Leishman cards career-low 61
DALLAS (Texas)• Australian Marc Leishman fired a career-low 61 for a three-shot lead after the first round of the AT&T Byron Nelson at its new home in Dallas on Thursday, while local favourite Jordan Spieth failed to make a move.
Leishman, buoyed by a pair of eagles at the links-style Trinity Forest Golf Club, went bogey-free through a 10-under round to sit three shots clear of Americans J J Spaun and Jimmy Walker. World No. 3 Spieth, the highest-ranked player in the field, shot 69 for a share of 57th place.
REUTERS
Korda and four others in joint lead
WASHINGTON• Jessica Korda fired a bogey-free, six-under 65 to grab a share of the lead with four others at the LPGA's Kingsmill Championship after the opening round on Thursday.
The American golfer, who teed off in the morning session, took advantage of calmer conditions and sits atop the leaderboard with Spain's Azahara Munoz, Annie Park, South Korea's Chun In Gee and Jaye Marie Green.
Japan's Nasa Hataoka and Thai Ariya Jutanugarn were one shot off the lead.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Martinez's contract extended
BRUSSELS• The Belgian Football Association and Roberto Martinez have agreed to extend the contract of the national coach by two years until 2020. Martinez will name his 23-man World Cup squad on Monday.
REUTERS
Exits for Carvalhal and Lambert
LONDON• Swansea City and Stoke City parted company with their respective managers yesterday after they failed to keep their clubs in the English Premier League.
Carlos Carvalhal's contract expired at the end of the campaign and Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins said the club had decided to "move in a new direction". Hours later, Paul Lambert left his position at Stoke by mutual consent.
REUTERS
Benitez on West Ham's radar
LONDON• English Premier League football club West Ham United are ready to make a formal approach for Rafael Benitez. They are giving serious consideration to triggering the £6 million (S$10.8 million) release clause in the Newcastle United manager's contract.
He is the first choice to replace David Moyes, with Manuel Pellegrini's wage demands likely to prove prohibitive, and there is increasing concern at Newcastle that he will move to West Ham if he receives a satisfactory offer.
THE GUARDIAN
