The day in sports: Michelle Wie takes three-stroke lead in Arkansas

Michelle Wie shot a seven-under 64 — playing her first nine holes in seven-under 28 — to take the second-round lead in the Northwest Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Ark.

Wie, trying for her second straight victory, had the lowest nine-hole score on the LPGA Tour this year. She finished at 10 under Saturday, three strokes ahead of Juli Inkster (66), Yani Tseng (68) and Na Yeon Choi (68).

Wie started her round on No. 10 and birdied five of her first seven holes. She then made an uphill putt of about 35 feet on No. 18 for an eagle on the 515-yard par five.

She made a tap-in birdie on No. 2 to move to eight under on the day through 11 holes, but she slowed down a bit after that and will have to contend with several players Sunday as she tries to follow up on her win late last month at the Canadian Women’s Open.

Fred Funk shot a five-under 67 Saturday to take the lead at the rain-soaked Posco E&C Songdo Championship in Incheon, South Korea, the Champions Tour’s first event in Asia.

Funk sank a 12-foot putt on the par-five 18th hole for his fifth birdie of the day and stands at eight-under 136.

Tom Pernice Jr., Russ Cochran and John Cook were two shots behind in a three-way split for second at 138.

Donald Fehr might lead NHL Players Assn.

Donald Fehr is a step closer to becoming the NHL Players’ Assn’s. executive director.

The union said it has accepted the recommendation of its search committee and will put Fehr to a vote of its membership.

Players are expected to vote after team meetings during training camp this month and early into the regular season.

The 62-year-old Fehr has been serving as an unpaid NHLPA consultant since November.

Fehr joined the Major League Baseball Players Assn. as general counsel in 1977, and served as the executive director for 26 years until he stepped down in December 2009.

If he becomes the NHLPA’s executive director, he’ll take over an organization that’s been plagued by turmoil and uncertainty in recent years. The union has had four different leaders since the end of the 2004-05 lockout.

Wladimir Klitschko knocks out Samuel Peter in 10th round

Wladimir Klitschko made sure to get the knockout this time. Five years after he was knocked down three times in a tough victory over Samuel Peter, the IBF and WBO champion battered and bloodied the Nigerian challenger before finally stopping him with 1:22 left in the 10th round of another dominating performance in Frankfurt, Germany.

Klitschko (55-3, 49 KOs) unleashed a flurry of blows to send Peter to the canvas, an uppercut and left hook doing the final bit of damage. Referee Robert Byrd began counting but then waved his hands to call the fight over.

Klitschko has won his last 13 fights, only twice going the distance and both times winning by a landslide on the scorecards. He’s stamped himself as perhaps the most dominant heavyweight of his generation — with the exception of perhaps his brother Vitali, the WBC champion who will be in the ring next month against Shannon Briggs.

The problem is the two Klitschko brothers will almost certainly never fight, depriving the sport of a matchup between the two best heavyweights.

Vernon Davis becomes top-paid tight end

Vernon Davis became the highest-paid tight end in NFL history after signing a five-year extension with the San Francisco 49ers. A person familiar with the contract told the Associated Press that Davis will get $37 million overall, with $34 million guaranteed.

The deal is worth $3 million more in guaranteed money than San Diego’s Antonio Gates received.

Davis, entering his fifth NFL season, led the 49ers with 78 catches last year for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns, which tied Gates’ NFL mark for the position.

Former Packer and Lion Ron Kramer dies

Former Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions tight end Ron Kramer has died at age 75.

The University of Michigan said Kramer died Saturday at his home. It did not release the cause of death.

Kramer caught two touchdown passes from Bart Starr in Green Bay’s 1961 NFL championship victory over the New York Giants. He had his most productive season in 1962 with 37 receptions for 555 yards and seven touchdowns and was an All-Pro.