Garcia takes 2-shot lead at Players Championship
Sergio Garcia has played TPC Sawgrass enough to know that trouble is lurking around every turn, and the opening round Thursday at The Players Championship provided another example. Just not for him.
A solid start turned into a brilliant one for Garcia, who finished birdiebirdie-eagle for a 7-under 65, staking the Spaniard to a two-shot lead over Brian Harman in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, opened with a double bogey from the trees. He hit two in the water on the 18th and made a quadruple-bogey 8. He wound up with a 79, his worst score since his opening round at Royal Portrush in the 2019 British Open. There were 13 scores of 80 or higher, including Henrik Stenson’s 85.
Texans coach: Watson ‘is our quarterback’
New Houston Texans coach David Culley reiterated that the team has no intention of trading Deshaun Watson despite the star QB’s request to be dealt.
“We are very committed to Deshaun as our quarterback,” Culley said. “He is our quarterback. He’s the only guy we got under contract at this time right now.”
Also, running back Mark Ingram agreed to a one-year contract with the Texans.
• New Orleans released starting cornerback Janoris Jenkins in yet another roster moved aimed at helping the club get below this season’s $182.5 million NFL salary cap for the 2021 season.
• Kansas City released starting offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz.
• Atlanta re-signed kicker Younghoe Koo, cornerback Tyler Hall, receiver Christian Blake and defensive end Jacob Tuioti-Mariner.
• Chicago rewarded kicker Cairo Santos for a club-record season with a five-year, $16 million contract extension.
• Buffalo re-signed linebacker Matt Milano to a four-year, $44 million deal.
Federer loses in Qatar quarterfinal round
Roger Federer failed to convert a match point before losing 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 to Nikoloz Basilashvili in the Qatar Open quarterfinals in Doha, his second match back on tour after a 13-month injury layoff.
Basilashvili saved a match point at 5-4 in the deciding set and then broke Federer’s serve in the next game.
Federer, 39, was playing in his first tournament since the 2020 Australian Open following knee surgery.
Basilashvili’s semifinal foe will be Taylor Fritz after the American upset fourthseeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov 5-7, 6-3, 7-5.
• Garbiñe Muguruza rallied from a set and a break down to beat Aryna Sabalenka for the second week in a row and reach the semifinals of the Dubai Championships. The scores were 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Muguruza faces Elise Mertens in the semifinals after the 10th-seeded Belgian saved three match points to beat Jessica Pegula 5-7, 7-5, 6-0. Jil Teichmann won 6-3, 6-3 against American Coco Gauff, 16, to set up a semifinal with Barbora Krejcikova.
Indians’ Bieber sees his salary renewed
AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Indians was among eight players whose contracts were unilaterally renewed by their team before Thursday’s deadline. Bieber will receive a $679,700 salary while in the major leagues and $311,600 in the unlikely event he is optioned to the minors.
Those renewed include Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who gets a salary of $676,775 in the majors and $326,261 in the minors. Seattle outfielder Kyle Lewis, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, was renewed for $625,000 in the majors, $282,750 in the minors.
Galaxy sign Grandsir to 3-year contract
The Galaxy acquired French midfielder Samuel Grandsir using Targeted Allocation Money.
Grandsir, 24, recently from AS Monaco in France, joins the Galaxy on a three-year contract. — Damian Calhoun
Kansas selects its interim football coach
Emmett Jones was picked as the interim football coach at Kansas as it searches for a new athletic director and head football coach. Jones is entering his third season with the Jayhawks, serving most recently as the passing game coordinator.
• China strengthened its relationship with the International Olympic Committee by offering to pay for vaccines for athletes. The IOC entered into a partnership with the Chinese Olympic committee to buy and provide vaccines for people taking part in the upcoming games in Tokyo and Beijing.