Appleby leads, Woods charges at Open
SAN DIEGO, June 13 (UPI) -- Stuart Appleby held off a charging Tiger Woods Friday and took a one-shot lead midway through the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
Appleby, among the world's best players without a major title, finished with a long birdie putt to shoot a 1-under 70 and was at 3-under 139 for 36 holes.
Woods struggled early in the round, but played his final nine holes in 5-under 30. Away from the action since The Masters while recovering from knee surgery, Woods shot a 68 and shared second place at 140 with Rocco Mediate and Robert Karlsson.
"I didn't get off to a good start," Woods said. "I just tried to stay patient and get under par for the day."
D.J. Trajan, Lee Westwood and Davis Love III -- who at age 44 went through the qualifying process to get into the event -- were tied for fifth at 141.
Former champions Ernie Els and Geoff Ogilvy were among those at 142.
Phil Mickelson, paired with Woods for the first two days, spent much of his round in the rough and stumbled to a 75 and a 146.
First-round co-leaders Kevin Streelman (77-145) and Justin Hicks (80-148) fell far off the pace.
College World Series opens Saturday
OMAHA, June 13 (UPI) -- The top-seeded Miami Hurricanes will be in action Saturday when the 62nd College World Series gets underway at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha.
The original 64-team NCAA baseball tournament field has been whittled down to the final eight. Miami, with a 52-9 record, will open against Georgia (41-23-1) in the second game of a double header.
Florida State (54-12) will take on Stanford (39-22-2) in the first game of the tournament, beginning at 1 p.m. CDT.
The other half of the draw will begin play Sunday, with Fresno State (42-29) meeting Rice (47-13) and LSU (48-17-1) facing North Carolina.(51-12).
Winners of the two double-elimination brackets will play a best-of-three championship series beginning June 23.
Two-time defending champion Oregon State failed to make the field this year. North Carolina was runner-up to the Beavers in both 2007 and 2006.
The most recent winner of the tournament to have made the CWS field this year is Rice, which captured the event in 2003.
Glavine out until after All-Star break
ATLANTA, June 13 (UPI) -- Veteran Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom Glavine will be out until at least the All-Star break with a torn tendon in his left arm, the team announced Friday.
The 42-year-old left-hander underwent an MRI examination Friday morning, when the extent of his arm pain was discovered.
Glavine had avoided the 15-day disabled list during his first 21 major league seasons. When he was placed on the DL Tuesday, it was for the second time in less than two months.
Atlanta General Manager Frank Wren said the injury cannot be repaired through surgery, only rest.
"Sometime around the All-Star break or a little thereafter," Wren said Friday during a conference call with reporters, when asked about a specific date for Glavine's return.
The 305-game winner is 2-3 with a 4.85 ERA in 12 starts (59 1/3 innings) this season, but has won only twice in his last 16 starts, dating to last season.
He joins fellow pitchers John Smoltz (shoulder surgery) and Mike Hampton (strained left pectoral muscle) on Atlanta's disabled list.
Rain cancels qualifying in Brooklyn, Mich.
BROOKLYN, Mich., June 13 (UPI) -- Rain washed out most of Friday's qualifying runs for Sunday's LifeLock 400 Sprint Cup auto race in Brooklyn, Mich.
Eleven drivers had made their qualifying runs when the rains came, but by NASCAR rule, if all drivers have not completed their laps the starting grid is based on owner points.
Points leader Kyle Busch starts the race from the pole position at the Michigan International Speedway.
He is joined on the front row by Jeff Burton, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards making up row two.
Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five, followed in order by Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Kevin Harvick.
Qualifying was rained out hours after NASCAR President Mike Helton ordered drivers to stop airing their complaints about the cars being used by NASCAR this season. Two of the complaints involved the heat of the vehicles and bumpy racetracks.
