Gators open season with big win
GAINESVILLE, Fla., Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Dan Werner produced 19 points and five rebounds Friday, helping 19th-ranked Florida roll to an 80-58 season-opening victory against Toledo.
The contest was part of the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic.
The Gators, NCAA champions in 2006 and 2007, opened a 39-27 halftime advantage by making Toledo a one-man team.
Guard Jonathan Amos scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the first half to keep his team within range, but was held to six points in the final 20 minutes.
Florida swingman Nick Calathes scored 16 points with four rebounds and six assists. Center Alex Tyus scored 11, and guard Walter Hodge 10 for the Gators (1-0), who are 18-0 in season openers dating to 1990. They are 51-6 in November under Coach Billy Donovan.
Johnson qualifies poorly for final race
HOMESTEAD, Fla., Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Jimmie Johnson, needing to finish 36th or better at the season-ending Ford 400 to win the Sprint Cup title, will be deep in the field at the start of the race.
Sunday's race will conclude the NASCAR season and Johnson is in excellent position to win his third consecutive championship. He will begin the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a 141-point lead over Carl Edwards.
For Edwards to win the title, he must win the race while Johnson finishes 37th or worse. Edwards qualified fourth Friday and Johnson will start in the 30th position.
"Unfortunately, coming to the green flag I lost a bunch of time and I didn't take the green flag with the speed I needed into those long straightaways," Johnson said. "I think I lost most of my time there."
The pole was won by David Reutimann, the first of his Sprint Cup career. He completed a lap of the 1.5-mile oval in 31.462 seconds. His first pole comes in his 63rd start.
Scott Speed, in just his fifth Sprint Cup start, will start on the outside of the first row with a time of 31.494 seconds. Matt Kenseth and Edwards will make up the second row.
Among the story lines for the final race of the season will be Jeff Gordon's attempt to extend his streak to 15 straight years with at least one victory. He has been shut out so far in 2008.
In addition, this will be the final race of two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart's 10-year career with Joe Gibbs Racing. Stewart will drive for his own team in 2009.
Angela Stanford leads Guadalajara golf
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Angela Stanford's 6-under-par 66 Friday gave her a two-stroke lead through 36 holes at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational golf tournament at Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Fort Worth, Texas, native, in her seventh professional season, has a total of 10-under 134, two shots better than McDonald's LPGA champion and world No. 2 Yani Tseng (68) of Taiwan.
"We have the greatest players in the world here, so I know that I have to keep going," said Stanford, who picked up her second career win Sept. 14 at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic at Mobile, Ala.
South Korea's Meena Lee (69) is third at 6-under 138. Karen Stupples (71), at 5-under 139, is the only other player within five shots of the leader.
Retiring Annika Sorenstam, one of eight first-round co-leaders, shot 72 Friday and leads a group of six players tied for fifth at 4-under 140.
Tournament host and Guadalajara native Lorena Ochoa (71) is 10 shots back at even-par 144.
PGA Tour announces 2009 schedule
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 14 (UPI) -- The PGA Tour announced Friday it was releasing dates for its 2009 schedule without having come to a decision about when to play its season-ending event.
A date for the Tour Championship is still being negotiated. It could take place either Sept. 17-20 or Sept. 24-27.
"While we have a couple of late-season scheduling issues to resolve, we felt it was best to release the majority of what we believe is an outstanding schedule for 2009 that is fully sponsored," PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said.
"We are very pleased to officially welcome the Valero Texas Open to the FedEx Cup schedule after performing exceptionally well during the Fall Series. The date change, combined with its planned move to the new TPC San Antonio in 2010, bodes extremely well for its future."
The 2009 season will begin with the usual two weeks in Hawaii. The first World Golf Championship event, the Accenture Match Play, will be contested Feb. 25-March 1.
The Masters will be played in Augusta, Ga., beginning April 9. The other major events will find the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black in New York June 18-21, the British Open at Turnberry in Scotland from July 16-19 and the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota Aug. 13-16.
The United States will defend its Presidents Cup title Oct. 9-11 at Harding Park Golf Club in San Francisco.
