Off the wire

Compiled from Democrat-Gazette Press Services

GOLF Ex-Hog Cook in lead

Former Arkansas Razorback Austin Cook played a six- hole stretch in 6 under and shot an 8-under 64 in breezy conditions Saturday to take the lead at the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, Calif. Cook began the run at La Quinta Country Club with birdies on Nos. 4-5, eagled the sixth and added birdies on No. 7 and 9 to make the turn in 6-under 30. After a bogey on the 10th, he birdied Nos. 11, 12 and 15 and saved par on the 18th with a 20-footer to take a 19-under 197 total into the final round on PGA West’s Stadium Course. He won at Sea Island in November for his first PGA Tour title. Fellow former Razorback Andrew Landry and Martin Piller were a stroke back, and Jon Rahm and Scott Piercy were 17 under. David Lingmerth (Razorbacks) is 9 under after a 71. John Daly (Dardanelle, Razorbacks), Matt Atkins (Henderson State) and Ethan Tracy (Razorbacks) did not make the cut.

McIlroy closing in

Rory McIlroy fired a 7-under 65 Saturday in the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to sit one shot behind leaders Ross Fisher and Thomas Pieters. Northern Ireland’s McIlroy is at 16-under 200 overall with the former world No. 1 playing his first event since October. England’s Fisher also shot a 65, while overnight leader Pieters added a 67 to reach 17-under 199 on a low-scoring day in the absence of any wind at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course. Topranked Dustin Johnson (68) is five shots behind the leaders. Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood (67) was tied for fourth at 201 with Matthew Fitzpatrick, whose 9-under 63 is the lowest round of the tournament so far.

FOOTBALL Nationals win Collegiate Bowl

LSU defensive tackle Frank Herron returned a fumble for a late touchdown and Penn State linebacker Troy Apke earned MVP honors, helping the National team stifle the American team 23-0 on Saturday in the NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl at Pasadena, Calif. Herron scooped up a fumble by Texas

A&M-Commerce quarterback Luis Perez and returned it all the way with 3:07 left. That came shortly after Apke intercepted Michigan’s John O’Korn and took it 56 yards to the American 31. The National team did all of its scoring in the second half, also getting touchdowns from Stanford fullback Daniel Marx and Howard running back Anthony Philyaw. The National team has won all seven Collegiate Bowls, held for the first time this year at the Rose Bowl after six years at the StubHub Center. The game is meant to highlight players on the bubble of the NFL draft for scouts and teams.

Shutdown denies game viewers

The federal government shutdown has upended plans for military outside the U.S. wanting to follow the NFL’s conference playoff games on

TV and radio. The American Forces Network, which broadcasts American radio and television programming in Europe and other locations outside the U.S., put a message on its Facebook page that said its services would not be available “due to the government shutdown.” The notice sparked angry reactions from viewers, with several noting the timing couldn’t have been worse. The two NFL conference championships are today — Minnesota vs. Philadelphia and Jacksonville vs. New England. “During NFL PLAYOFFS?!” one post read. “AFN, start a GoFundMe & broadcast these games! Make it happen!” The shutdown did not affect games involving the Army and Navy men’s basketball teams, which were played as scheduled on Saturday. But hours after the partial shutdown took effect, the Air Force Academy said both its home and away events have been postponed.

MOTOR SPORTS Sainz wins 2nd Dakar Rally

Spanish driver Carlos Sainz won his second Dakar Rally title on Saturday, finishing 43 minutes ahead of second-placed Nasser Al-Attiyah of Toyota. The Peugeot driver climbed on top of his car at the end of the rally to celebrate. “I am very happy because this was a very difficult Dakar, I needed this victory,” Sainz said. His first title was in 2010 when he drove for Volkswagen in the second South American edition of the rally. Sainz finished in 49 hours, 16 minutes, 18 seconds overall. South African Giniel de Villiers won the 74-mile final stage in Cordoba and finished third overall. Sainz was ninth on Saturday and had less pressure on him because rival Stephane Peterhansel crashed on Friday. The Frenchman, known as “Mr. Dakar” for his 13 victories in different categories of the rally, finished fourth overall. Austrian rider Matthias Walkner won his first title in the motorcycle race. The 2017 runner-up finished the last stage of the race in eighth place, securing the title more than 16 minutes ahead of Argentina’s Kevin Benavides of Honda. Benavides won the last stage of the race.

BASEBALL Tebow gets spring invite

Tim Tebow will be at spring training with the New York Mets. The 30-year- old outfielder was among a group of nine spring training invitees announced by the team Friday. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback is preparing for his second professional baseball season. He hit .226 with eight homers, 52 RBIs and 126 strikeouts in 126 games last year at Class A with Columbia in the South Atlantic League and Port St. Lucie in the Florida State League. Tebow was 4 for 27 (.148) with no extra-base hits, one walk and eight strikeouts in nine spring training games for the Mets last year. New York also invited first baseman Peter Alonso, infielder David Thompson, outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski, catcher Patrick Mazeika, left-hander P.J. Conlon and right-handers Drew Smith, Corey Taylor and Adonis Uceta to spring training.