Tolles (65) Stays Hot in Houston

Tommy Tolles has finished no worse than fifth in his last four PGA tournaments, and “everybody keeps asking what I’m doing right,” he said.

Actually, “it’s what I’m not doing wrong.”

He wasn’t missing putts Thursday, particularly on the final 12 holes, seven of which he birdied en route to a seven-under-par 65 and a share of the first-round lead in the Houston Open with Mike Springer.

“It was just one of those days when everything fell into place,” said Tolles, a second-year tour player who has earned $471,422, good for seventh on the money list.

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Val Skinner shot what she called a “ho-hum” 67 for the first-round lead over three players in the LPGA’s Sprint Titleholders Championship at Daytona Beach, Fla.

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Stanford sophomore Tiger Woods of Cypress has been named Pacific 10 Conference player of the year and Arizona State’s Randy Lein coach of the year.

Jurisprudence

Hackensack, N.J., Superior Court Judge Amos Saunders turned down a request by World Boxing Assn. heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon to be allowed to fight Mike Tyson, keeping alive Lennox Lewis’ prospects of fighting Tyson for the World Boxing Council title.

Lewis claims he was wrongly passed over to fight for the WBC title when Tyson was allowed to challenge Frank Bruno, whom Tyson beat in March.

“It’s a shame that the ‘baddest man on the planet’ has turned into a track star,” Lewis said. “I would love to take this out of the courtroom and into the ring, but it is quite clear that Mike Tyson is deathly afraid of Lennox Lewis.”

Kimberly Smith, a former Chicago Bull cheerleader injured in an unwanted dance with the Famous Chicken in 1991, was awarded more than $317,000 by a Chicago jury.

Oregon reserve fullback Pulou Malepeai, 22, was sentenced to 20 days in jail for assaulting and harassing a group of men near campus last October.

Football

University of Minnesota running back Rafael Cooper was kicked off the team after being mentioned in a police report on a burglary at a campus dormitory.

The Atlanta Falcons acquired offensive lineman Matt Willig, a 27-year-old former USC player, from the New York Jets in exchange for a draft choice.

Tennis

Second-seeded Boris Becker, still looking for the first clay-court title of his career, outlasted Jordi Burillo, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, to reach the quarterfinals of the BMW Open in Munich, Germany. . . . Second-seeded Richey Reneberg advanced to the semifinals of the AT&T; Challenge at Atlanta with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over David Wheaton. . . . Defending champion Bohdan Ulihrach defeated Francisco Montana, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, in the second round of the Czech Open in Prague. . . . Second-seeded Conchita Martinez eased into the quarterfinals of the Rexona Cup by routing Katarzyna Nowak, 6-0, 6-0, on clay in Hamburg, Germany. . . . Top-seeded Iva Majoli, the local favorite, was upset by Gloria Pizzichini, ranked No. 150, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, in the Croatian Open in Bol.

Soccer

South Korea’s prime minister said that his nation is willing to join Japan as a co-host of the 2002 World Cup. . . . Glenn Hoddle, 38, signed a reported four-year deal worth more than $1.5 million to coach England through the 1998 World Cup and into the European Championships in 2000.

Names in the News

The beach volleyball team of Nancy Reno and Karolyn Kirby is seeded No. 1 in the $50,000 Hermosa Beach Open today through Sunday. . . . Former Ohio State basketball Coach Fred Taylor remained in critical condition in intensive care in Columbus after surgery for a brain aneurysm. . . . Rafer Johnson, the Olympic decathlon gold medalist in 1960, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 11th annual Cedars-Sinai Sports Spectacular on June 23 at the Century Plaza Hotel.