregor ended up answering questions separately Thursday, though it seemed to do little to dampen the excitement about their 155-pound showdown. The two meet Saturday in what is expected to be the biggest fight in UFC history — and might even threaten the payper-view sales mark set last year by McGregor when he was stopped in a boxing match by Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Several thousand pro-McGregor fans packed a theater expecting to see a confrontation between two fighters who can’t stand each other. What they got instead were separate appearances.