Gilbert Takes One-Shot Lead Over Trevino

Gibby Gilbert birdied the final two holes Friday and took a one-stroke lead over Lee Trevino and three others in the first round of the $600,000 Transamerica senior golf championship at Napa. Gilbert shot a five-under-par 67 on the 6,632-yard south course at Silverado Country Club.

At 68 with Trevino, who is seeking his third consecutive victory on the Senior PGA Tour, are Tom Shaw, Bob Wynn and Dave Stockton.

Chi Chi Rodriguez, Al Geiberger and Gary Player were at 69. Arnold Palmer was in a group with five others, three shots off the pace.

Jeff Maggert, who has never won a PGA Tour event, shot a seven-under-par 65 at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., in the Walt Disney World-Oldsmobile Golf Classic.

Maggert shared the lead with Skip Kendall before the second round was suspended because of rain with half the field of 132 professionals still on the three layouts being used in the $1-million tournament.

Pro Basketball

The NBA’s investigation into Michael Jordan’s gambling activities has been completed, and Commissioner David Stern said there was “absolutely no evidence Jordan violated league rules.” Stern previously said there was no connection between the investigation and Jordan’s sudden retirement from the Chicago Bulls.

The Boston Celtics signed first-round draft choice Acie Earl to a five-year, $5.5-million contract. Earl’s signing leaves five of the 27 first-round picks unsigned: No. 1 Chris Webber with Golden State, No. 4 Jamal Mashburn with Dallas, No. 5 Isaiah Rider with Minnesota and No. 10 Lindsey Hunter and No. 11 Allan Houston, both with Detroit.

First-round draft choice Luther Wright is undergoing medical tests and it isn’t known whether he will participate in the Utah Jazz’s training camp. Wright experienced possible heart irregularities earlier in the week and was sent to the team doctor.

Hockey

An abdominal injury to Brett Hull in the St. Louis Blues’ season opener against the Florida Panthers was not as serious as first feared. Hull left Thursday night’s game in the second period because of what was thought to be an injured spleen, but he had suffered an abdominal muscle injury instead. He was released from Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

Active NHL players will probably compete in the Olympics for the first time at the 1998 Winter Games, said David Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman favors interrupting the 1997-98 season to allow his league’s players to participate, Ogrean said.

Ric Nattress, a defenseman with the Philadelphia Flyers, announced his retirement. . . . The Pittsburgh Penguins traded Paul Stanton to the Boston Bruins for a third-round pick in the 1994 entry draft.

Tennis

Top-seeded Martina Navratilova breezed past unseeded Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands, 6-2, 6-2, to move into the semifinals of the $750,000 European Indoors tennis tournament at Zurich, Switzerland.

At Sydney, Jaime Yzaga stunned No. 2-ranked Jim Courier and defeated the top-seeded player, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the Australian Indoor tennis championship.

Monica Seles could return to tennis this month at the Chris Evert celebrity tournament, although Evert said Seles is only starting to hit tennis balls again after being stabbed in the back during a match April 30 at Hamburg, Germany.

Miscellany

A Los Angeles court commissioner delayed arraignment of New York Met outfielder Vince Coleman on a felony charge of possessing an explosive so his attorney could continue negotiating for a reduction to a misdemeanor.

Coleman’s arraignment was rescheduled to Oct. 22.

Two children and a woman were injured July 24, when Coleman set off what his lawyer contends was a firecracker in a Dodger Stadium parking lot where autograph-seekers had gathered after a game.

Dale Earnhardt, forced into a 60-mile qualifying race for today’s All-Pro Auto Parts 300 Busch Grand National race, ran away with the victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Earnhardt, the current NASCAR Winston Cup point leader, will start 35th in the 300-mile Grand National event on Charlotte’s 1 1/2-mile oval.

Among those who failed to make the field was Winston Cup star Darrell Waltrip.

John McKissick of Summerville High in Mount Pleasant, S.C., became the winningest coach in football history when the Green Wave gave their coach of 42 seasons his 406th victory with a 42-0 victory over Wando. McKissick surpassed the total of Gordon Wood, who coached at seven Texas high schools over 46 seasons.

Former Alabama assistant coach Jerry Pullen, who is suing Gene Jelks for slander, wants the former player to turn over more information about his allegations of wrongdoing in the Crimson Tide football program. Pullen and Jelks will have their first legal showdown next week in the Superior Court of DeKalb County, Ga., where Jelks is living and where Pullen filed his lawsuit.

Because of concerns from American Indians, Marquette University will drop “Warriors” as the nickname for its athletic teams, the Capital Times of Madison reported.

Marquette Athletic Director Bill Cords would not confirm or deny the report.

Cords said a special committee studied the nickname and school mascot for 18 months. “Warriors” became the school nickname in 1954.

Nigeria gained its first-ever berth in the World Cup finals with a 1-1 tie against Algeria in Algiers. Samuel Kinedi scored the goal for Nigeria in the 19th minute. Algeria tied it in the 67th minute, when Abdelhamid Tasfaout scored.