RBC HERITAGE
Jordan Spieth struggles in 1st round after Masters win
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) β Jordan Spieth had a post-Masters letdown Thursday, shooting a 3-over 74 at the RBC Heritage to end his run of 16 straight rounds under par.
Spieth vowed his whirlwind, two-day celebration tour of New York after winning the green jacket Sunday wouldn’t affect his focus. But it was apparent early on at Harbour Town that Spieth was not at his Augusta National best.
Spieth was visibly frustrated on the eighth hole when his second shot from pine straw landed well short of the green.
The 21-year-old Texan was eight shots behind leaders Graeme McDowell and Matt Every, who were at 5-under 66.
Spieth chalked it up to a bad day of golf. He’ll need significant improvement Friday to make his eighth consecutive cut.
HORNETS-WRAPUP
Hornets’ Jefferson plans to return, Henderson unsure
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Al Jefferson says he has no intentions of opting out of his contract with the Charlotte Hornets, while Gerald Henderson hasn’t decided on whether he’ll return next season.
Jefferson is due $13.5 million next season. Henderson, the longest-tenured player on the roster, is set to make $6 million.
Both have opt-out clauses in their contracts.
Jefferson says he has unfinished business to address after a disappointing injury-plagued season. Charlotte finished with the ninth-worst record in the league (33-49) after making the playoffs in 2014.
Jefferson said Thursday “I have a bad taste in my mouth, the Charlotte Hornets have a bad taste in their mouths β and I can’t walk away from that.”
The 6-foot-10, 287-pound Jefferson plans to get in better shape, hoping to lose 20-25 pounds this offseason.
NASCAR-RCR-TIRE PENALTY
Appeals panel rules RCR intentionally altered Newman’s tires
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β A NASCAR appeals panel has upheld a penalty against Richard Childress Racing for intentionally manipulating the tires on a car driven by Ryan Newman at Fontana.
The three-panel committee did reduce the amount of points deducted from Childress and Newman from 75 to 50. The original $125,000 fine against crew chief Luke Lambert was cut to $75,000.
However, the six-race suspensions against Lambert, tire technician James Bender and race engineer Philip Surgen were upheld.
NASCAR seized tires from four teams after the March 22 race in California amid speculation that crews were poking holes in tires to allow air to escape during a race. The process is known as “bleeding tires” and NASCAR warned warned crew chiefs about the penalties that would be levied against any team caught.
HAWKS-GETTING REAL
Top seed Hawks look to recapture form after sluggish ending
ATLANTA (AP) β The Atlanta Hawks spent the past month doing little more than warming up for the playoffs.
Now it’s time to get real again.
After setting a franchise record for wins and claiming top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks host Brooklyn on Sunday to open the playoffs.
Atlanta (60-22) goes in as an overwhelming favorite against the Nets (38-44), a team they beat all four times during the regular season.
Still, there were some troubling signs down the stretch.
The Hawks had a rash of nagging injuries on the court. Two players were arrested in New York during a bizarre incident that left forward Thabo Sefolosha with a season-ending leg injury. And the team won just seven of its last 15 games, with a pair of three-game losing streaks.
FALCONS-FIRST IMPRESSION
Falcons trying to make good 1st impression with coach Quinn
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) β Even the most established Falcons players are scrambling to make a good first impression with new coach Dan Quinn.
Linebacker Paul Worrilow, who has led the Falcons in tackles two straight seasons, says he believes “you don’t have any credit” for past accomplishments.
Similarly, center Joe Hawley, who started four games last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury, says he must prove himself again.
Quinn, the former Seattle defensive coordinator, is starting with the basics of tackling in the voluntary offseason conditioning program. Worrilow says Quinn is teaching a different facet of tackling each day, pouring over fundamentals.
Worrilow says before Quinn “it was kind of understood” players knew how to tackle. Recent poor results by Atlanta’s defense may have proved otherwise.
