HONOLULU — Robert Allenby and Ryan Palmer kept bogeys off their cards and made enough birdies Saturday to share the lead at the Sony Open and give themselves a small cushion over everyone else.
Allenby made all three of his birdies from inside 4 feet for a 3-under-par 67. Palmer, who started the third round with a one-shot margin, two-putted for birdie on the 18th hole for a 68.
They were at 11-under 199, three shots clear of Davis Love III (68), Troy Matteson (68), Steve Stricker (69) and defending champion Zach Johnson (70). Five more players were another shot back, including 50-year-old Tom Lehman.
• Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson took the first seven skins worth $220,000 to build a big lead after nine holes of the Champions Skins Game in Kaanapali, Hawaii.
Lewis named NFL’s top coach
NEW YORK — Marvin Lewis won The Associated Press 2009 NFL coach of the year award for guiding the Cincinnati Bengals.
Lewis earned 20 1/2 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league. He beat Sean Payton of New Orleans (11 1/2), Norv Turner of San Diego (9) and Jim Caldwell of Indianapolis (7). Andy Reid of Philadelphia and Ken Whisenhunt of Arizona had a single vote each.
Two qualify for U.S. team
PARK CITY, Utah — Americans Heather McPhie and Bryon Wilson locked up their first trips to the Winter Olympics with solid showings in a World Cup moguls event.
• Bree Schaaf was 11th in a women’s World Cup bobsled race in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Mike Kohn was 12th in the two-man race to earn spots on the U.S. Olympic team.
• Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway won his second consecutive biathlon World Cup race, and Tim Burke of the U.S. finished 19th in Ruhpolding, Germany.
Baghdatis defeats Gasquet
SYDNEY — Marcos Baghdatis warmed up for the first Grand Slam of the year — the Australian Open — with a 6-4, 7-6 (2) win over Richard Gasquet in the Sydney International final.
• John Isner defeated Arnaud Clement 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (2) to win the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand, for his first ATP Tour singles title.
Footnotes.
The Chicago White Sox avoided salary arbitration with two of their top players, agreeing to a one-year, $7.5 million contract with closer Bobby Jenks and a one-year, $3.2 million deal with outfielder Carlos Quentin.
• D.J. Carrasco, who led all AL relievers with 89 1/3 innings pitched last season for the White Sox, signed a minor-league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Right-handed reliever Nick Masset and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a $2.58 million, two-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration.
• Undefeated mare Zenyatta is coming out of a brief retirement and will return to the track this year, creating the possibility of a long-awaited showdown with fellow unbeaten Rachel Alexandra.
The Associated Press
