Golf: Rory McIlroy warmed up for next week’s Open Championship with a course record of 64 in the opening round of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open yesterday. Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg had established a new mark of 65 at Royal Aberdeen after going out in the first group, but that lasted a matter of two hours as McIlroy also made light of the windy conditions. The former world number one carded eight birdies and one just bogey, even driving the green on the downwind par-four 13th – a distance of 436 yards.
Baseball: A jury on Wednesday found the Los Angeles Dodgers negligent in a 2011 assault on a fan at their stadium that left him permanently disabled, ordering the team to pay some $15 million in civil damages but clearing the former club owner of liability. The Los Angeles Superior Court jury reached its verdict over the lawsuit brought by Bryan Stow, who was beaten by two men in the Dodger Stadium parking lot after a game against the San Francisco Giants. The lawsuit alleged that the Dodgers and Frank McCourt, who was the team’s owner at the time, were to blame for lax stadium security that Stow said created an unsafe atmosphere where criminals felt emboldened to prey on others.
Basketball, NBA: Gregg Popovich, one of only five coaches to have won at least five National Basketball Association (NBA) championships, has agreed to a multi-year contract extension with the San Antonio Spurs, the team said. The 65-year-old, widely known for his wry sense of humor and nicknamed “Coach Pop” or just “Pop”, guided the Spurs to their fifth NBA title last month when they beat the two-time defending champion Miami Heat 4-1 in the best-of-seven finals. As per club policy terms of the contract were not disclosed, the Spurs said in a brief statement.
Formula One: Formula One faces “a big challenge” if the sport is to one day switch to new low-profile tyres as tested by Pirelli on Wednesday. That was the view of Lotus reserve driver Charles Pic who ran for 14 laps at Silverstone on Pirelli’s 18-inch concept rubber. Pirelli believe the tyre is far more road-relevant than the current 13-inch being used and would result in greater transfer technology between Formula One and road-cars. Pic said: “They will have to build a completely new car around it because the philosophy is completely different. Honestly, I thought they were a bit too big, but then maybe it is because it was the first time I saw them on the car.”