Sports India

Three-time Pac-10 champion USC was picked Thursday to win the conference football title again, but unlike the previous two years, the Trojans were not a unanimous choice.
USC garnered 18 of 29 first-place votes in a preseason poll of West Coast media who regularly cover the conference. Overall, the Trojans totaled 276 points — 29 more than second-place Cal.

The Golden Bears, picked to finish second, received seven first-place votes, while third-place Oregon had three and fourth-place Arizona State one.

UCLA was picked to finish fifth, followed by Arizona, Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford, and Washington.

GOLF

Corey Pavin struggled to find the right description for his record-setting round.

It was somewhere between magical and downright weird.

Brilliant early and nervous late, the 46-year-old Pavin broke the PGA Tour’s nine-hole record with a front-nine 26 en route to a 9-under 61 and a three-stroke lead in the suspended first round of the rain-soaked U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.

He birdied his first six holes and eight of the first nine in his bogey-free round.

“It seemed like it was a misprint up there, maybe,” Pavin said. “It was just one of those nine holes, once in a lifetime for me so far, anyway.”

Arjun Atwal opened with a 64, Skip Kendall and Cameron Beckman shot 65s and David Frost also was 5 under through 17 holes when play was suspended. Defending champion Ben Crane and 105 other players were unable to finish the round.

Pavin said he didn’t feel the start coming at the driving range, but he had his old caddy, Eric Schwarz, back for the second time after a six-month layoff.

“We’ve worked really hard on the (putter),” Pavin said. “It showed up at Hartford and it showed up here and those are the two tournaments since he came back on the bag.”

Michelle Wie shot a 6-under 66 for a share of the second-round lead with Lorena Ochoa and Karrie Webb in the Evian Masters in France.

Two-time champion Annika Sorenstam, defending champion and Pleasanton native Paula Creamer and Lorie Kane were tied for sixth at 6 under.

Loren Roberts shot a 5-under 65 for a share of the first-round lead in the Senior British Open in Turnberry, Scotland, with Peter Jacobsen and Craig Stadler.

Defending champion Tom Watson struggled with a 73.

England’s Lee Westwood shot a course-record 9-under 63 to take the first-round lead in the Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship in Alveslohe, Germany.

TENNIS

Andy Roddick slowed down his play after straining his back late in the match and held on for a 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-2 victory over Scott Oudsema in the Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles.

The top-seeded Roddick apparently hurt himself about midway through the final set and was in obvious pain.

Earlier, Robby Ginepri outlasted tour journeyman Kenneth Carlsen

7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals.

The 23-year-old Ginepri, beaten by Roddick in last week’s semifinals at Indianapolis, finally wore down Carlsen.

No. 3 seed Ginepri next will face No. 7 Dominik Hrbaty, who defeated Lars Burgsmuller 7-5, 6-4.

Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten said he will miss next month’s U.S. Open and Brazil’s Davis Cup match against Sweden in September because of a right thigh injury.