Poulter, Hubbard share early lead at Hilton Head

HILTON HEAD, S.C. — Ian Poulter and Mark Hubbard set the pace for good scoring through a brief spell of rain at Hilton Head.

Jordan Spieth was pleasantly surprised to join the chase Thursday in the RBC Heritage.

Poulter holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole and finished with a 5-iron to 4 feet for another birdie that capped a 7-under 64, a round without a bogey but not without flaws. Hubbard kept his 64 together with two par putts at the end.

They had a one-shot lead Viktor Hovland, Sebastian Munoz and Michael Thompson among the early starters.

Spieth didn't figure to be part of the conversation until bouncing back from a triple bogey with eight birdies for a 66.

Auto racing: A limited number of spectators will be allowed at Iowa Speedway each night for IndyCar races July 17-18. About 5,000-6,000 tickets will be available each night at the facility, which has more than 25,000 permanent seats. Groups of fans will be separated by at least 6 feet in order to align with state guidelines for COVID-19 at the oval track, which is just under a mile long.

Baseball: Twins slugger Miguel Sano told a Dominican Republic newspaper he’s being blackmailed, having been accused of kidnapping and assault. The Twins said they’re aware of the report in El Nuevo Diario and still trying to gathering more information about the situation surrounding Sano, who signed a three-year, $30 million contract in January and will move to first base if and when the 2020 season begins. El Nuevo Diario reported that Odalis Ramos, a lawyer, has accused Sano and three of his friends of kidnapping, beating and threatening to hang his client, Raudy Omar Sanchez de la Cruz, during an incident last month in San Pedro de Macoris, the hometown of the 27-year-old Sano.

NFL: Frequently suspended WR Josh Gordon has applied to the league for reinstatement, a person with knowledge of the move told AP. NFL Network first reported Gordon’s application for reinstatement. Gordon, 29, has been suspended eight times overall by either his team or the NFL, including six times since 2013, mostly for violating the league’s policies on banned substances. He played for the Patriots and then briefly for the Seahawks last season before being suspended indefinitely . ... Niners receiver Deebo Samuel underwent surgery after breaking a bone in his left foot during informal workouts with teammates in Tennessee. Samuel suffered a Jones Fracture, which is a break between the base and the middle part of the fifth metatarsal in his foot.