GOLF
Kang on top at LPGA opener
Danielle Kang continued to sail along at the LPGA Tour's season-opening Tournament of Champions in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Friday, shooting a 6-under 65 to stretch her lead to two shots. A five-time LPGA Tour winner ranked fifth in the world, Kang had a 13-under 129 total at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando. She has yet to make a bogey. Nelly Korda, at No. 4 the top-ranked player in the 25-woman, winners-only field, was second after a 66. In Gee Chun and defending champion Gaby Lopez (Arkansas Razorbacks) were four strokes back at 9 under. Chun, a two-time major champion, matched Kang for the best score of the day with a 65. The South Korean player had a triple-bogey 7 on the sixth hole Thursday in an opening 68. Lopez shot 68. Stacy Lewis (Razorbacks) shot a 71 on Friday and is tied for 10th after two rounds at 5-under par.
Im fires 65
Sungjae Im shot a 7-under 65 on Friday at The American Express to take a one-stroke lead over first-round leader Brandon Hagy and four others. Im, 22, had seven birdies in the bogey-free round on the Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., highlighted by three in four holes around the turn. Hagy was in position to join Im at 11 under, but he bogeyed his final hole with a tee shot into the fairway bunker to finish his 70.
Hatton holds Abu Dhabi lead
Tyrrell Hatton moved five shots ahead of Rory McIlroy on Friday in the second round of the season-opening Abu Dhabi Championship. The Englishman eagled the second hole and later added four consecutive birdies before play was halted because of fading light after his tee shot on the 14th. He was at 12 under overall when play was stopped. McIlroy, at 7 under overall and 1 over on the day, birdied the first and third holes but double-bogeyed the par-4 fifth to go with three other bogeys.
BASEBALL
Zimmerman, Nats reach deal
First baseman Ryan Zimmerman is returning to the Washington Nationals after sitting out the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, agreeing in principle to a $1 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday. Zimmerman, 36, has played 15 seasons in the majors, all for the Nationals.
Profar remains with Padres
Jurickson Profar is staying with the San Diego Padres, agreeing to a $21 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Profar, who turns 28 on Feb. 20, was acquired by San Diego from Oakland in December 2019 and hit a career-best .278 in the pandemic-shortened season with 7 home runs and 25 RBI. He mostly split time at second base and left field but also played two games in right field and one each in center and at first base. Profar has a .238 average with 59 home runs and 222 RBI in seven major league seasons with Texas (2012-13, 2016-18), Oakland (2019) and San Diego.
TENNIS
Murray out of Open
Five-time Australian Open finalist Andy Murray withdrew from the year's first Grand Slam tournament, saying Friday he could not figure out a workable quarantine that would allow him to compete amid the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement comes a little more than a week after Murray, who has won three Grand Slam singles titles elsewhere, said he tested positive for covid-19 shortly before he was due to board a charter flight to Melbourne. He had been awarded a wild-card entry by Tennis Australia to allow him to compete at Melbourne Park, where the hard-court major championship is scheduled to begin Feb. 8, a three-week delay due to the pandemic.
WINTER SPORTS
Goggia wins WC downhill
Olympic champion Sofia Goggia won the World Cup downhill race and emerging American star Breezy Johnson was third -- yet again -- on Friday. The two downhill standouts of this season have now shared a podium in all four of the marquee speed races so far. The Italian star raced through swirling winds at Crans-Montana to seal her third consecutive downhill win 0.20 seconds ahead of Ester Ledecka, who is an Olympic champion in Alpine skiing and snowboarding. American rival Johnson extended her streak of placing third in each downhill after entering the season without a podium finish in her World Cup career.