Canada Takes Lead in World Cup Golf

Mike Weir had an eagle and five birdies, and teamed up with right-hander Ian Leggatt to shoot a 13-under-par 59 Thursday as Canada took the lead in the World Cup of Golf at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Much of the focus going into the tournament was on the top-seeded American team of Phil Mickelson and David Toms, but it was Weir and Leggatt who led after the opening round.

Mickelson and Toms struggled with their putting most of the day and shot 65. The Americans, who made only one birdie in the first five holes, are tied for 16th, six shots behind.

Mickelson couldn’t shake his recent slump. He drove the ball into fairway bunkers, missed short birdie putts and had to hit his second shot on the par-four 18th from his knees after his drive ended up in the hazard that splits the fairway and runs along the left side of the hole.

Mickelson didn’t get a birdie until No. 6, where his 15-foot putt caught the right side of the hole, rolled around and went in.

Australia’s team of Craig Parry and Adam Scott was second with at 60.

South Korea was tied with France at 11 under, and defending champion South Africa and Sweden were 10 under.

Miscellany

Racing in the America’s Cup challenger semifinal at Auckland, New Zealand, was postponed because of high winds.

Alinghi of Switzerland leads its best-of-seven series against Oracle of San Francisco, 3-0. Alinghi is trying to become the first team to advance to January’s challenger final.

The series between Seattle’s OneWorld Challenge and Prada of Italy is tied 1-1.

Racing is scheduled to resume today.

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Sarah Schleper had her best giant slalom result of the season, leading the U.S. team in a World Cup skiing event at Val d’Isere, France.

Schleper finished in a tie with Austria’s Nicole Hosp for eighth place in a race won by Karen Putzer of Italy.

Schleper’s teammate, Caroline Lalive, also performed well, finishing 17th despite starting at 55th.

Putzer put together two strong runs to finish 0.36 ahead of Sonja Nef of Switzerland.

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Two newspapers have filed an appeal challenging the constitutionality of a law restricting access to autopsy photos.

The Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel filed a brief Wednesday in the 4th District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach, Fla., challenging the constitutionality of the Family Protection Act, passed after Dale Earnhardt’s death.

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Derrick Davis, 29, of Baltimore, one of three men implicated in the Breeders’ Cup pick-six scheme, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of wire-fraud conspiracy in White Plains, N.Y. The others, Chris Harn and Glen DaSilva, had also pleaded guilty, although the charges against DaSilva were related to betting swindles other than the Breeders’ Cup.