Conners surges into lead at Bay Hill
ORLANDO, Fla. — Corey Conners spent more time grinding out pars than chasing birdies, and that proved to be the right recipe Friday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational as Bay Hill began to bake under a warm sun.
Conners surged into the lead with a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th hole — his second eagle on that hole in two days — for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot advantage over former Bay Hill winner Martin Laird (67).
Rory McIlroy was poised to at least join Conners in the afternoon until he hit a couple of loose drives that cost him one shot when he could only pitch back to the fairway, leading to bogeys. He closed with five straight pars for a 71 that he figures could have been worse.
“It could have been the round that I could have shot 74 or 75. I got in with 71 and pretty happy with that,” McIlroy said.
He was two shots behind, along with Viktor Hovland and Lanto Griffin, who each had a 68.
Tiger Woods was unconscious in a mangled SUV after he crashed the vehicle in Southern California last week,
according to a court document that also revealed a nearby resident and not a sheriff’s deputy was first on the scene.
The witness, who lives near the accident scene in Rolling Hills Estates just outside Los Angeles, heard the crash and walked to the SUV, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Johann Schloegl wrote in the affidavit. The man told deputies that Woods had lost consciousness and did not respond to his questions.
The first deputy, Carlos Gonzalez, arrived minutes later the morning of Feb. 23 and has said Woods appeared to be in shock but was conscious and able to answer basic questions. Woods suffered severe injuries to his right leg and cuts to his face.
Woods told deputies — both at the wreckage and later at the hospital — that he did not know how
the crash occurred and didn’t remember driving, according to the affidavit.
BASEBALL
Shohei Ohtani reached 100 mph with his fastball and showed off his signature splitter while striking out five over 1 2/3 innings in the Angels’ 7-3 win over the Oakland Athletics. The righthander allowed a run, three hits and two walks, struggling to command his slider but showcasing the arm strength and stuff that allowed him to dominate in the majors before Tommy John surgery in 2018.
NBA
DETROIT — Blake Griffin’s time in Detroit is over, another significant step in a rebuilding process that has the Pistons at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
The veteran forward and the Pistons agreed to a contract buyout.
“I thank the Pistons organi
zation for working together on an outcome that benefits all involved and I wish the franchise success in the future,” Griffin said Friday in a statement released by the team.
The Pistons announced last month that they would keep Griffin out of the lineup while resolving his future, a clear sign that the star forward could be on the way out. The Pistons also traded Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks last month.
Griffin, who turns 32 later this month, came to Detroit in a trade during the 2017-18 season. The question now is how valuable he might be to a contending team. He had a terrific 2018-19 season for the Pistons, helping them to the playoffs, but his health has been a concern in Detroit, just as it had been when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers.
HOCKEY
TORONTO — Walter Gretzky, the father of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has died. He was 82.
Wayne Gretzky said in a social media post Thursday night that his father battled Parkinson’s disease and other health issues the past few years.
“It’s with deep sadness that Janet and I share the news of the passing of my dad,” Wayne Gretzky said. “He bravely battled Parkinson’s and other health issues these last few years, but he never let it get him down.
“For me, he was the reason
I fell in love with the game of hockey. He inspired me to be the best I could be not just in the game of hockey, but in life.”
Walter Gretzky became a name himself, a constant in Wayne’s world. As Wayne’s star ascended, Walter remained a blue-collar symbol of a devoted hockey parent in a country filled with them.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
LSU’s former athletic director recommended in 2013 that Les Miles be fired as Tigers football coach because of his behavior with female student workers, according to a law firm’s 148page review of how the university has handled sexual misconduct complaints.
Then-athletic director Joe Alleva’s recommendation to former LSU President F. King Alexander is detailed in a report made public Friday by the Husch Blackwell law firm. The report offers a scathing view of the resources and attention LSU has dedicated to such complaints campus-wide and also has resulted in the suspensions of two senior athletic officials.
Executive deputy athletics director Verge Ausberry has been suspended 30 days and senior associate athletic director Miriam Segar 21 days. Both are suspended without pay and ordered to undergo sexual violence training.
Miles, who now coaches at Kansas, was investigated after two female student workers in LSU’s football program accused the coach of inappropriate behavior.
While that 2013 investigation by the Taylor Porter law firm found Miles showed poor judgment, it did not find violations of law or that he had a sexual relationship with any students. Taylor Porter also concluded it could not confirm one student’s allegation that Miles kissed her while they were in the coach’s car with no one else present.
Alleva recommended to the then-LSU president that Miles be fired with cause. In an email dated June 2013, Alleva wrote Miles was guilty of “insubordination, inappropriate behavior, putting the university, athletic dept (cq) and football program at great risk.”
The Taylor Porter review had been kept confidential for about eight years until a redacted version of it was released this week after a lawsuit filed by USA Today.
Miles, who was hired by LSU in 2005 and won a national title in 2007, remained the Tigers’ coach until he was fired during the 2016 season when the Tigers were 2-2.