sports briefs
Wheatcroft tied for 3rd in tournament
Tony Romo settled down after a nervous start, only to come undone on the back nine in his PGA Tour debut.
The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback played a four-hole stretch in a 5 over on the back nine that led to a 5-over 77 in the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship in the Dominican Republic. He was 14 shots behind Brice Garnett, who had a 63 to lead by one shot.
Washington’s Steve Wheatcroft is tied for third after shooting 6-under 66. Wheatcroft’s round included an eagle on the par-5 No. 4.
“Over 18 holes and 72, your flaws start to show at some point,” Romo said. “I really hit some good shots close and I had a chance to be under par pretty easily. Then two or three shots on the back nine cost me. But that’s golf.”
Romo, who now works as an NFL analyst for CBS Sports, received a sponsor’s exemption to the tournament. He is playing as an amateur.
Garnett played bogey-free, opening with a 30 on the back nine and building a one-shot lead over Corey Conners of Canada.
Romo joined a short list of athletes who have tried to compete against those who play for a living.
Mark Rypien, the former Washington Redskins quarterback, played the Kemper Open in 1992. He shot rounds of 80-91 and missed the cut by 27 shots.
Ken Harrelson, an All-Star outfielder for the Boston Red Sox in 1968, qualified for the 1972 British Open at Muirfield and missed the cut by one shot. John Brodie qualified for the U.S. Open while playing for the San Francisco 49ers and later won on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
In the NFL
Rather than retire, Frank Gore is joining his hometown team.
The NFL’s active rushing leader agreed to terms with the Miami Dolphins, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press Thursday.
Gore, who turns 35 next month, grew up in South Florida and played for the Miami Hurricanes. He rushed for 961 yards for Indianapolis last year, and when the Colts decided against trying to re-sign him, there was speculation the 2017 season might have been his last.
But the Dolphins want to give the durable Gore a chance to provide depth at running back behind Kenyan Drake, who became Miami’s starter last year and averaged 4.8 yards per carry.
- Sending two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul to Tampa Bay for two draft picks gives the New York Giants much-needed salary cap space for 2019 and allows the Buccaneers to continue rebuilding a line that had the fewest sacks in the NFL last season.
With the unexpected trade announced Thursday, the Giants take another step in their rebuilding under new general manager Dave Gettleman and the Bucs upgraded their defense in a bid to end a decade-long playoff drought.
The Giants will get Tampa Bay’s third-round pick (69th overall) in the draft in late April. The teams also will swap fourth-round picks.
In the NBA
Kemba Walker scored 46 points and made 10 3-pointers, and the Charlotte Hornets rolled to the most lopsided victory in franchise history by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 140-79 Thursday night.
In the NHL
Travis Konecny scored twice, Claude Giroux had three assists and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Rangers 4-3 Thursday night.
- J.T. Miller scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and the high-scoring Tampa Bay Lightning held off the New York Islanders 7-6.