Big finish sends Garcia to big lead with 65
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. » Sergio Garcia rushed to the first tee and raced to the finish line Thursday in The Players Championship.
Most importantly, he avoided the kind of wreck that allowed the TPC Sawgrass to live up to its reputation as the course where anything can happen to anyone at any time.
Garcia thought he had plenty of time to get from the range to the 10th tee to start his round. The sun was in his eyes when he looked at the clock, he wasn’t sure what he saw, jogged the rest of the way and had a minute to spare. Then he fired off a 7-under 65, capped off by a birdie-birdie-eagle finish for a twoshot lead over Brian Harman.
When darkness brought the first round to a halt — 21 players didn’t finish — there already were 13 scores of 80 or higher. That included Henrik Stenson with an 85, his highest score ever on the PGA Tour.
Federer loses in 2nd match back
DOHA, QATAR » Roger Federer failed to convert a match point before losing 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 to Nikoloz Basilashvili in the Qatar Open quarterfinals, his second match back on tour after a 13-month injury layoff.
Basilashvili saved a match point at 5-4 in the deciding set and then broke Federer’s serve in the next game.
Federer announced later on Twitter that he decided it was best to resume training and had decided to withdraw from next week’s tournament in Dubai.
Chiefs cut starting tackles
KANSAS CITY, MO. » Kansas City released starting offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz as it sought to squeeze under the salary cap.
Those moves will provide another obstacle in their quest to upgrade an offensive line ransacked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs were more than $22 million over the cap of $182.5 million. The release of Fisher and Schwartz saves about $18.3 million.
Fisher tore his Achilles tendon in the AFC title game and Schwartz missed half the season with a back injury.
Source: RB Ingram agrees to one-year deal with Texans
HOUSTON » Running back Mark Ingram has agreed to a one-year contract with the Houston Texans, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
The addition of Ingram gives Houston’s running game a much-needed boost after the Texans averaged the second-fewest yards rushing a game last season that included a weak year from David Johnson.
Ingram, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2009, spent the last two seasons with the Ravens. The 31-year-old Ingram ran for 1,018 yards in 2019 but just 299 yards rushing last season. • New Texans coach David Culley reiterated that the team has no intention of trading Deshaun Watson despite the star quarterback’s request to be dealt.
Culley, hired in January to replace Bill O’Brien, was asked more than a half-dozen times about Watson’s future with the team. Every time he made it clear he expects Watson to lead his team this season.