Sam leads Genesis
Sam Saunders played bogey-free at Riviera on Thursday for a 7-under 64 that gave him a two-shot lead among the early finishers at the Genesis Open.
This is how Saunders prefers to be in a starring role — on a golf course making birdies, not as the composed grandson of Arnold Palmer giving a rocksolid eulogy for the King at his memorial service last October.
Saunders had what he felt was his best round at as a pro at a tournament that Palmer won three times, though never at Riviera.
MAX IN PAIN
NL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer is dealing with pain from a broken knuckle on his pitching hand that arose late last year, and Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker says the team is making plans in case his ace isn’t ready for Opening Day.
DEVS DROPPED
Mike Condon made 21 saves in recording his fifth shutout of the season, Dion Phaneuf scored on a power play and the Ottawa Senators beat the host New Jersey Devils 3-0.
Cory Schneider stopped 32 shots, but the Devils lost for the second time in regulation (4-2-1) in their last seven games.
CAN’T DUCK IT
Anaheim Ducks forward Antoine Vermette was suspended for 10 games without pay for slashing a linesman in apparent anger after a faceoff.
Vermette slapped his stick against the back of linesman Shandor Alphonso’s legs after losing a faceoff to Minnesota captain Mikko Koivu during the third period of the Ducks’ 1-0 win Tuesday.
l Sidney Crosby is the newest member of the NHL’s 1,000-point club. The Pittsburgh Penguins star became the 86th player in league history to reach 1,000 career points with a first period assist against Winnipeg.
YOUNG AGAIN
Former NFL quarterback Vince Young’s agent says he’s talking to the Saskatchewan Roughriders about his client playing in the Canadian Football League.
“We have opened discussions with Saskatchewan Roughriders,” agent Leigh Steinberg tweeted.
BET IT’S FLOYD
Bookies in Las Vegas don’t give Conor McGregor much of a chance should he ever meet Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a boxing match.
Mayweather is a whopping 25-1 favorite in odds posted on the proposed fight.
HAWKS ARE 1ST
Justin Robinson made seven 3-pointers in scoring 27 points and host Monmouth became the first Division-I team in the nation to clinch an outright regular-season title, beating Niagara 93-75.
The Hawks (23-5, 15-2) won their second consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regularseason championship by extending their school-record winning streak to 13.
The last time Monmouth won consecutive titles was 2004-05.
Je’lon Hornbeak added four 3-pointers and 16 points and Josh James had his first 10-rebound game. Monmouth made half of its 28 3-point attempts. Robinson scored 15 points in the first half.