Wie West has solid start in return to major golf
Michelle Wie West was back on a major championship leaderboard Thursday at the ANA Inspiration. So was Shanshan Feng in her first tournament in 16 months.
Playing for the second straight week after a 21-month break, Wie West shot a 2-under 70, leaving her four strokes behind leader Patty Tavatanakit after the morning wave.
“Came into the day like, ‘OK, no stress today, easy golf,’ ” Wie West said. “And the first couple holes were not easy golf. I’m just happy to see my name on the first page of the leaderboard. That’s really special to me. Been a long time since I’ve seen that.”
Wie West, a former Stanford student, married Jonnie West, the son of basketball great Jerry West, in August 2019, and daughter Makenna was born last June. West is director of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors.
Feng birdied three of her last five holes for a bogey-free 67 in the morning The Chinese star hadn’t played a competitive round since November 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic and a recent visa delay.
Wie West was in the second group off the 10th tee, opening to little fanfare with no spectators at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage for the 50th edition of the event.
Wie West first played the event in 2003, tying for ninth at age 13.
Tavatanakit, the 21-year-old former UCLA player from Thailand, closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th for a bogey-free 66.
Leona Maguire of Ireland matched Feng with a 67 in the afternoon with the temperature in the low 90s. Triple-digit heat was expected the next three days.
Top-ranked Jin Young Ko, the 2019 winner who was unable to play the event last year, was at 69 with defending champion Mirim Lee, Jessica Korda, Charley Hull, Jennifer Kupcho, Bronte Law, Georgia Hall and Yuka Saso.
VILLEGAS HAS FIRST-ROUND LEAD AT TEXAS OPEN >> Camilo Villegas chipped in twice to highlight a ninebirdie round that earned him an 8-under 64 and the first-round lead at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.
Sung Kang, a 33-year-old South Korean, is two shots back with Cameron Tringale after each carded 66 at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course. Jordan Spieth, whose struggles the past three years appear to be subsiding after four top-10 finishes the past two months, sits three back (67) with Seung-Yul Noh and Hideki Matsuyama.
Phil Mickelson had a 10 on the 18th hole — he took two penalty shots and another three strokes trying to get away from a greenside stream — and ended with a 79.
NBA NETS GET STRONG DEBUT FROM ALDRIDGE, ROUT HORNETS >>
LaMarcus Aldridge started at center and had 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists in his debut with the Nets, a 111-89
rout of the Charlotte Hornets.
With All-Stars Kevin Durant and James Harden sitting out with hamstring injuries, the Nets led 32-11 after one quarter in their season-best seventh straight home win.
Landry Shamet scored 17 points in his return from a five-game absence with a sprained right ankle and Kyrie Irving had 15 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
HAWKS’ COLLINS (ANKLE) OUT AT LEAST ONE WEEK >> Atlanta Hawks forward and second-leading scorer John Collins is out at least one week with a sprained ankle, the team announced. Collins injured the ankle during Tuesday night’s 117-110 loss at Phoenix. He underwent an MRI on Wednesday and was diagnosed with a lateral ankle sprain and associated bone bruise.
Collins is averaging 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in 47 starts this season. He’s shooting 54.5 percent from the floor.
BUCKS ADD DEPTH BY SIGNING VETERAN JEFF TEAGUE >> Veteran guard Jeff Teague signed with the Milwaukee Bucks after the Orlando Magic waived him last week. The move reunites Teague with Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, the two having worked together while with the Atlanta Hawks.
The 32-year-old Teague played 34 games for Boston this season but was traded to Orlando last week as part of the deal that brought guard Evan Fournier to the Celtics. The Magic, who also acquired two second-round draft picks in the deal, waived Teague shortly after the trade.
DELLAVEDOVA RETURNS, BUT CAVS LOSE TO 76ERS >> Shake Milton scored 27 points off the bench to help the Philadelphia 76ers conclude a sixgame trip with a 114-94 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland’s Matthew Dellavedova missed all four of his shots while logging 16 minutes in his season debut. Dellavedova, the former Saint Mary’s College star, sustained a concussion
during the Cavaliers’ preseason opener on Dec. 12 and later felt pain in his abdomen, leading to him having his appendix removed on Feb. 20.
College football
PENN STATE BACK ON SAN JOSE STATE SCHEDULE FOR 2026 >> San Jose State and Penn State have a contract in place for a nonconference game at Beaver Stadium, again on Sept. 19, 2026. The two schools were forced to cancel the scheduled meeting in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
NHL THREE MORE VANCOUVER CANUCKS GAMES POSTPONED >>
The NHL postponed three more Vancouver Canucks games on Thursday due to COVID-19 issues.
Forward Adam Gaudette, defenseman Travis Hamonic, and a member of the Canucks coaching staff are in NHL COVID-19 protocol. Canucks games at Edmonton on Saturday, and at Winnipeg on Sunday and Tuesday, have been postponed. That’s in addition to the home game against the Calgary Flames that was postponed Wednesday.
Rescheduled dates have not been announced.
DESMITH SHARP AGAIN AS PENGUINS BEAT BRUINS >>
The visiting Pittsburgh Penguins never trailed and got 30 saves from goaltender Casey DeSmith to win their fifth straight game, 4-1 over the Boston Bruins. DeSmith, starting with Tristan Jarry injured, improved to 9-3-0 and allowed two or fewer goals for the seventh straight start.
Tennis
BARTY STORMS INTO FINAL AT MIAMI OPEN >> Top-seeded Ashleigh Barty of Australia cruised into the Miami Open final with a 6-3, 6-3 win over fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina. The 2019 Miami Open champion won her 11th straight match at the event and improved to 12-2 in 2021.