BRITISH OPEN
Johnson is the man to beat
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — They’re off again at soggy St. Andrews, after a more than three-hour rain delay that means the second round of the British Open won’t be completed until tomorrow morning.
Parts of the 18th hole were so flooded that teams of workers used push brooms to sweep away ankle-deep water.
Forecasters are predicting more inclement weather, including some blustery showers later in the day along with strong winds.
Two players are putting up some good numbers so far as Danny Willett of England is 3-under for the day through nine holes and 9-under for the tournament, while Zach Johnson of the U.S. is 2-under for the day after 10 holes and stands at minus-8.
The delay will force some players to return Saturday morning to complete their second rounds. That will almost surely include first-round leader Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth (speeth), who is two shots back and bidding for a third straight major.
Tiger Woods was two groups behind Johnson and Spieth, and in danger of missing the cut after a first-round 76.
PGA-BARBASOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Saunders leads
OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) — Sam Saunders has a one-stroke lead over Jason Gore after the first round of the Barbasol Championship in Alabama.
Saunders shot a 7-under 64 on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
LPGA-MARATHON CLASSIC
Jang tops leaderboard
SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) — Ha Na Jang fired a 5-under 66 for a one-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic. The South Korean birdied four of the first five holes on the back nine and closed with a birdie to move ahead of Nannette Hill, Wei-Ling Hsu, Lee-Anne Pace and Sarah Kemp.
Jang is seeking her first LPGA victory.
Defending champ Lydia Ko opened with an even-par-71.
NFL-STEELERS-HEYWARD
Heyward gets new deal
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed defensive end Cameron Heyward to a six-year contract.
The 26-year-old was entering the final year of the rookie pact he signed after the Steelers took him with the 31st overall selection of the 2011 draft. He set a career high and tied for the team lead with 7 1/2 sacks in 2014 as Pittsburgh won the AFC North title.
NBA-CLIPPERS-SMITH
Clippers ink Josh Smith
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Josh Smith is joining the team he helped eliminate in this year’s NBA playoffs.
Smith is now a member of the Los Angeles Clippers after signing a reported one-year deal worth the veteran minimum $1.5 million.
The 29-year-old forward is the 25th player in NBA history with over 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocked shots. Smith helped the Rockets rally from a 3-1 series deficit against the Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals, scoring 34 points over the last two games.
NBA-KINGS
Kings part way with Mbah a Moute
UNDATED (AP) — The Sacramento Kings have voided the one-year contract of free-agent forward Luc Mbah a Moute (look EHM’-bah ah MOO’-tay) after he failed a team physical, two days after he agreed to the deal.
Mbah a Moute averaged a career-high 9.9 points to go with 4.9 rebounds per game with Philadelphia last season. He has averaged 6.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in seven NBA seasons.
NBA-NUGGETS
Alcohol monitoring requested for Lawson
DENVER (AP) — Colorado prosecutors want Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson to use an alcohol monitoring device after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence for a second time this year.
Lawson was arrested in Los Angeles Tuesday and is scheduled to stand trial in a Denver DUI case next month.
After his January arrest in Denver, Lawson was ordered not to drink alcohol or violate laws as part of his bond. Prosecutors now are asking a judge to require him to use a device, such as an ankle bracelet or a home breath tester that monitors the body for alcohol.
A judge could rule on the request Friday when Lawson is due in court for a hearing.
MLB-GIANTS
Minor league deal for shortstop Cabrera
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Shortstop Everth Cabrera has signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. The 28-year-old Cabrera appeared in 29 games for Baltimore this season, batting .208 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs before his release last month.
Giants GM Bobby Evans confirmed the deal Thursday. Cabrera is scheduled to join San Francisco’s Arizona rookie league team initially then move on to Triple-A Sacramento when ready, according to Evans.
NHL
Preds ink defenseman
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Taylor Aronson to a one-year, two-way contract after he accepted his qualifying offer. The deal will pay him $605,000 in the NHL or $65,000 in the minors. The 23-year old had 29 assists in his first full season at Milwaukee in the American Hockey League last season. Aronson also led the Admirals’ defensemen with 32 points. He had 38 points in the ECHL with Cincinnati in 2013-14.
TENNIS-WILLIAMS
Wimbledon champ injured
BASTAD, Sweden (AP) — Wimbledon champion Serena Williams has pulled out of the Swedish Open with an injured right elbow. Tournament spokesman Marcus Duner says the top-ranked Williams was injured while practicing.
Williams withdrew ahead of her second-round match after winning her first match in straight sets.
TOUR DE FRANCE
Froome stays in yellow
LANNEMEZAN, France (AP) — Britain’s Chris Froome remains in control of the yellow jersey, symbolic of being the overall leader of the Tour de France.
In Thursday’s 12th stage the winner was Spain’s Joachim Rodriguez after surging out of a breakaway group on the way to an uphill finish.
Today’s Stage 13 is underway. It promises a flatter ride after three punishing days in the Pyrenees.
