Walker leads the way at the PGA

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. (AP) — There have been three first-time winners in golf's major tournaments this year. Jimmy Walker is aiming to make it 4-for-4.

PGA Championship - Round One
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Walker carded his best round in a major championship Thursday, firing a 5-under 65 in the opening round of the PGA Championship at Baltusrol (BAHL'-tuhs-rawl) Golf Club in Northern New Jersey. He had six birdies and a bogey following an early tee time.

Martin Kaymer (KY'-mur) shares second with Argentina's Emiliano Grillo (eh-mee-lee-AH'-noh GREE'-loh) and England's Ross Fisher. Kaymer won the tournament six years ago.

Reigning British Open champ Henrik Stenson finds himself in a four-way tie for fifth with Andy Sullivan and Americans Harris English and James Hahn.

Defending champion Jason Day and Rickie Fowler each shot a 68, and Jordan Spieth (speeth) came in with a 70.

Phil Mickelson, the 2005 winner on the same Baltusrol course, opened with a 1-over-71. Rory McIlroy shot a 74.

GOLF-WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN

Lee ties tournament record

WOBURN, England (AP) — Mirim Lee was the leader heading into the second round of the Women's British Open. Lee fired a 10-under 62 on Thursday to match the Open record and take a three-shot lead.

The 25-year-old South Korean player made the last of her 10 birdies on the par-3 17th and closed with a par, three weeks after shooting a 64 in the first round of the U.S. Women's Open.

Lee fell a stroke short of the LPGA Tour major record of 61 set by Hyo Joo Kim in the first round of the 2014 Evian Championship.

Ariya Jutanugarn was second after a bogey-free 65.

MLB-SCHEDULE

Cards beat Fernandez

UNDATED (AP) — Desperate for a victory, the Texas Rangers got one on Thursday.

The Rangers had won just six of their previous 21 games before Mitch Moreland belted a pair of timely home runs in a 3-2 decision over Kansas City. Moreland hit a tiebreaking shot in the bottom of the eighth, three innings after knotting the score with a blast.

Rougned Odor (ROOG'-nehd oh-DOOR') also homered to back Cole Hamels, who is 12-2 after scattering hits while striking out 12 in eight innings.

Texas now leads the AL West by three games over Houston. It's just the second time the Rangers have padded their lead since late June, when they held a 10-game edge.

Elsewhere in the majors:

— Chris Sale returned from his team-imposed, five-game suspension and fell to 14-4 despite allowing just two runs in six innings of the Chicago White Sox's 3-1 loss to the Cubs. John Lackey outpitched Sale, giving up a run and four hits in six innings to help the Cubs earn a split of the four-game season series. Ben Zobrist had two hits and an RBI for the Cubs, whose lead in the NL Central remains 6 ½ games over St. Louis.

— The Cardinals kept pace as Aledmys (ah-LEHD'-mees) Diaz delivered a two-run homer and an RBI double off Jose Fernandez while the Redbirds took a 5-0 lead in a 5-4 triumph at Miami. Diaz and Matt Holliday went deep in the third inning against Fernandez, who had been 26-1 lifetime at Marlins Park before surrendering five runs in five innings. Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon went 0-for-4 in his return from an 80-game suspension, and teammate Ichiro Suzuki doubled as a pinch-hitter to get within two hits of 3,000.

— The Nationals were 4-2 winners at San Francisco behind Tanner Roark (ROH'-ahrk), who held the NL West leaders to a run and four hits in seven innings. Roark also poked an RBI single during the Nats' three-run second against loser Johnny Cueto (KWAY'-toh). The outcome gives Washington a five-game lead over Miami in the NL East and slices the Giants' division lead to just two games over the Dodgers.

— The Colorado Rockies scored twice in the ninth on an error and a wild pitch to beat the New York Mets 2-1. Jeurys Familia (jeh-REES' fah-MEEL'-yuh) blew the lead for the second straight day after converting his previous 52 save opportunities. The Mets were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position to waste seven shutout innings from Jacob deGrom (deh-GRAHM').

— Baltimore dropped its third in a row by allowing four runs in the seventh inning of a 6-2 loss at Minnesota. Eddie Rosario capped the seventh-inning rally with a two-run triple after Brian Dozier and Max Kepler stroked RBI singles. Kepler also homered against the Orioles, whose lead in the AL East is down to 1 ½ games over Toronto.

