ATLANTA — Sean O’Hair got a putting tip from Tiger Woods and put it to good use Thursday in the Tour Championship, opening with a 4-under-par 66 to take a one-shot lead in the final FedEx Cup playoff event.
Woods did all right himself. He recovered from a shaky start with three birdies during a four-hole stretch on the back nine at East Lake for a 67, leaving him one shot back along with Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink.
O’Hair got in nine holes of practice with Woods on Wednesday, when the world’s No. 1 player gave him some advice on adding loft to his backswing and releasing the blade through the ball.
“Getting advice like that from good players is obviously awesome, but getting it from basically the greatest of all time is pretty cool,” O’Hair said. “I mean, I’m his competition, and for him to help me out like he did was very classy.”
Woods response? “I’m going to go chew him out right now,” he said, laughing.
O’Hair rolled in an 18-foot putt on the 14th hole for the last of his six birdies, and he made one from 55 feet earlier in the round. It was part of what he called a solid day, and it allowed the FedEx Cup possibilities to come to life.
• Sophie Gustafson shot a 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge in Danville, Calif.
Sophia Sheridan, Angela Stanford and Na Ri Kim were at 67. Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa had five straight birdies in a 68. Casie Cathrea, a 13-year-old playing on a sponsor exemption after winning a qualifier Monday, made a hole-in- one on the 155-yard 12th and finished with a 74.
Jayhawks apologize for infighting
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas basketball players involved in fighting with Jayhawks football players apologized, saying they embarrassed themselves and the school.
During an impromptu news conference, basketball coach Bill Self called the fighting bad for the entire university. He and a few of his players met with reporters for the first time since fighting erupted Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning at two sites on the typically peaceful campus.
Basketball guard Tyshawn Taylor revealed he injured his finger “throwing a punch” and will be sidelined for up to a month.
• Army fired basketball coach Jim Crews after seven losing seasons that resulted in a record of 60-139, a .302 winning percentage.
Footnotes.
Forward David Lee, who averaged 16 points and 11.7 rebounds last season, re-signed with the New York Knicks, getting a one- year deal worth about $8 million.
• Sidney Crosby left the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5-2 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period because of a groin injury the team said wasn’t believed to be serious.
• Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara won the time trial at the road world championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland, while Tom Zirbel of Boulder was fourth.
• Former major-leaguer Terry Tiffee hit his fourth home run of the baseball World Cup and the United States beat Cuba 5-3 in a likely preview of this weekend’s final in Rome.
