Kitayama handles a windy ball as Rahm falters

Kurt Kitayama is used to battling some of the best players as he searches for his first PGA Tour win. His biggest challenge Friday was windy Bay Hill, and he handled that just fine with a 4-under 68 for an early lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Jon Rahm finally looked human. His final five holes included a double bogey, three bogeys and a birdie. He shot 76, his highest score since a 76 in the third round of the PGA Championship last May.

“How would I characterize it? What do you think I’m going to say? Excuse my language, but it’s (expletive) hard,” Rahm said.

He was smiling as he spoke, happy to be done and resigned that a tough day at the office would not belong only to him in these conditions.

College football

GEORGIA’S CARTER WILL TRY TO PROTECT DRAFT STATUS AT PRO DAY >> Jalen Carter’s next step in his attempts to preserve his status as a top prospect in next month’s NFL draft will be Georgia’s pro day on March 15, where he is expected to participate in workouts in front of coaches and general managers.

Carter, a defensive tackle who played a big role in the Bulldogs’ back-to-back national championships, has been widely projected as one of the top picks in the April 27 NFL draft. His draft outlook was potentially clouded by misdemeanor charges of racing and reckless driving in relation to the Jan. 15 crash that killed teammate Devin Willock and a Georgia recruiting staffer, 24-year-old Chandler LeCroy.

Police allege in an arrest warrant that Carter was racing his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk against the 2021 Ford Expedition driven by LeCroy at the time of the crash. Willock was a passenger in the SUV LeCroy was driving. UCLA’S KELLY SIGNS TWOYEAR EXTENSION >> Coach Chip Kelly has signed a two-year extension with UCLA that keeps him under contract through 2027, the school said Friday.

The Bruins were 8-4 last year and finished 21st in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll, the first time since 2014 that they had been ranked at the end of the season.

SMART SAYS NEW FIRSTDOWN RULE GOOD START TO SHORTENING GAMES >> Georgia coach Kirby Smart says proposed changes to clock operating rules shouldn’t significantly impact college football games next season, but he called them a good first step to reducing the number of plays in the name of player health and safety.

The NCAA Football Rules Committee on Friday approved a proposal to keep the clock running when a team makes a first down except in the last two minutes of a half. Since 1968, the clock has stopped on a first down until the referee gives the ready-for-play signal.

The committee forwarded two other proposals to keep games moving. One would have penalties that are accepted at the end of the first and third quarters enforced at the start of the following quarter rather than having an untimed down. The other would take away the option for a coach to call back-to-back timeouts during the same dead ball period.

NFL

NFL LAUNCHES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR PLAYERS >> While the best college players showcase their skills at this week’s annual scouting combine, the NFL launched a professional development program Friday to provide current and former players opportunities to prepare for their future after football.

NFL Career Tours gives players exclusive access to major organizations to learn about various career opportunities and network with industry leaders. Sixty men will participate in the program this month to gain behind-the-scenes experience in entertainment, sports business, and the music industry.

The NFL has partnered with the Fifth Season and Hidden Empire film groups, Nike, and Interscope Records.

College basketball

VANDERBILT CENTER ROBBINS OUT FOR SEASON >> Vanderbilt has announced on social media that scoring leader Liam Robbins will miss the rest of the season with a leg injury sustained early in Wednesday’s 68-66 victory at No. 23 Kentucky.

The school wished the 7-footer a speedy recovery on its Twitter account Friday morning and added, “On the court, Liam has represented himself and Vanderbilt in a first-class manner.”

Tennis

MEDVEDEV BEATS DJOKOVIC, TO FACE RUBLEV IN DUBAI FINAL >> Daniil Medvedev ended Novak Djokovic’s 20-match winning streak by beating the world’s topranked player 6-4, 6-4 to reach the final at the Dubai Championships on Friday.

The third-seeded Medvedev will face defending champion Andrey Rublev in an all-Russian final of the hard-court tournament.

The former No. 1 player picked up trophies in Rotterdam and Doha before coming to Dubai and beating Djokovic again extended his winning streak to 13 matches, the second longest of his career.

Auto racing

HAMILTON CLEARED TO RACE IN BAHRAIN AFTER JEWLERY INSPECTED >> Formula One great Lewis Hamilton was cleared to race for Mercedes at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after having his jewelry inspected on Friday.

Hamilton clashed with governing body FIA last year over the wearing of jewelry, and his nose stud was cleared at the Singapore GP in October.

Skiing

SHIFFRIN MISSED OUT IN SUPER-G, STILL CHASING 86TH VICTORY >> American skier Mikaela Shiffrin finished in fourth place in a World Cup super-G on Friday and missed out on a record-tying 86th career victory.

Shiffrin was the ninth starter and trailed thenleader Elena Curtoni of Italy by 0.15 seconds. The race was eventually won by Cornelia Huetter of Austria, who edged Curtoni by a mere 0.01 seconds.

Soccer

FRENCH PROSECUTORS INDICT PSG’S HAKIMI ON RAPE ALLEGATION >> Paris SaintGermain defender Achraf Hakimi has been indicted on rape charges, French prosecutors said Friday.

The prosecutors office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said Hakimi was questioned on Thursday by investigators probing rape allegations. He was then indicted by an investigating judge and placed under judicial supervision.

SPIRIT SIGN 15 YEAR-OLD, MAKING HER NWSL’S YOUNGEST PLAYER >> The Washington Spirit have signed 15-year-old Chloe Ricketts, making her the youngest player to sign with a National Women’s Soccer League team.

Ricketts signed a threeyear contract with an option for the fourth year under the league’s new under-19 entry rule, the Spirit announced Friday.

Ricketts, a high school sophomore, was 15 years and 283 days old when she signed Thursday, younger than Olivia Moultrie, who was 15 years and 286 days when she signed with the Portland Thorns in June 2021.