Janzen Shoots 63 in Bid to End Victory Drought

Lee Janzen and Steve Jones won U.S. Opens by grinding their way through the toughest of conditions. Both showed Wednesday they can play a bit on easy courses, too.

Janzen, trying to win for the first time since the 1998 U.S. Open, made 10 birdies on his way to a nine-under-par 63 in the first round of the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas.

Jones had a 62, but his came at the par-71 TPC Canyons course, while Janzen played the par-72 TPC Summerlin course. Both have some hope that their droughts may be over.

“In 1995 if someone had said you’re going to win only once more over the next seven years I wouldn’t have believed it,” Janzen said.

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Kenneth I. Chenault, chairman and chief executive of American Express, is the latest Augusta National Golf Club member to support the inclusion of female members.

Chenault released a statement supporting the campaign by the National Council of Women’s Organizations, which is spearheading the drive to include women among Augusta National’s 300 members.

Tennis

Jennifer Capriati, seeded No. 1, lost to qualifier Alexandra Stevenson, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4, in a second-round match of the Porsche Grand Prix at Filderstadt, Germany....Top-seeded Tommy Haas defeated Mikhail Youzhny, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5, and James Blake defeated Vincent Spadea, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, in the first round of the CA Trophy at Vienna....Top-seeded Marat Safin reached the quarterfinals of the Lyon Grand Prix in France with a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (10) victory over Wayne Arthurs.

Miscellany

Spark center Lisa Leslie and Sacramento Monarch guard Edna Campbell will be the coaches for a celebrity charity basketball game Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Santa Monica Crossroads High to raise money for the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations.

Campbell sat out the 2002 WNBA season while recovering from breast cancer. Among those scheduled to participate are actors Chi McBride, David Arquette, Vivica A. Fox and Bill Bellamy. Details: www.wnba.com.

About 1,000 students who had to leave Sullivan East High because of black mold, which can cause severe respiratory problems, were cleared to attend classes at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.

A spokesman for the speedway said the students are expected to be there four to six weeks. The track is closed until March.

Oracle of San Francisco and OneWorld of Seattle remained unbeaten, and Alinghi of Switzerland remained atop the standings with five victories in six starts as racing resumed today in the America’s Cup sailing challenger series off Auckland, New Zealand, after four days of weather interruptions. Prada of Italy also won.

Passings

Hall of Fame goaltender Chuck Rayner, a three-time All-Star who played 10 years in the NHL, died of heart failure at age 82.

Rayner died Oct. 6 in his home at Langley, British Columbia, the league confirmed.

Jacques Richard, who played in the NHL with Quebec, Atlanta and Buffalo and who later served a prison sentence for drug smuggling, was killed in a one-car accident at Quebec. He was 50.

Richard retired in 1983 after a 10-year career.