Kitayama has shot at a third golfing title
Chico High product sits tied for 2nd in Kenya at European Tour event
Justin Harding will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the European Tour’s Kenya Open after a 7-under 64 on Saturday, while Chico golfer Kurt Kitayama has a shot at another tour victory.
The South African Harding moved to 16 under overall at Karen Country Club.
Johannes Veerman of the United States is one of three players sharing second place after he carded 9-under 62 for a course record. Veerman had nine birdies in the third round and didn’t drop a shot. He is joined on 14 under by fellow American Kitayama (66), the former Chico High standout, and Australian Scott Hend (68).
Along with six birdies, Harding eagled par-4 No. 10 when he holed out with a wedge. He had just one bogey.
Kitayama has two career European Tour wins and is currently ranked 125th in the world.
HARKINS TIED FOR 31ST >> Former Chico State standout Brandon Harkins shot a third-round 67 and stands tied for 31st at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Louisiana Open.
JONES LEADS HONDA CLASSIC >> Aaron Wise had a six-shot lead during the third round of The Honda Classic, looking poised to turn the tournament into a rout.
Everything went wrong from there, and Matt Jones took full advantage.
The 40-year-old Australian handled the wind at PGA National to shoot a 1-under 69, going to 10 under for the tournament and moving three shots clear of Wise and J.B. Holmes.
Olympics
FOREIGN FANS BANNED >> Spectators from abroad will be barred from the Tokyo Olympics when they open in four months, the IOC and local organizers said.
The decision was announced after an online meeting of the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese government, the Tokyo govern
ment, the International Paralympic Committee, and local organizers.
The move was expected and rumored for several months. Officials said the risk was too great to admit ticket holders from overseas during a pandemic, an idea strongly opposed by the Japanese public. Japan has attributed about 8,800 deaths to COVID-19 and has controlled the virus better than most countries.
Pro football
SOURCE: GIANTS, STAR RECEIVER
GOLLADAY REACH DEAL >> The New York Giants have their playmaker receiver, reaching an agreement with former Detroit Lions star Kenny Golladay, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
Golladay played in only five games last season because of a hip injury. He visited with the Giants on Friday and stayed overnight as talks continued.
A third-round draft choice in 2017, Golladay played his first four seasons with the Lions. He appeared in 47 games with 39 starts. He caught 183 passes for 3,068 yards and 21 touchdowns, including a league-high 11 scoring catches in 2019.
The Giants’ top three receivers last season combined for only seven touchdown catches.
TITANS 1ST-ROUND BUST
WILSON RELEASED BY DOLPHINS >> Tackle Isaiah Wilson, a first-round bust for the Tennessee Titans, lasted less than two weeks with the Miami Dolphins. Miami released Wilson after he was late for his physical and team meetings, and failed to show for workouts he had scheduled, a person familiar with the Dolphins’ decision said.
Miami acquired Wilson from Tennessee on March 8 in a trade that also involved a swap of seventhround draft picks.
Baseball
MINOR LEAGUE CUBS PLAYER ARRESTED OVER
DRUGS >> A minor league baseball player is facing drug charges after police in Colorado found 21 pounds of methamphetamine and 1.2 pounds of oxycodone pills in his Chicago Cubs duffel bag.
The Vail Daily reports Jesus Camargo-Corrales, 25, of Tempe, Arizona, appeared in Eagle County Court on Thursday on charges including unlawful distribution of methamphetamine and oxycodone, both class 1 drug felonies, as well as charges of unlawful possession of each drug, both class 4 drug felonies.
The Major League Baseball website says he was first signed to a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs in 2014.
He was ordered held on $75,000 bond by Judge Rachel Olguin-Fresquez. DRAFT PROSPECT LEITER THROWS NO-HITTER >> Top draft prospect Jack Leiter pitched a nine-inning nohitter with 16 strikeouts for Vanderbilt, retiring his final 27 batters.
Leiter, the son of 19-year big league pitcher Al Leiter, walked Braylen Wimmer to lead off the game but was perfect the rest of the way in a 5-0 victory over South Carolina. He struck out Wimmer swinging at a 96 mph fastball to end the game, his 124th pitch.
The 20-year-old sophomore was swarmed by teammates after the final pitch. The right-hander improved to 5-0 with a 0.31 ERA in five starts.
Skiing
SLOVAKIAN VLHOVA WINS WORLD CUP >>
Petra Vlhova won the women’s World Cup overall title as the first Slovakian to be crowned the best all-around skier.
Needing only a top-14 finish in her specialist slalom event, Vlhova placed sixth in a race Katharina Liensberger won by 1.24 seconds.
That earned Liensberger the season-long discipline title, edging Mikaela Shiffrin who also placed second in the race.
The result gave the 25-year-old Vlhova an unbeatable lead of more than 100 points in the standings over Lara Gut-Behrami.