— Boston remains 2 ½ games behind Baltimore after first baseman Hanley Ramirez threw wildly on a potential forceout at the plate, allowing two runs to score in the Angels' 2-1 win over the Red Sox. Los Angeles loaded the bases with one out in the ninth before Ramirez sent the Red Sox to their fourth straight loss. The Bosox wasted a strong outing by David Price, who scattered seven hits in eight scoreless innings.

— Hernan Perez slammed a two-run homer and Kirk Nieuwenhuis (NOO'-ehn-hys) added a solo blast as Milwaukee downed Arizona 6-4. The game was tied 2-2 in the sixth until Martin Maldonado (mahr-TEEN' mal-doh-NAH'-doh) lined an RBI single and scored on Keon Broxton's two-run double. Kyle Davies improved to 8-4 by yielding two earned runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings.

— Aaron Altherr (ahl-TEHR') slammed a two-run homer in his season debut and Maikel (MY'-kehl) Franco added a three-run blast in Philadelphia's 7-5 downing of the Braves in Atlanta. Altherr was 3-for-4 in his return after missing the first 103 games of the season with a broken left wrist. Aaron Nola won for the first time in eight starts despite yielding three runs and eight hits in five innings.

MLB-GIANTS/TWINS TRADE

Giants get Nunez from Twins

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Giants have acquired All-Star infielder Eduardo Nunez from the Twins for minor league pitcher Adalberto Mejia.

Nunez is batting .296 with 12 home runs, 47 RBIs and an American League-leading 27 stolen bases this season. He is a lifetime .275 hitter.

The move comes the same day after second baseman Joe Panik was activated off the disabled list.

Third baseman Matt Duffy remains out with a strained left Achilles. Nunez is expected to play third until Duffy returns.

NFL-JETS

Fitzpatrick signs on the dotted line

NEW YORK (AP) — The negotiating is over and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has signed a one-year contract with the Jets. The deal is worth a reported $12 million and is guaranteed.

Fitzpatrick set the franchise record with a career-high 31 touchdown passes last season while helping lead the Jets on a playoff push in Todd Bowles' first season as coach.

NFL-LIONS

New team for Boldin

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have signed wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who ranks among the NFL's top 20 with 1,009 catches and 13,195 yards receiving. The move helps bolster the Lions' depth after the retirement of Calvin Johnson.

The 35-year-old Boldin started 13 games last season with the 49ers, catching 69 passes for 789 yards.

NFL-VIKINGS

Coach secures a new contract

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Vikings coach Mike Zimmer has been given a contract extension after going 18-14 in two seasons at the helm. The Vikings went 11-5 and won the NFC North last year.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

New playoff schedule

UNDATED (AP) — Starting with the 2018 season there won't be any more weekday semifinal college football playoff games. Citing low TV ratings the people in charge of the playoff have announced plans to move the dates of future semifinals to ensure the games will be played either on a Saturday or a holiday.

This season's semifinals are still set for Saturday, Dec. 31, but after 2018 the games initially scheduled to be played on New Year's Eve, will now be played Saturday, Dec. 29.

NBA-CAVALIERS

RJ returning to Cavs

CLEVELAND (AP) —Richard Jefferson has had second thoughts about retirement and will return to the NBA champ Cavaliers with a two-year contract.

Just after the final game of the NBA Finals, Jefferson announced his retirement.

Thousands of fans pleased with him to reconsider during the victory parade for the team. On his Snapchat account Jefferson said, "can't wait to repeat."

NHL-TRANSACTIONS

Coyotes, Wild sign blueliners

UNDATED (AP) — The Arizona Coyotes have worked out new contracts with two of their best young defensemen. Connor Murphy has signed a six-year, $23.1 million package, while Michael Stone avoided arbitration by taking a one-year deal worth $4 million.

Also in the NHL:

— Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba has agreed to a two-year, $5.1 million contract. Dumba is coming off his best NHL season, scoring 10 goals, 26 points, 83 hits and 56 blocks in 81 games.

SAPP-SHARK

Warren Sapp bitten by shark

MARATHON, Fla. (AP) — Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp has posted a picture on social media showing that he was bitten by a shark while reaching for a lobster.

The fishing boat's captain also posted a photo that appears to show Sapp's arm with a deep gash.

Charter captain Jack Carlson told The Tampa Bay Times that Sapp was bitten while reaching for a lobster the shark was also going after.

 

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