Gainesville, Va. – The International team was in foreign territory Thursday at the Presidents Cup. It was in the lead.
Retief Goosen and Adam Scott turned in a tag-team performance that buried Tiger Woods and Fred Couples in the opening match 4 and 3. Bringing up the rear were Mike Weir and Trevor Immelman, who birdied four of their first five holes in alternate shot for a 6-and-5 victory over David Toms and Stewart Cink.
When the first day of matches ended, the International team had a 3 1/2-2 1/2 lead, with 28 matches remaining.
“It’s like a mile race and you’re 50 yards ahead,” International captain Gary Player said. “This is as close as it can be without being a tie.”
Next up is six matches of better ball today.
GOLF
Gamez leads Texas Open by one stroke
Robert Gamez shot an 8-under-par 62 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Texas Open in San Antonio. Jeff Maggert, Woody Austin and John Senden were next at 63, and Phillip Price, Ted Purdy, David Hearn and Nick Watney opened with 64s.
Jose Maria Olazabal and his continental Europe team took a 4-1 lead over Britain and Ireland in the first set of four-balls in the Seve Trophy in Billingham, England.
Mike Rice rallied to win the 17th and 18th holes for a 1-up victory over defending champion Mark Bemowski in the final of the USGA Senior Amateur Championship in Rocky Face, Ga.
Diane Lang won the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, beating four-time champion Carol Semple Thompson 1-up in Rye, N.Y.
NBA
Payton signs one-year deal with Heat
Point guard Gary Payton, who averaged 11.3 points and 6.1 assists for the Boston Celtics last season, signed a $1.1 million, one-year contract with the Miami Heat. The move begins a reunion with Shaquille O’Neal, who lured Payton to the Los Angeles Lakers two seasons ago for what ultimately was a failed title run.
Forward Lee Nailon, who averaged a career-high 14.2 points and 4.4 rebounds last season for the New Orleans Hornets, agreed to terms with the Philadelphia 76ers.
COLLEGES
TCU track teams put on probation
The NCAA placed Texas Christian’s men’s and women’s track teams on probation for two years for violations by coaches that included taking a final exam for an athlete and giving others money to pay for moving expenses and taxes. The NCAA said the violations happened between 1997-2004, when Monte Stratton was TCU’s track coach. Stratton was fired last September after the NCAA and the school began investigating the program.
UCLA sophomore forward Josh Shipp, one of four returning starters for the Bruins, will seek a second opinion before having surgery on his right hip to repair cartilage. The outpatient procedure had been scheduled for today.
Nevada freshman Richie Phillips, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward from Seattle, will sit out the basketball season because of academic reasons.
NHL
Atlanta’s Stefan released from hospital
Atlanta Thrashers forward Patrik Stefan was released from the hospital a day after an open-ice collision in a preseason game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Stefan underwent a CT scan that showed no serious injury.
Meanwhile, goalie Kari Lehtonen is expected to resume skating in the next day or two after straining his groin in a scrimmage last week. The 21-year-old Finn is expected to take over as the Thrashers’ top goalie this season.
The Czech hockey federation ratified a two-year agreement on transfers between the NHL and European teams. Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland also have agreed while Russia has refused.
FOOTNOTES
France, Greece reach European semis
France beat defending champion Lithuania 63-47 to reach the European basketball championship semifinals in Belgrade, Serbia-Montenegro, behind Boris Diaw’s 18 points and 11 rebounds and a strong game from Tony Parker (11 points, five assists). The French next will play Greece, which defeated Russia 66-61 on 23 points by Theodoros Papaloukas. In today’s quarterfinals, Slovenia plays Germany and Croatia meets Spain.
Australia’s Michael Rogers won the individual time-trial gold medal for the third consecutive year at the road cycling world championships in Madrid, Spain. Rogers covered the 27.4-mile course in 53 minutes, 34.49 seconds, almost 24 seconds ahead of Spain’s Jose Ivan Gutierrez. Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara won the bronze medal in 53:58.38. Two Bulgarian riders were barred from the men’s road race after undergoing blood tests. The International Cycling Union said Bogdan Stoytchev and Ivailo Gabrovski were “unfit” for competition.
