Associated Press
RENO, Nev. ó Michelle Wie put herself in contention to make her first cut in eight tries on the PGA Tour, shooting a 1-over 73 in Thursdayís opening round of the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open that left her eight strokes behind leader Jeff Overton.
Playing on the menís tour for the first time since January 2007, Wie had three birdies, four bogeys and rallied to save par on several holes at the 7,472-yard mountain course at Montreux Golf & Country Club on the edge of the Sierra Nevada.
iI shot a pretty decent round today,î she said. iI felt like I grinded really well. Iíve just got to shoot low tomorrow.î
More than 400 people ó the biggest gallery on the course ó crowded around the first tee where Wie drove the ball into the left rough.
Wie said she wouldnít worry about making the cut today. She said she has paid no attention to criticism from some LPGA Tour players and others for teeing it up again with the men.
iWhether it was the right decision or wrong decision, it is a decision I made,î she said. iIím not going to think about what other people think about me. All Iím going to think about is how Iím going to shoot a better score tomorrow and how Iím going to shoot a low number and I think a low number will take care of everything.î
* AKRON, Ohio ó Retief Goosen, a late arrival and an early starter, took advantage of a Firestone South course that played long and short on his way to a 4-under 66 that gave him a one-shot lead in the Bridgestone Invitational.
Vijay Singh and former Masters champion Zach Johnson were among those at 67.
* SUNNINGDALE, England ó Juli Inkster had the sort of opening round Annika Sorenstam was hoping for at the Womenís British Open, a bogey-free 7-under 65 that left the 48-year-old American one shot ahead of the field.
While Sorenstam struggled to a 72 in what the Swede says is her final major before she quits tournament golf at the end of the season to start a family, Inkster went out among the earliest in the field to shoot an eagle and five birdies. Her 65 matched the lowest opening round at any Womenís British Open.
Inkster, whose last major title was the 2002 Womenís U.S. Open, is a stroke ahead of seven players ó Ji-Yai Shin, Ji Young Oh, Yuri Fudoh, Momoko Ueda, Jo Head, Laura Diaz and Stacy Prammanasudh. Defending champion Lorena Ochoa was three strokes behind.
* COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. ó John Cook, who blew a big lead on the back nine at the British Senior Open on Sunday, carded a 4-under 66, which was good for the clubhouse lead at the U.S. Senior Open until Fred Funk birdied the 16th and 17th holes to go 6 under before three-putting the final hole and finishing at 5-under 65.
Four players were tied for third place at 1 under: Morris Hatalsky, Eduardo Romero, Juan Quiros and Tom Kite. Greg Norman shot a solid 70.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ó Alabama linebacker Prince Hall will serve a three-game suspension for team rules violations, coach Nick Saban said Thursday.
Hall was one of several personnel issues Saban addressed. He said reserve offensive lineman Patrick Crump has left the team for personal reasons. Receiver Will Oakley was not on the 105-man roster for fall camp and will miss three weeks of practice before of a stress fracture in his foot.
Saban said freshmen Devonta Bolton, Brandon Lewis and Kerry Murphy did not enroll in school for academic reasons. Alabama has appealed on Murphyís behalf, but Saban said he is expected to be eligible to join the team in January.
Another signee, Jermaine Preyear, will not enroll until January because of a high school shoulder injury.
* COLUMBIA, S.C. ó South Carolina will have redshirt freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia back for the start of practice.
The school says Garcia will be at practice today after being approved for early reinstatement. He had been suspended by the university from all activities until Aug. 15.
* FORREST CITY, Ark. ó Arkansas defensive tackle Ernest Mitchell was fined $150 to settle misdemeanor drug and weapon charges.
* LEXINGTON, Ky. ó Kentucky coach Rich Brooks says quarterback Curtis Pulleyís recent legal troubles mean Mike Hartline will begin preseason camp as the starting quarterback.
* HATTIESBURG, Miss. ó Southern Miss will retire Reggie Collierís No. 10 in advance of the former record-setting quarterbackís induction into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
URBANA, Ill. ó Junior guard Jamar Smith was dismissed from the Illinois menís basketball team two days after a prosecutor asked a judge to revoke his probation for allegedly drinking alcohol.
Coach Bruce Weber said Smithís decision to violate terms of a personal agreement for his return to the team left him without a choice.
* MEMPHIS, Tenn. ó Memphisí menís basketball program reported a possible violation to the NCAA.
School officials said they learned that Dave Bronczek, president of Memphis-based FedEx and a school booster, telephoned a woman who is a FedEx employee and the mother of a high school player being recruited by the school. Boosters are prohibited by NCAA rules from having any contact with recruits or their parents.
* AUBURN, Ala. ó Auburn forward Josh Dollard has been dismissed from the team for violating university policy after sitting out last season for medical reasons.
COLLEGES
CLEMSON, S.C. ó Clemson baseball coach Jack Leggett thanked those concerned about him and his family following a fire that destroyed much of their home.
Leggett and his family were out of town on vacation at the time of the blaze. County officials say it took about 50 firefighters about two hours to put the fire out.
NBA
CHICAGO ó The Chicago Bulls have waived guard JamesOn Curry.
Curry, a former Oklahoma State standout, is the leading scorer in North Carolina high school basketball history.
BASEBALL
LOS ANGELES ó The semifinals and championship game of the 2009 World Baseball Classic will be played at Dodger Stadium.