LPGA Golfer Victim in Drive-by Shooting

Kim Williams, a professional golfer on the LPGA tour, was shot in the neck Saturday night as she approached a store in Niles, Ohio, apparently the victim of a drive-by shooting, police said.

Williams, 31, was shot about 9 p.m. while walking in the parking lot toward a discount store to buy baby oil, which she uses as a rust preventive for her putter, a hospital spokesman said. She was listed in fair condition. Williams was competing in the LPGA Youngstown-Warren Classic and had a one-under par 71 in Friday’s first round. She didn’t complete Saturday’s round because of rain.

Boxing

Orlin Norris retained his World Boxing Assn. cruiserweight title when he stopped No. 1 contender Arthur Williams in the third round in Las Vegas. Norris (41-3 with 23 knockouts) landed three uncontested right hands in the third. The last knocked Williams (21-3-1, 16 knockouts) down at 1:08, prompting referee Richard Steele to stop the fight.

Also on the card, Wilfredo Vazquez (41-6-3, 33 knockouts) retained his WBA junior-featherweight title when he stopped Jae-Won Choi (18-1) of South Korea in the second round.

Cycling

Chris Boardman of Britain won the prologue in the Tour de France, and three-time champion Miguel Indurain of Spain was second, 15 seconds behind, four seconds ahead of Tony Rominger of Switzerland.

Boardman, the first Briton to lead the Tour since 1962, was timed in 7 minutes 49 seconds in the 4.3-mile prologue from the Grand Palais in Lille to the business complex of Euralille.

American Lance Armstrong, the 1993 world champion, was more than 38 seconds behind Boardman but still in the top 20. Three-time champion Greg LeMond was 41 seconds back.

Auto Racing

Jimmy Spencer beat Ernie Irvan by less than half a car length to win the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.

It appeared Irvan, the series points leader, was on the way to his fourth victory of the season after charging from 12th place after his final pit stop to the lead only 29 laps from the end of the 160-lap race.

Nigel Mansell, who today will drive in his first Formula One event since winning the title in 1992, went from seventh position in Friday’s provisional qualifying to first, but had to settle for the outside of the front row for the French Grand Prix when Williams-Renault teammate Damon Hill won the pole from him with five minutes left in the time trials. Hill averaged 124.656 m.p.h. on the 2.461-mile track.

David Green broke the track record in winning the pole position for today’s $314,467 Havoline 250 stock car race at the Milwaukee Mile, his fourth NASCAR pole of the season. Green averaged 115.407 m.p.h. in a Chevrolet, breaking the track record of 113.845 set last year by Bobby Dotter.

Tim Sauter scored the first major victory of his stock car racing career by winning the Milwaukee 100. . . . Chip Hanauer was the top qualifier with an average time of 162.993 m.p.h. for today’s Budweiser Indiana Governor’s Cup hydroplane race at Madison, Ind.

Rowing

American rowers were ensured of at least one trophy and got crews into the finals of three other events at the Royal Henley Regatta in England. In one of the most successful days the United States has had at the 155-year-old regatta, the national heavyweight eight, competing as Charles River and San Diego, justified its role as the favorite for Henley’s premier event with a record-breaking victory over the Dutch national crew in the Grand Cup.

The United States was ensured of winning the Princess Elizabeth Cup for prep schools for the first time in seven years as St. Paul’s School of Concord, N.H., and Atlantic City High beat English crews in the semifinals.

Miscellany

The Manhattan Beach Open was full of upsets and the biggest came when the top-ranked team of Kent Steffes and Scott Ayakatubby was eliminated from the tournament.

Steffes and Ayakatubby lost a morning quarterfinal (15-14) to eighth-seeded Tim Hovland and Eric Fonoimoana, then lost by 15-13 to fourth-seeded Brent Frohoff and Ricci Luyties.

The top seeds placed seventh, marking the worst finish for Steffes in Manhattan Beach since 1988.

Today’s winners’ bracket final will feature sixth-seeded Bill Boullianne and Brian Lewis against fifth-seeded Jose Loiola and Eduardo Bacil. The final, which will be televised live on NBC, will be at 1:30 p.m.