Storms mar start at Doral
Television towers toppled and the monster scoreboard at the 18th hole came crashing down when 50-mph gusts blew through the Blue Monster at Doral, Fla. Hunter Mahan then delivered some excitement of his own.
Television towers toppled and the monster scoreboard at the 18th hole came crashing down when 50-mph gusts blew through the Blue Monster at Doral, Fla. Hunter Mahan then delivered some excitement of his own.
Mahan birdied his opening four holes yesterday and kept right on rolling until the storm-delayed opening round of the World Gold Championships' Cadillac Championship was suspended by darkness. He didn't miss a green or come close to a bogey in 11 holes and was 7-under-par.
The biggest crowds followed Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, in a rare weekday pairing, with Graeme McDowell along for the ride. Mickelson was at 2 under, with Woods and McDowell another shot back through 15 holes.
Martin Kaymer, in his second week at No. 1, opened with three straight birdies and was at 5 under through 10 holes. Match Play winner Luke Donald (No. 3) joined him with a birdie on the 10th hole, while Lee Westwood (No. 2) was another shot behind.
No one was injured, and the course was fine after the storms.
In other golf news:
* James Driscoll shot a 9-under 63 in the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open to take a two-shot lead over Will MacKenzie.
Boxing
* A Las Vegas judge postponed until April 28 an evidence hearing for boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a felony domestic violence case. Mayweather is accused of hitting and threatening his ex-girlfriend, stealing her cell phone and threatening two of their children during an argument at the woman's home last September.
Sport Stops
* Argentine tennis player David Nalbandian is expected to be out for 2 months because of surgery on his left leg and groin.
* Kentucky racing officials say jockey John Velazquez and chief racing steward John Veitch broke unspecified rules during the running of the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic last fall at Churchill Downs, for not removing Life at Ten from the race after she had not warmed up properly.
* Citigroup signed a sponsorship deal with the U.S. Olympic Committee, which includes ad buys on NBC's telecasts of the 2012 London Games. Financial terms were not disclosed.
* American Shani Davis, the defending champion, fell to Norway's Havard Bokko in the 1,500-meter speedskating world championship in Inzell, Germany. *