THE DAY IN SPORTS

Luke Donald set a tournament record Thursday by taking only 20 putts at the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, which allowed him to tie a tournament record by opening with an eight-under-par 64 and a three-shot lead over a group that included Jim Furyk and Jason Day, who bogeyed his last two holes. Tiger Woods finished with a 69, missing an eight-foot par putt on the final hole.

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Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak shot a bogey-free six-under 66 for a share of the first-round lead with Jee Young Lee in the LPGA State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill.

BASKETBALL

Clippers to host Griffin workout

Former Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin will have a pre-draft workout Saturday at the Clippers’ practice facility in Playa Vista. After finishing the 2008-09 season with a 19-63 record, the Clippers won the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft through the league’s lottery.

Even though the draft isn’t until June 25, Clippers General Manager and Coach Mike Dunleavy told The Times they’ll draft the 6-foot-10 Griffin, who posted 30 double doubles for the Sooners and won this year’s Wooden Award.

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The Sparks waived guard Marta Fernandez and forward Ashley Paris.

To field an 11-player roster required by the WNBA, the Sparks must cut one more player before the season-opener against the Detroit Shock on Saturday.

-- Mark Medina

NFL

Union settles suit with ex-players

The NFL Players Assn. has reached a $26-million settlement with retired players who had successfully sued the union for cutting them out of lucrative marketing deals. NFLPA official George Atallah told the Associated Press that the settlement has been reached, ending an appeal filed by the union in the case.

Retired player Bob Grant described the deal as an “encouraging” step for the NFLPA to begin healing its long-standing rift with former players.

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The Arizona Cardinals signed safety Adrian Wilson to a five-year contract, and the San Francisco 49ers signed left tackle Joe Staley to a six-year contract extension.

JURISPRUDENCE

Wade sure former business partner

NBA star Dwyane Wade has sued a former business partner for $100 million, claiming the man maligned his reputation by making false allegations of illegal drug and steroid use in an e-mail to Miami Heat President Pat Riley.

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth is pleading not guilty to DUI manslaughter charges from a Miami car crash in which a pedestrian died.

ETC.

Torrealba’s son, relative released

Colorado catcher Yorvit Torrealba’s 11-year-old son and brother-in-law were released by kidnappers a day after being abducted.

The two were abducted while driving to the boy’s school along with a relative of the boy’s mother, Venezuelan authorities said in a statement.

The kidnappers demanded $466,000 in ransom, but none was paid, said Wilmer Flores Trossel, head of Venezuela’s federal police.

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Women’s boxer Laila Ali, skateboarder Ryan Sheckler and the Miami Heat’s Wade will be honored at the 24th Cedars-Sinai Sports Spectacular on Sunday night at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City.

The event, which annually draws some of the biggest names in sports, has raised more than $18 million for the medical center’s genetics institute.

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General admission tickets for the Breeders’ Cup, scheduled for Nov. 6-7 at Santa Anita, will cost $10, half as much as last year when the races also were held at Santa Anita.

That is part of an overall price-cutting plan for the Breeders’ Cup. Some seats for Friday, Nov. 6, can be purchased for $40 and Saturday, Nov. 7, for $55. No seats were on sale for either day last year for less than $200.

All tickets go on sale today at www.breederscup.com.