SHANGHAI, CHINA — Kevin Stadler shot an 8-under-par 64 on Thursday that gave him a share of the lead after the first round of the HSBC Champions.
A few days earlier, the Kent Denver graduate salvaged his PGA Tour card for next season. He needed to finish in the top 125 on the money list. He did, scraping by at No. 124 with a strong finish Sunday in the Children’s Miracle Network Classic in Florida.
“Sunday was a long day, a stressful day,” said Stadler, who shared the lead with Niclas Fasth of Sweden. “I pretty much just went straight from the golf course to the airport to come over here.”
Stadler and Fasth were three shots ahead of Vijay Singh, and four clear of eight players at 68, including Phil Mickelson, British Open champion Padraig Harrington and Paul Casey.
Though it’s still 2007, the HSBC event is the first of the 2008 PGA European Tour season, which has become a 12-month season without a break.
Additional sports news briefs:
Creamer, Mallon share lead
MOBILE, ALA. — Paula Creamer birdied the final seven holes for a share of the first-round lead with Meg Mallon at the LPGA’s Tournament of Champions, ending Suzann Pettersen’s run at the top of the leaderboard at six rounds.
Creamer and Mallon shot 5-under 67s, leaving them two strokes ahead of Pettersen, Natalie Gulbis, Pat Hurst, Mi Hyun Kim and Seon Hwa Lee.
Gullit to lead Galaxy
Ruud Gullit, once one of the best soccer players in the world, has been hired to coach the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The 45-year-old Dutchman will succeed Frank Yallop, who quit as coach of the David Beckham-led Galaxy on Monday to return to San Jose for a second stint with the Earthquakes.
The JFF informed Serbian-born Milutinovic it was firing him for breach of contract. A statement from the JFF didn’t elaborate on the breach.
Two Russian women advance
MADRID, SPAIN — Russians Maria Sharapova and Anna Chakvetadze won three-set matches to reach the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Championships.
Sharapova’s 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 win over countrywomen Svetlana Kuznetsova also put Ana Ivanovic in the semifinals. Sharapova will play Ivanovic today in the final Red Group match, with the winner facing top-ranked Justine Henin.
Henin was undefeated in the Yellow Group, routing Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli 6-0, 6-0 in the first victory at love in the WTA season-ending championship’s 35-year history.
Hamilton given new deal
Florida State gave basketball coach
Leonard Hamilton a two-year contract extension through 2012.
Hamilton begins his sixth season with the Seminoles, who won more than 20 games in each of the past two seasons. He is 87-71 overall at Florida State.
