Molinari flourishes while Donald and McIlroy falter

VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Francesco Molinari flourished while five of his European Ryder Cup team mates fell flat on their faces as the Italian grabbed the lead after the PGA Championship second round on Friday.

Canada's DeLaet sets Colonial pace with strong finish

(Reuters) - Canadian Graham DeLaet succumbed to the infamous 'Horrible Horseshoe' but rebounded with two closing birdies to move into an early one-shot lead in Friday's second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.

President Obama again to serve as honorary Cup chairman

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama has accepted an invitation to be honorary chairman of this year's Presidents Cup, the second time he will fulfil the role at the biennial team competition, the PGA Tour said on Friday.

Cool dude Colsaerts looking to kickstart season

VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Nicolas Colsaerts has experienced something of a comedown since helping Europe win the Ryder Cup in September and the big-hitting Belgian is looking for his game to ignite some time soon.

Adidas boss signals backing for "good guy" Garcia

LONDON (Reuters) - Golfer Sergio Garcia is a "really good guy", the head of his sponsor Adidas said on Friday, indicating the sportswear company would not drop the Spaniard over a jibe directed at Tiger Woods.

Caterham tried to be too clever, says Fernandes

MONACO (Reuters) - Tailenders Caterham could have been one of Formula One's midfield teams by now had they not tried to be too clever last season, owner Tony Fernandes said on Friday.

Adidas and Puma take rivalry to European soccer final

FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) - German sportswear makers Adidas and Puma renew their own decades-old rivalry when soccer teams Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund meet in Europe's Champions League Final at Wembley on Saturday.

Djokovic adopts head in sand approach for French Open

PARIS (Reuters) - Despite the popularity of social media and the widespread presence of traditional media, Novak Djokovic appeared to believe he could be spared the unbearable truth of discovering who his second-round opponent at the French Open might be.

Rowing body chief Oswald runs for IOC top job

LONDON (Reuters) - World rowing federation (FISA) boss Denis Oswald became the fifth candidate for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidency on Friday, with the Swiss sports administrator citing his long experience as an asset.

Giro stage called off after heavy snow overnight

PONTE DI LEGNO, Italy (Reuters) - Heavy snow forced Giro d'Italia organizers to call off Friday's mountainous stage 19 from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello.

Former Giro winner Di Luca tests positive for EPO

(Reuters) - Former Giro d'Italia winner Danilo Di Luca has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for the banned blood booster erythropoietin (EPO), the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Friday.

Donald bemoans `terrible' display as he heads for PGA exit

VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Luke Donald, the PGA Championship winner in 2011 and 2012, is almost certain to miss the cut after returning a level-par 72 for a six-over total of 150 at Wentworth on Friday.

IOC sets September 1 deadline for India to hold elections

MUMBAI (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee has set India a September 1 deadline for a new election to facilitate the country's return to the Olympic fold.

Nadal, Djokovic on semi-final collision course in Paris

PARIS (Reuters) - Defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal was drawn in the same half as world number one Novak Djokovic on Friday as the Spanish claycourt machine chases a record eighth title at Roland Garros.

European soccer final adds new chapter to Adidas-Puma rivalry

FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) - German sportswear makers Adidas and Puma will renew their own decades-old rivalry when Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund meet in the Champions League Final at Wembley on Saturday.

Jockey Ahern lodges appeal against 10-year ban

LONDON (Reuters) - Jockey Eddie Ahern has lodged an appeal against his 10-year ban for corruption, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said on Friday.

Exclusive: Malaysia tycoon plans IPO of football club Cardiff City - sources

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian billionaire Vincent Tan is exploring an IPO of British soccer team Cardiff City for as early as this year, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, in a deal that would follow the team's recent promotion to the Premier League.

Kings nullify Sharks bite to take 3-2 series lead

(Reuters) - The Los Angeles Kings regained control of their Western Conference semi-final against the San Jose Sharks with a convincing 3-0 Game Five victory on Thursday to move one win away from claiming a series triumph.

Red Wings push Blackhawks to the brink with Game Four win

(Reuters) - The Detroit Red Wings are on the verge of causing another postseason upset after their 2-0 victory over the top seeded Chicago Blackhawks in Game Four on Thursday put them one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

Haas, Waldorf set pace at Senior PGA Championship

(Reuters) - American Jay Haas charged into early contention for a third Senior PGA Championship title by shooting a flawless five-under-par 66 in Thursday's opening round at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri.

Palmer takes control with a 62 at Colonial

(Reuters) - American Ryan Palmer took advantage of ideal scoring conditions and local knowledge with a birdie fest as he charged into a one-shot lead in Thursday's opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.

Foyt and Sato form sweet and sour Indy partnership

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - They are the Indianapolis 500's odd couple.

Avalanche name Hall of Fame goalie Roy as head coach

(Reuters) - Hall of Fame goalie and four-times Stanley Cup champion Patrick Roy has been named head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, the National Hockey League (NHL) team said on Thursday.

Richards-Ross to make comeback after injury layoff

NEW YORK (Reuters) - For most of her life, Sanya Richards-Ross has done everything at full speed. As an Olympic sprinter, it is an occupational hazard she has learned to live with.

Palmer takes early control with birdie fest at Colonial

(Reuters) - American Ryan Palmer took advantage of ideal scoring conditions and local knowledge with a birdie fest as he charged into an early two-shot lead in Thursday's opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.

U.S. basketball team driven by international talent

(Reuters) - The star-studded U.S. national basketball team cannot afford to get complacent about being the sport's superpower given the pace of emerging talent around the globe, head coach Mike Krzyzewski said on Thursday.

Garcia signs off with eagle as Kingston leads PGA

VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Sergio Garcia, embroiled in a racism row with Tiger Woods this week, got by with a little help from his friends on Thursday as he battled to a level-par 72 in the PGA Championship first round.

James and Bryant headline All-NBA selections

(Reuters) - Most Valuable Player LeBron James of the Miami Heat and veteran Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers headlined the list of players selected for the All-NBA team, the league said on Thursday.

Holden thrilled at U.S. return after injury woes

MIAMI (Reuters) - Midfielder Stuart Holden will return to the United States national team next week, ending over two years of injury nightmares and with the World Cup finals in Brazil as his goal.

Euro Tour chief sorry for 'colored athletes' gaffe

VIRGINIA WATER (Reuters) - European Tour chief executive George O'Grady was forced to issue an apology on Thursday after re-opening the Tiger Woods-Sergio Garcia racism row by making an unfortunate comment about "colored athletes".